Memories of Buckeye Deer Camp
As told to Herbert L. Lunday by Herbert H. Lunday in 1985
Comments and Epilogue by Dr. Herbert L. Lunday
© 2017
Especially for Mom and Dad, Carol and Larry
Part Four
The first deer was killed in 1953. It was only by chance that I failed to be the hunter assigned to the stand where the deer was killed. The full story has endured through the years and is a favorite among the Buckeye group.
In 1958 or 1959, we acquired a cabin boat which had been built after World War II by members of the Augusta VFW Club. The cabin floated on Army surplus rubber pontoons. One summer Sunday afternoon, Edwin Jimerson and I pushed the cabin boat from Augusta to Buckeye Bend with a fishing boat powered by my old 22- horsepower outboard. As we guided the strange looking craft down the river, our two young sons, Herbert Lee and Jimmy, played inside the cabin.
When we arrived at Buckeye Bend, we were met by many of the rest of our group. We fashioned a huge sled out of young trees, slipped it under the cabin boat, and pulled it onto the bank with two farm tractors. Today, the cabin still sits in that precise spot and is used for camping and cooking. In earlier years, the cabin was used exclusively for cooking. Our chef for many years was Floyd Curry. The hunters slept in old school bus bodies which were arranged on the north side of the cabin. We drove a pump on the south side of the cabin which still yields superb drinking water. A beautiful sandbar is located very near the camp, and it is an ideal spot for recreation in the summer months when the water level is low enough.
Buckeye Deer Camp is located on a small section of land owned by the late Bill Mills and his brother, Vance. Since Vance lived in another city, we dealt primarily with Bill, who for many years was head cashier and later Executive Vice President at the Bank of Augusta. Bill leased the land to us for $1.00 per year. He collected the rent during each November hunting season by having supper with us at the camp. He never gave us advance notice when he was coming, so we were unable to prepare a special meal for him. On several occasions, the meals he ate with us were less than substantial, and he would always threaten to raise the rent if the food didn’t improve.