Nebraskaland

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2015 • NEBRASKAland 33 the rendezvous is when she and Frank share their own type of rendezvous – a moonlight walk through the campsite. She recalls one of their first walks. "The first time out was a night of full moon, shining upon the white canvas with silhouettes of teepee and lodges on the prairieland. Other nights the warm glow of the campfires and lanterns lit and candlelight glowing set the camp off under the protective cover of moon and stars." The Fall Shoot The club's fall shoot happens every year in early September. Truly engaged members show up fully dressed as early 1800s trappers, hunters, buckskinners and mountain men, while others wear flip-flops and blue jeans. But all follow the rules of safety, as patrolled by the range officers who are set apart by red sashes. "It's kind of like being a referee to see if things are fair for everyone," Miller said, "but we've never had to kick anybody out for unsafe behavior." North Fork Frontiersmen and families typically set up camp on Thursday or Friday, with a chili feed on Saturday night. The North Fork Shoot often ends with a dessert cook- off, where the men use Dutch ovens to bake their chosen desserts. Three are selected by the crowd and a winner is chosen. In addition to the shooting range, a well-used attraction at the fall rendezvous is the palisade shoot. Metal silhouettes of woodland animals are set up near a replica of a frontier fort, dubbed Fort Elkhorn. The event is timed, and shots are made through portholes or over the top of the wall of the old stronghold. "We borrowed the idea from Gary, South Dakota," Miller said. "It's a fun activity and popular." Spectators are welcome. "Tin teepees" are not allowed onto the campground, although they may camp in a separate, designated area. To match the true spirit of the mountain men way of life, "There are no plastic Tupperware boxes in the camp," Tom Brockman said. All efforts are made to replicate the atmosphere of an authentic, old-time rendezvous, where trappers traded pelts for goods. It was a place where trailblazers could meet with the hivernants who came down from the Indian villages and others, often highly-educated and successful businessmen. All played their part in opening the West, founding the trails across the plains and passes through the mountains that guided early explorers and the first wagon trains. ■ The 2015 North Fork Frontiersmen Muzzleloaders annual shoot and rendezvous is scheduled Sept. 12 – 13 at Yellowbanks Wildlife Management Area near Battle Creek. Bill Jeffries (left) and Dave Schramm compete in the palisade shoot, a timed event where shooters try to knock down as many animal-shaped targets as possible from a small replica of a frontier fort, dubbed Fort Elkhorn.

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