The Brushy Creek Rangers are holding their annual rendezvous May 6-8, 2011. It’s a great Northern Cal event. There will be rifle, pistol, hawk and knife trials, long gong shotgun, “old coot” (55 and older) shoot, cannon shoot and dutch oven cook off to name just a few of the scheduled events. Saturday night is the big pot luck, so bring a dish. This event is held on the Rangers’ property just outside of the Spenceville Wildlife area, not far from Marysville. This is also the last weekend of Cal turkey season, so hunt the morning in the wildlife area, then just cross into the Rangers’ camp for the rest of the day. Check out their website: http://WWW.brushycreekrangers.com  They’re a little slow to update, but you can check out last years event ‘till they do

The wife and I are going to a rendevous at The Whittington Center near Raton, New Mexico in june. Have you been to the one in California? Are “pilgrims” welcome? I know they are all bound to be different, but are there things for non-participants to do. I got interested in this one because the outfitter I elk hunt with goes. He takes his whole family dressed in antelope skin clothing that he makes himself. He’s got a big teepee that sets up to live in. I met one of his neighbors that are heavily involved in it also. Real interesting people from Germany. They are living on a ranch they bought and are raising buffalo. They also make their own garments and interesting artifacts. I bought a buffalo horn powder horn, and a bullet pouch from them for a muzzle loader the wife inherited.
  I contacted them about making a pouch out of a bear paw i have left over from my bear. I am having it tanned and I think we’ll take it to the rendevous and see what they can do with it.
  I called my outfitter to talk to him about us going to the rendevous, but he hasn’t called back yet. I’m thinking we might be invading his private/personal time, but we’ll play it by ear, and if we do happen to see him, and if he acts perturbed about us being there we’ll leave them alone. We don’t need to even see them anyhow. We are hoping they have stuff set up to sell and it will be neat to see these activities they do. I get the feeling that you aer supposed to get involved in some of the things, which I don’t want to.

The members set up camp the Wed. before. Anybody can register to camp (for a price), but must follows the rules. The “primative side” is just that! Nothing is allowed in this area during the week that isn’t pre 1840 represented, clear down to the lack of modern (or any) underware. The weekend usually allows visitors in that area, but that can be up to the participants and you may need to be invited into their camp. Trade tents are set up outside the primative area for the public to buy, sell or trade period specific items. The shooting ranges are also off limits to the general public during the week but open to viewing on the weekend. The Sat. night pot luck is one of the best features of the gathering, next to the Sun. morn cannon shoot.

Thanks for the info. I’d better check with someone on their website about maybe only being accessible to the public on the weekends. I guess we are more interested on looking at some of the handmade stuff.