As a young deer hunter growing up I always noticed the elder guys in camp sporting a fine collection of gun deer back tags which they would store in the plastic back tag holder in their hunting clothes . From time to time my Dad and others in camp would tell stories about certain years that stood out and why a particular metal tag would not be closed or closed. Maybe the weather prevented them from shooting a deer, the sight being off or just being asleep under the tree , every tag seemed to have a story behind it . I had a small back tag collection of my own at the time when a good friend of the family and hunting partner , Don Parker , gave me his collection dating back to the early 60′s. He had every metal tag to match and most were open. It wasn’t that Don was a bad hunter but there was always a reason he wouldn’t shoot. He loved nature , being outdoors ,and a fun member of deer camp. Naturally with the open tags came the ribbing from other hunters in camp which he seemed to enjoy and kept him coming back. So with the tags my Dad gave me and the gift from Mr. Parker I had a great collection started . I have added to the collection over the years from craigslist and eBay. The first cloth tag was made in 1942 and that’s the only one I’m missing. I have them all stored in plastic sleeves and waiting for the 1942 tag before they are framed. The other day I noticed my son is saving his back tags which can only mean one thing. I am now one of the elders at deer camp….
