Canyon Park Cabin

Canyon Park might be considered “trophy ground” for hunting whitetail deer. It’s ideal for the whitetail, cool clear water running through the canyon with it’s ample cover. On top, farmers fields and neighbors yards to feed on. It’s about perfect for whitetails.

Over the years we have begun to understand a little about the deer herd, mostly by observation. We have had encounters many times with many different deer. There are that many! We are in the CWD zone (none from Canyon Park have tested positive) and happen to think that there are just to many deer for the overall environmental health of Canyon Park. But that’s a different post.

We totally support the idea of the Traditional Deer Season in Wisconsin. We also support the “earn-a-buck” (or at least, work for two deer) idea and utilize it with hunting here. Herd reduction is a primary objective. 

The hunting experiences have been great. I don’t really hunt much but the first time I ever went I was face to face with a perfect ten pointer. He definately knew more about what was going on than I did. Last year two buck were mounted from the property; a 14 point and a ten pointer, just because it was that nice. A couple of years ago, Mitch on his first hunt, shot a seven year old doe (good genetics and ample cover). And other stories, too.

We’ve also come face to face. I’ll never forget this one; my son-in-law Jude’s first visit from New Orleans. We go for a hike around the loop and stop at Four Oaks Point (right next to my hunting spot), there were maybe six people on top of the rock. Kodi, the dog, took off down the trail. Next thing I know I hear something coming up the other side and a really nice ten pointer busts through the saplings and is standing on the rock with us!

And Jude says, “That’s pretty cool”.    

Thanksgiving is booked but the weekends on either side of the holiday are available. If your interested in a comfortable, exciting and challenging hunt let us know.  

I hear it every time I take a load of wood somewhere. There’s always a comment, a fond memory, at least a memory. It’s usually something to the effect, “yeah, Dad would take us out to the woods and we couldn’t leave until the truck was full”.

One that I remember, the Milwaukee Brewers were in the playoffs going for the American League Championship(that would be a loooong time ago, 1982) . I think that it was a Sunday afternoon and we had made plans to go and get some firewood. It was kind of a mistake, I wanted to listen to the game and at least get some updates. Dad not being much of a baseball fan couldn’t understand it and got a little upset with me. I’ll just leave it at that. When we got home that evening I found out that the Brewers would be in the World Series. I didn’t get to see any of those games either.

I still have fun going to the woods and getting firewood. I don’t really hunt or fish but you can count on “getting your limit” when your after firewood. There’s a sense of accomplishment, a commraderie, a good workout and creation of new memories.

To that end, Canyon Park will be holding a “woodcutter’s weekends”. Each day on the weekend we will work in the woods for a couple of hours in the morning, have a simple yet hardy lunch and then work for about four hours in the afternoon to early evening, which will be followed by a nice evening meal. Everyone that participates can take home (or have delivered) the wood they have worked on.

The cabin rooms will be available for rent, tenting will be possible and just being out for the day will work as well.

Let us know if you’d be interested!

It’s comin’ up on “maple syrup” time. March 15th, that’s what the old timers say. No use in even starting collection until that date. It needs to freeze at night and get above 32 degrees during the day or the sap doesn’t run. I’ve tried several times to begin before that date and while I’ve gotten some sap, the weather is just not consistent enough to make all of the work worth the effort.

So, typically I’m gathering up (finding) the tools; the brace and bits, spiles, boiling trays, hydrometer, big tin cans and other equipment to get ready for the makin’ of the syrup. The most difficult part can be getting some concrete blocks for the fireplace….. they are usually frozen together, unless…………….
It’s a simply amazing process. You need to gather the sap from the sugar maples, about 50 gallons will garner a gallon of syrup. You can get about three or four gallons a day from each spile (in good weather). Then boil it down and down and down. The trick is to add enough sap to replace the water vapor that boils off. The process can take eight to ten hours and there is something to do every fifteen minutes. You need to keep the fire hot, add sap as necessary to the dribble can and be sure to keep an eye on the “foam”. If foaming becomes a problem (it’s really a highlight of the day) you need to be ready with a half teaspoon of butter to drop in the hot pre-syrup. (In the old days they would place a piece of bacon on a string just above the pan and when the foam rose high enough it would touch the bacon and retard the foaming action.)