Stories for Dad: Beer Can Hunting

Jan 10, 2016

I was at Woodman’s yesterday buying groceries and beer. And as I wandered through the liquor store I thought about all the difference kinds of micro brews they sold and what my beer can collection would look like now?

Granted many of the micro brews are bottle only, but there are still enough of them that can their beer that my collection would be ridiculous by now.

I think I mentioned collecting beer cans in the past laughing about the all crappy beer you must have drank for us. I remember the Schmidt’s beer cans. A series of 21 different outdoor scenes depicting Wisconsin wildlife and whatnot on the cans.

Fauerbach Beer in Cone Top Can

One story I forgot to mention last time was when we actually went beer can hunting at Devils Lake. Mike McConley was a Boy Scout and his troop had been up at Devils Lake hiking. Apparently he’d found some beer cans up there while hiking and was convinced there was more. We someone talked you into driving up to Devils Lake in the Vega and finding the spot that Mike and his troop were hiking.

We were about 13 at the time and Mom was scared that Mike wouldn’t know how to get to the place where he’d found the cans. It makes perfect sense and she was concerned things would go south.

Well, Mike remembered how to get to the place. Unbelievable, but true. We found a bunch of Fauerbach cone top cans. We found old Grain Belt beer cans and a few other brands. The Fauerbach cans were the big find though. We didn’t have that brand as it hadn’t been brewed in years and we never had cone top cans. It was AWESOME!

On a funny side note nature called when we were up there and I had to use leaves to clean myself up. Nice… first time I remember that happening.

Anyway, we drove home and we were thrilled by our loot. We used something called “naval jelly” to remove the rust and cleanup the cans. We had some many extra cans that we used for trade bait. Really a turning point for both of our collections.

I’m sure we said thank you, but I’m also sure it wasn’t enough. Looking back and how you took us all the way to Devils Lake on the word of a teenager that he’d find the place… crazy. Thank you for being a gambler and thank you for taking us up there!