With the approach of northern Michigan’s unofficial favorite holiday on Nov. 15, woodsmen and -women bustle with anticipation, packing gear and checking weapons and swapping memories about hunting seasons past.

In his Rogers City basement on Sunday, resident and longtime hunter Mark Karsten checked the contents of his grab-and-go hunting backpack — axe, deer calls, hand warmers, snack mix.

An assortment of sprays and soaps and even a non-smell bag help him hide his scent from keen deer noses. A small bottle of powder, ready to puff into the air, will show him the wind’s direction so he stays downwind of his prey.

Michigan law requires a hunter to wear 360 degrees of camouflage orange when hunting during rifle season, Karsten said, pulling an orange vest from his bag.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Mark Karsten, left, and Norm Quaine describe their creative method of taking hot showers at their hunting camp near Hawks on Sunday.

Hunters may forgo the orange during bow season, open since Oct. 1 in Michigan. Bow hunters hunt at closer range than rifle hunters, working as close as 50 yards to their prey.

“You should be able to identify what’s what” from that range, Karsten said.

Fresh from a bowhunting outing in Ohio, he demonstrated his bow’s power and the tension in the string that could mangle a hand if not treated with care.

For rifle hunting, Karsten prefers his Browning .270 bolt-action rifle with a muzzle brake — holes at the business end of the muzzle that reduce kickback.

He’s lucky to have had some ammunition left over from last season, because local stores are sold out, impacted by a nationwide shortage, Karsten said.

News Photo by Julie Riddle A journal gives a glimpse into decades of hunting camp camaraderie at the Knock ‘Em Down camp near Hawks.

“Just like toilet paper,” he said. “Probably worse.”

Some 20 minutes away, at the end of a lonely road near Hawks, Karsten and three buddies own The Knock ‘Em Down, a hunting camp they built themselves using timber from the surrounding woods.

What happens at camp stays at camp, they say.

On the front porch, co-owner Norm Quaine shucked corn on Sunday afternoon. That morning, he found “a great, big pile of bear stuff” in the field, he reported.

Parked between a massive, upcycled outdoor stove and a towering buck pole, the camp’s front entrance is adorned with antlers and a renegade bird’s nest.

News Photo by Julie Riddle On the walls of Mark Karsten’s hunting camp, winning Euchre hands are tacked next to a photo of Karsten and a prize harvest.

Inside, the camp exudes casual comfort.

Fuss-and-fancy-free, the simple furnishings match the bags of chips and giant cans of nuts on the counters. On the walls hang newspaper clippings, a signed Hooters t-shirt, and numerous mounted deer heads, each with a story.

A winning Euchre hand, thumb tacked to the ceiling, memorializes a departed hunting buddy and also covers a hole in the roof, Quaine said.

A generator provides just enough power to run a vacuum and a television in the electricity-free camp.

“If we need hot water, Norm’s good at boiling it,” Karsten said. During hunting season, hunters can fill an overhead tank to take hot showers — enough work that the camp’s omnipresent baseball caps come in handy to cover less-than-clean hair, Quaine admitted.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Mark Karsten points out the window of a deer stand on his hunting property near Hawks on Sunday.

Tousled sleeping bags sprawled about the camp’s two bunk rooms. For decades, the bed-crowded rooms have welcomed cheerful groups of men, women, and children, all eagerly soaking up the away-from-it-all hunting camp vibes.

On the first night of camp, every year, everyone present joins in on a steak or prime rib dinner.

The winner of each year’s Michigan/Michigan State game determines who washes dishes, and the biggest buck and total number of points bagged decides who gets the $20 each that hunters throw into a pool.

On the counter, a journal held together with duct tape holds jottings dating back to the 1980s, detailing the joys of hunting camp life.

Hunting camp days mean a world apart, to be savored when they come. Until that time, Karsten said, “everyone goes like crazy, trying to get their work done so they can spend time at camp.”

News Photo by Julie Riddle A mounted deer sports specs in Mark Karsten’s hunting camp near Hawks on Sunday.