If you get to enjoy deer camp you’ll really relate to Wayne Tanguay’s novel, Mysterious Moxie Pond. But his deer camp is a lot more adventurous than yours, for sure.

The story kicks off with the disappearance and death of a game warden. He’s gone but not forgotten by his daughter who eventually becomes a game warden herself, assigned to her Dad’s old area around the Forks and Moxie and Indian Ponds. And she becomes a central character in the story.

Having fished that area quite a few times, I know it well, and Tanguay does too, because he’s an avid angler and hunter who hunted for 30 years in the Etna area before moving on to Moxie Gore, the setting for his story.

As I read the book, I reflected often about my own deer camp experiences with Ed Pineau and his family and friends. Ed’s Northeast Carry camp is my favorite place to hunt moose and grouse, but deer camp there is also very special. But we don’t’ have machine guns and explosives, like the guys in Tanguay’s deer camp! Other than that, Tanguay really captures what deer camp is all about.

Someone recommended this book to me and after hearing about it I quickly ordered up a copy. The novel was published in 2014 and is a compelling read, with lots of details about deer hunting and other fun activities at deer camp. The plot involves drug smuggling, helicopters, death and destruction, and an amazing finish when the fellows at deer camp muster out to challenge the drug smugglers.

I don’t want to give too much away but it’s certainly more than I ever hope to experience at deer camp!