Deer Camps: A Southern Utah Tradition
If you’ve grown up in southern Utah, chances are you’ve heard of, or been part of, the Southern Utah tradition of a deer camp. For many families around here, the third weekend of October isn’t just a date on the calendar; it’s a season of gathering, tradition, and connection to the land.
The History of Deer Camp
Our family’s story with deer camps started back in the early 1920s. My grandfather, Matthew Robert Gray, was ranching in the area when times were tight during the Depression. Surrounded by Forest Service land and with mule deer herds plentiful, he saw an opportunity. Hunters were coming in from California and Nevada, eager for a chance at a mule deer, something considered a real novelty item back then. My grandfather set up a deer camp at the ranch where hunters could stay, and he would also pack their harvested deer out of the mountains using horses.
Before long, the ranch became a gathering place for hunters and outdoorsmen. One of the most remarkable stories came in the early 1940s, when a Californian flew in with a biplane and actually landed inside the ranch. For a small, rural area that hardly ever saw airplanes, this was the talk of the town, and as far as I know, that’s still the only plane that’s ever landed there.
Over the years, deer camps like ours popped up all over the southern Utah mountains, bringing together families, neighbors, and out-of-staters who grew into lifelong friends. Many of those same camps still exist today.
A Tradition That Has Shaped My Life
For me, deer camp is more than a hunting trip it’s a family tradition that has shaped my life. Every October, we haul up camp trailers, circle them around, and settle in with the same group of friends we’ve had for years. They’re not blood relatives, but after so many generations together, they might as well be.
As a kid, I loved waking up to see everyone dressed in bright orange, heading out for the morning hunt. I can still remember the excitement when someone returned with a deer, the stories swapped around the evening fire, and the laughter that carried late into the night. We’ve hunted through scorching dry years and years where a foot of snow froze our trailer doors shut. No matter the weather, the oak groves glow a fiery yellow/orange this time of year. It’s one of the most beautiful sights in southern Utah and my favorite time of year.
The Tradition Lives On
Today, my kids are the fourth generation of our family to experience deer camp. Even if no one in our group has a tag, we still take them out to walk the canyons and climb the mountains we’ve named over the decades. For us, deer camp is more than a hunt. It’s our final camping trip of the year, a way to connect to the land, to each other, and to the stories of those who came before us.
Deer camps are a special tradition to southern Utah, for families who’ve been here more than 50 years, chances are they’ve got a deer camp story to tell.
And now, I’d love to hear yours.
Did you grow up going to deer camp? Do you still keep the tradition alive today? What’s your favorite memory from those October weekends in the mountains? Share your stories in the comments—I’d love to see how this tradition has shaped your family, too.
Matt