McManus Camp
2009 Reports and Photos
|
 |
| Beaver McManus |
|
| McManus Camp
Since 1989, Beaver McManus has been hosting Adobe Lodge hunters at his ranch. Repeat hunters make up about 90% of each year's list of clients, and there is often a waiting list to secure a spot for a deer hunt. The McManus Camp can host only four hunters on each hunt, and there are only five hunt dates during the Texas season.
|
Hunt 5 December 17 - 20
Research into our archives reveals that John Hubschmidt has hunted the McManus Camp most every year for the past eleven years. That's one heck of a string of hunts. And over all those years, John has introduced the McManus Camp to countless hunters. This year, John was accompanied by several who have hunted at Beaver's numerous times. (But nowhere nearly as often as has John.) From the same hometown as John in Bridgeton, NJ came Tim Swift and Dave Hemple. From Vineland, NJ came Gary Beres. These hunters have been together on many adventures over the years.
The weather could not have been better. Cold mornings, then mild afternoons followed by chilly nights. Perfect hunting weather. Tim and Gary were the first to put tags on bucks. But Dave and John waited until the very last morning to "get'er done". And when Dave finally got started, he could only stop himself by unloading his gun, according to Beaver. Here's what happened:
On that Sunday morning, it looked like Dave was going to have to settle for a "last-day-buck". But he didn't have to. Here comes a good one just after daybreak. Dave puts him on the ground with one shot. But wait - there's a much better one. Since Beaver was offering second-buck privileges, Dave takes him down, as well. Then - mercy-me-oh-dear - here comes one that would surely have been our "Buck of the Year". And so this explains why Dave had to unload his gun. He just didn't trust himself with that monster taunting him like that. After hunting patiently for three days without seeing a worthy candidate, all of a sudden in a matter of minutes these three bucks showed one behind the other. And each successive buck kept getting bigger and bigger.
So it was a great end to a spectacular season at the McManus Camp. Once again, 100% of Beaver's hunters went home with bucks. And as Dave Hemple would no doubt testify, there is at least one monster to be hunted again next season. But probably a whole lot more. It's been a great season at the McManus Camp.
|
Hunt 4 December 10 - 13
A party of two and two parties of one have staked a claim on the fourth hunt of each season at the McManus Camp for as far into the future as any of us can see.
And it's hard to remember how many years this group has come together for their annual reunion at the McManus Camp. Frank Harris and Conrad Miller, from Millersburg, PA are long-time hunting buddies. Justin Carrissio, from Wilmington, DE collected our "Buck of the Year" back in 2007, but he wouldn't think of missing the hunt at Beavers. Similarly, Alan McKeithen drives himself all the way from Riverside, CA in his big motor home for the gathering.
This group has forged a strong connection of hunting whitetails at the McManus Camp. Such long-term relationships are the spice of life, and there is nothing like spending time with old friends. Especially when the hunting is as good as it always is at Beaver's camp. Just look at what this group collected on their 2009 hunt. Five bucks were taken by the four of them, and every one was a good'un.
Is it any wonder why their booking is now classified as "perpetual"?
|
Hunt 3 December 3 - 6
When E.J. Deseta hunted at the McManus Camp back last season, he took our "Buck of the Year" - the largest buck taken at any Adobe Lodge camp. It's pretty easy to see, then, why he would want to return this year with three amigos, all from the Pennsylvania/Delaware/Maryland area. He built it all up pretty high, but Beaver McManus and his deer hunting lived up to everyone's expectations.
And doggoned if E.J. didn't collect another dandy in '09 with Beaver. Check out the 19", 14 pointer below. Although there is one buck above him on the leader board, he will probably wind up in the top five of the season. Is E.J. on a roll, or what?
E.J.'s buddies all took two bucks each. And every last one of them were good'uns, as you will see in the photos below. In addition to E.J., who hails from West Chester, PA, there was Joe Petrillo, Wilmington, DE; his dad, John Petrillo from Chadds Ford, PA; and Warwick, MD hunter Dick Mumford.
The only bad news to come out of the entire hunt happened when Dick Mumford lost a ten-pointer. But as with so many misfortunes, there was one heck of a good lesson to be learned from what happened. The snow storm that morning played a giant part in the drama.
With the snow falling and getting deeper by the minute, Dick found a buck he liked and pulled the trigger. The buck bolted, and appeared to go down just out of sight. So far, so good. In his eagerness to see the trophy, Dick left his blind and went to where he supposed the deer would be. Uh-oh. He heard the buck jump up and run off. He searched a bit more, but found nothing. He returned to the blind and waited for Beaver to come.
