Deer camp in Chelsea, Vermont, in a bus in a field in the snow

By Erica Heilman

Published December 21, 2025 at 9:42 AM EST

Six young men drinking beer in an old schoolbus, laughing — Deer camp, Chelsea, Vermont

A bunch of years ago I interviewed Jim Welch, a logger in Chelsea, Vermont. I learned he had a deer camp and I asked if I could visit. His camp is an old school bus outfitted with a wood stove and a couple pallets in the back for sleeping. So the night before rifle season, a bunch of Jim's friends came out to the bus to drink beer, tell dear stories and give each other a hard time. And I recorded some of it.

A bunch of guys drinking beer in a school bus. — Deer Camp, Chelsea, Vermont

These guys have known each other for a long time, and since there's no movie theater or bowling alley or much of any formal entertainment in Chelsea, you have to make your own fun as you go along. And these guys are highly skilled at making their own fun.

An ax, some empty beer cans and a gas canister on the floor — Tools. Deer Camp, Chelsea, Vermont

Cribbage board and a pack of cards and some loose dollar bills — Gambling. Deer Camp, Chelsea, Vermont

A broken down bus in a field of freshly fallen snow — Deer Camp, Chelsea, Vermont