MOORE’S CAMP CELEBRATES 100th ANNIVERSARY (From 2010)
During the 2009 deer season I spent an enjoyable evening with Layne Moore and his father Gerald talking about the Moore Hunt Camp which will be celebrating 100 years in 2010. To date some 4 generations of Moores, relatives and friends have hunted deer from their base on Copeway Lake. In 1910 the Moores needed meat and so Gerald’s Uncle Irvin set out to remedy the situation.
The Moores had recently moved from Bass Lake (now called Steenburg Lake) in order to farm and as yet didn’t know the lay of the land very well. Henry Bird had first settled the area. According to Layne, Bird was a trapper and hunter who provided meat to the lumber camps at $1.00 per deer. Henry had shot 26 deer, his partner 25. And so while Henry was skinning beaver his partner set out to shoot number 26 so they could evenly split the proceeds. As it happened, while the partner was seeking number 26, 6 deer came to Henry while he was skinning and he shot all six.
The Moores bought the land from Bill Bird whose family had suffered a tragic turn of fortune. While Bird’s wife and brother were milking the cows fire broke out in their homestead. Bird’s brother rushed into the burning inferno in an attempt to save the 3 children. “He handed Clifford out to Mrs. Bird and returned for the other two,” related Layne. “Mrs. Bird saw that her brother-in-law had the other two children under his arms and as he was making his way to escape they suddenly disappeared from sight never to be seen again.” Layne continued that Mrs. Bird couldn’t stay as she was haunted by those images.
Irvin Moore discovered Copeway Lake some 4 miles from their farmhouse and the site where they would eventually build their hunt camp. “For the first 3 or 4 years they camped in tents,” said Gerald. “They would portage their supplies in using the travois Indian system with two poles and a horse.” A one-way trip would wear out the poles as they dragged along the ground. Then a huge forest fire ravaged the area in 1918 consuming their camp and all about it. In fact, according to Layne, the fire was not put out until winter set in. The fire had begun at Big Burnt Lake where lumbermen had been logging the pine. “They used Otter and Beaver Creek to get the logs out of the area to the mill in Trenton.” Thereafter, for a few years, the hunters stayed at the Moore’s farmhouse resulting in rather overcrowded conditions. To accommodate the hunters, Gerald recalls having to sleep 4 to a bed, crosswise, as opposed to the normal lengthwise. Enough was enough and the hunters were “encouraged” to build a new camp. Which they did; a 12 x 16 foot structure that would accommodate the hunters for eating and sleeping. There were so many, 19 in all, that some had to sleep on the floor. The more fortunate got a bed to sleep on. Layne smiles as he says that one of the hunters complained, “I don’t mind being stepped on, but I don’t like being stood on.” You might say conditions were crowded. Later, the camp added a sleeping bunkee for the overflow. In fact relative Clarke Tivy Rollins, who later became the area’s well known M.P.P., used to hunt in the camp and he sent in some carpenters to build the bunkee. “They used the lake as a refrigerator,” said Layne, who also added that the deer season began on November 5 in those days “regardless of what day it fell on,” with Sunday perhaps being the exception.
The Moores showed me a class photo of Gerald and his classmates standing in front of their one room school built in 1851. The slate coincidentally tells us that the photo was taken on October 29, 1929, the day of the infamous stock Market crash. “We were self-sufficient – food, water, firewood…Only firewood had any value,” said Gerald. There was no market for the cattle. They would knock the calves on the head and throw their carcasses away for the wildlife. Hired hands willingly worked for room and board. Gerald’s brother worked in Peterboro. Just before Christmas he sent a letter saying he needed meat and firewood so they shot a buck, loaded it on to the truck and hid it under the firewood since deer season was over. In Peterboro a neighbour offered to help unload the wood and eventually noticed the buck. “Nice horns,” was all he said.
Layne had some photos on hand. One showed a huge misfit stone, deposited by glacial retreat. “Dad (Gerald) shot a buck from that rock,” he told me. Then another stood up and he shot it. Then another and another. Then Gerald’s dad came along and shot a fifth. All from one rock watch. In those pre-ATV days the men simply slung the deer over their shoulders and carried them out of the bush. And these were big deer. Not a safe practice to follow. If the deer was of sufficient size two men would carry it out on a pole.
In those first years the camp travelled in and out by horse team and wagon. Even today the Copeway trail is no picnic to travel. It’s rough, boulder strewn, with major water holes and swamps to navigate, a meandering Steen creek (also spelled Stein) to cross fraught full of challenges even for to-day’s 4 wheel drive ATVs. One year I discovered that my ATV does float for on that trail the beaver had flooded a large portion creating a pond that was deeper that anticipated. I stood on my seat as I floated to the other shore which seemed more distant than real.
Layne has photos of two farm tractors in tandem pulling the wagon full of supplies into camp. When they used horses, to save on carrying feed, the horses were let go once they reached the camp to return to the farm. “It would always take them a day or two,” said Layne. “I guess they wanted a holiday too.” After the hunt someone (Layne when he was old enough) would walk out to the farm to retrieve the horses.
Over the years they have hunted deer, bear, moose, wolves and elk (in the 1950’s). The elk had wandered over from the Peterborough Crown Game Preserve where they had been released circa 1940. The camp also fished for bass. There were no fishers in the area but lots of porcupines. “They would eat the camp and the camp’s wooden boats,” said Layne. “To-day there are no porcupines but there are fishers.” With no refrigeration canned venison was popular. People to-day think that means the meat is in cans but actually the meat undergoes the canning process and is in sterilized glass jars similar to those that contain preserves. Venison sandwiches for lunch were popular. Then, “in the 60’s/70’s the wolves wiped out the deer herd,” said Layne.
One year a hunter pondered how he would get his deer home. “So they bought 2 bus tickets in Apsley,” said Layne. “One for the hunter and one for the deer.” On another occasion they sat a deer on an ATV and tied its hooves to the handlebars. It looked like the deer was driving the ATV. Positioned near a roadway it turned the odd head. One person even took a picture he was so dumbfounded. A pin up picture in the background revealed a fair young maiden with more clothes on than most young maidens wear to the mall to-day. Times continue to change. Today Layne says there are 12 hunters in the camp.
Photo – Deer photo 1943
Left to right
Back row – Frank Henderson, Stan Bird
Front – Clifford Bird, Clarke Rollins, Perry Faul, Gerald Moore, Herbert Moore, Dave Moore, Russell Moore, Fred Nicholson
Kneeling – Frank Graham
Photo – courtesy of Gerald & Layne Moore
Note on the slate – Miss G. Gunter, S.S. No.8 The Ridge F13 Ont. Oct.29, 1929. The depression started in the United States when the stock market crashed on Oct. 29, 1929; a.k.a. “Black Tuesday.”
Gerald ( bow tie) is left of the boy holding the slate.
Heather Campbell, author of Heather’s Musings in The Bancroft Times, writes: “Gertie Gunter never married. She became the Principal of Coe Hill school and had a house on main street. She scared everyone with her driving. She was so short that you could hardly see her over the steering wheel. Gertie stood on a stool to strap the older kids who were all taller than she was!!!” Heather (nee Gunter) is a 4th or 5th cousin to Gertie.