Karen Wils photo A collection of old deer hunting licenses dating back to the 1920s brings back deer ­season memories.

ESCANABA — Deer season is about objects…

Like a battered old coffee pot sitting on a woodstove. I wonder how many cups of joe were shared around that breakfast table before sunup on frosty cold November days.

Through the decades some beer and orange pop were enjoyed as deer camp beverages, but the amount of coffee wins hands down.

Deer season is about objects…

Like that big cast iron frying pan. What stories of camp cuisine that pan could tell. How many dozens of eggs and pounds of bacon have kissed that flat kettle sizzling with goodness?

Raw fried potatoes were my dad’s specialty. Onions and bacon and sliced newly dug spuds with a dash of salt and pepper and cooked to a golden-brown perfection in that huge frying pan made for a wonderful meal.

Deer season is about objects…

Like that faded duffle bag stuffed full of the most precious wardrobe. The lucky flannel shirt, several pairs of comfy long-johns, wool socks, hats and hankies are all rolled up into that overnight bag. A hunter is always prepared for all kinds of weather.

A lot of people will try to tell you that deer season is about the size of the deer herd and about trophy bucks. Books and magazines emphasize food plats, trail cameras, heated blinds and side-by-sides and GPS gadgets. And all those things are nice to know about but…

Deer season is about objects…

Like a wind-up alarm clock, suspenders on a pair of woolen pants, pails that have carried many gallons of crystal-clear water into the camp and a favorite quilt that’s lumpy and old.

Deer season is about objects…

Like rifles, not weapons, but tools to help provide meat and perfect the herd. The guns of deer season are often handed down from grandfather to son to granddaughter. Like a 300 Savage rifle it is cleaned oiled and treasured year after year.

Deer season is about objects…

Like chairs around a table. Laughter, card games and hunting stories flow from each person on each chair year after year. Until one year there is an empty chair.

Deer season is not about the biggest deer. It’s about the people, family, friends and camaraderie.

Deer season is about objects…

Like a thick book called the “camp log” or journal were so many memories are stored.

If you are heading out into the woods next week enjoy what Upper Michigan is famous for. We are so fortunate to have wild places, wildlife and a time to be with nature. Be safe, good luck, share old hunting stories and make new memories.

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Karen (Rose) Wils is a lifelong north Escanaba resident. Her folksy columns appear weekly in Lifestyles.