Since West Texas has very little snow, it's not often we get the opportunity to track/trail a deer for any great distance. How many times have we wondered (1) just which direction will they go? And (2) how far will a wounded buck go? On that snowy morning, conditions could not have been better to answer all these questions. Beaver said the buck's path took him at least a third of a mile north, then he turned west for a similar distance. After a while, he veered left and went well over a mile to finally jump a perimeter fence to escape into a neighbor's pasture. Beaver was convinced the deer was totally unrecoverable, given the huge distance he traveled. Without that snow, the path of the departing buck could never have been determined so clearly. They found a drop or two of blood along the way - compelling evidence they were following the correct deer's tracks.
This event provides a strong argument that a pushed-buck will go a very, very long way. So if the buck hadn't been pushed, would he have bled out and died? Maybe, maybe not. But it is clear that a wise hunter, when he doesn't immediately see the carcass of his deer, will back off for several hours to let things take their course. If the buck is ultimately found, his antlers and cape can be salvaged, even though the meat might be tainted.
Except for E.J., all the hunters elected to take second bucks. So the third hunt of the season at the McManus Camp was mighty fruitful. Counting the lost buck, there were seven bucks taken by the four hunters plus four antlerless deer. And you guessed it - E.J. will be returning in 2010. He has set the bar mighty high for himself now. Is he capable of a "three-peat"? We will see.
|
Hunt 2 November 19-22
Every once in a while, there will be a story-book ending. And every now and then, we all have to deal with some kind of crisis/screwup/catastrophy. The second hunt in 2009 at the McManus Camp had all of the above, and more. Read on.
The screwup happened early in the adventure. That's good. It's best to get those kind of things behind you as quickly as possible. Here's what happened, but exactly how it happened remaining a bit cloudy: two of the four hunters traveling together missed the connection to San Angelo at DFW. When Beaver McManus arrived at the airport, he found all the luggage but only half the hunters. We are more used to dealing with the reverse of this situation.
Glenn Wise and Tim Miller, from Carlisle, PA, have been hunting the second hunt at the McManus Camp for many, many years now. Once again this year, they were accompanied by Ed Blemler, a long-time friend of Glenn's. (Glenn and Ed don't remember a time they didn't know each other, even 3/4 of a century ago). The newcomer this year was Earl Beal from Lewistown, PA. Somehow, Ed and Earl, eating at a Subway sandwich place, failed to hear that their plane was loading. Load it did and away it went to sunny San Angelo without them. How could that plane do such a thing?
The next plane out was full, so they had to bide their time in the airport, hour after hour. Finally, and thankfully, there was a spot for both of them on the last plane of the day. Arriving at San Angelo near 10 p.m, it wasn't going to be long until it was time to get up and go hunting. Poor Beaver had to make the two-hour round trip to retrieve the tardy pair. Glenn and Tim had kindly sighted in their companion's rifles earlier in the daylight.
When the hunt got underway on time the next morning, the PA troops did great. Five bucks were taken by the four hunters. And good ones they were - two nine pointers, two ten pointers, and a twelve point buck that, to date, is the largest buck taken at any Adobe Lodge camp this season.
This twelve pointer, then, is the subject of the storybook ending mentioned earlier. Glenn Wise had told Beaver as the hunt was beginning, that for a multitude of reasons, this was going to be his last McManus Camp hunt. Glenn has been such a fixture at Beaver's camp for so many years, it just won't seem like deer season without him. So when Glenn retired from his McManus Camp career, he could hardly have done it up better. Yep, it was Glenn who collected that twelve pointer which lacked only an eighth of an inch having both a 20" spread and 150" of antlers.
None of the four hunters took a doe, and no varmints were seen. In fact, Beaver reported that bucks were by-passing his corn feeders to chase after does. They are on the move now, and the rut is officially under way.
|
Hunt 1 November 12-15
The first hunt of the 2009 season at the McManus Camp found only two hunters on hand. Despite our best efforts to find additional hunters, Beaver McManus had to go to battle in the deer wars with only half his team. But a good team it was since a couple of dandy bucks were taken.
Darl Hospelhorn and Ed Miller have shared a hunt with Beaver on numerous occassions. They used to be neighbors in Waynesboro, PA, but Ed's job moved him to Georgia a year or so ago. They now plan for an annual reunion - hunting deer with Beaver McManus each fall. In fact, like so many other McManus groups, their's is a perpetual booking. They will be here, God willing, on the first hunt each year as far as the eye can see.
Having both taken super-top trophies at the McManus Camp in the past, Darl and Ed know what a good one looks like, but both will also tell you that you'd better be ready from the first minutes of the hunt to make your selection since you can never predict when a butter-melter will show up. So both Darl and Ed were mostly done hunting by Saturday and they simply relaxed and enjoyed the mild fall weather here in Texas.
Darl's nine pointer was 21 1/4" outside and weighed 170 lbs. Ed's buck had ten points, weighed 145 lbs and was 15" wide. Both hunters took does, as well. They reported seeing the large numbers of deer they have come to expect on a McManus Camp hunt. No doubt, the bucks are hot after the does now, and the rut has definitely started.
|
|
