Karen Wils photo My son, Bob, and my ­husband, David, congratulate each other on their eight-pointers.

ESCANABA — Deer season is a magic time in Upper Michigan.

One might associate deer season with a big kettle of savory venison stew. But deer season stirs another important pot too.

It’s the pot of memories that Nov. 15 calls to mind that makes this month such a special time of year.

Deer hunting is all about traditions.

Deer camp is all about camaraderie between family and friends. It’s about the camp, back-woodsy and unique, that the hunters cherish.

The land with its swamps, swales, gullies, ravines, hills and ridges all around camp provide perfect places for hunting blinds.

Hunters revere their hunting spots and return there year after year.

Everything about deer season has sentimental value, from the rifle that used to be Grandpa’s to the lucky buffalo plaid flannel shirt.

Besides harvesting a big buck, deer season is a time for a lot of light-hearted silliness, pranks and practical jokes. Many deer camps have a pink flamingo or purple unicorn mascot. Hiding someone’s favorite pillow or hat are some camp shenanigans.

The magic of deer season does not stay just at camp. Each year it touches the homefront with a different flavor too.

What’s going on at home touches deer camp, too.

Deer season babies are recalled with great joy. My mother gave birth to two of her six children during deer season: Michael, Nov. 23, 1960, and Lori, Nov. 25, 1964. I remember the stories of how Dad, both those years, hurried up and got his buck the first week so that he could be back in Escanaba at the time of the births.

Some years are memorable because of a new, first time hunter bagging his or her deer.

Last year’s deer season, 2020, has so many bitter sweet memories for me. In the fall of 2020, I had just returned from the Mayo Clinic after having a stem cell transplant.

I was trying to regain strength and grow hair and be a part of the November rituals. COVID-19 had everyone super cautious.

My husband did not have very many days to hunt after using up vacation days on the Mayo trip.

My son had limited hunting time, too, because he had just taken a new job.

The opening day of the 2020 season was rainy and miserable. I waited at home and prayed for nicer weather.

The second day of deer season, at about 10 in the morning, my son shot a hefty eight-point buck.

Hours later, a rifle sounded again and this time my husband downed a dandy eight pointer.

Two in one day was a big enough blessing for such a crazy year.

I hope deer season 2021 brings a little magic your way. Keep up your deer camp traditions, and enjoy the time as well as the memories.

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