Happy Hunting, BOCKERS
WELCOME TO THE 38TH ANNUAL GREAT BOCK HUNT!
Not much has changed since 2023, other than the weather. No snow, no flooding, no good clues. The fires are manned, and the tenders are ready to poke.
The music has changed a bit, but the company is still terrific and so is the beer.
For the first-time hunters, the Bock Hunt can be confusing. There is a sample of what you are looking for, mounted above the bar across from the museum.
It is a wooden figure of a goat (Bock, in German). They are hiding in the Hunt Area – see attached map. I have always indicated that you will have better luck finding a Bock in the Hunt Area, than outside the Hunt Area. But if you choose the latter and venture deeper into Flandrau State Park, it is a gorgeous day and a nice walk.
The Hunt begins below, at Jäger’s Ruh (Hunter’s Rest). Generally, you hunt first, and rest second. Sometimes festers get that turned around.
Hidden in the hunt area are seven Bocks. (Some are wooden goat cut-outs; some are wooden medallions in a plastic bag.) If you find one – bring it to the museum, and they will summon the Hunt Master to award you your prize, take your mug shot and report your winnings to the IRS. Nah — we wouldn’t do that…
Some pointers:
The Bocks are not out in the open, they are not buried in the dirt, or stuck up in a tree. They are not covered in snow.
DO NOT GO IN OR NEXT TO THE RIVER!!
If you do you will be swept down the river to the confluence of the Minnesota River to where the 10-foot man-eating carp live!
The trails will be muddy and slippery. If you have high heels on, I suggest you take them off and go barefoot.
There is a well-worn trail that goes through the hunt area. The Bocks may be hiding along the trail – or throughout the whole area.
Finally, you may encounter a couple gentlemen pedaling free Bock beer. It is rumored, that our Bock beer has the unique qualities that causes the brain to become razor sharp in deciphering the clues, resulting in nearly a 100% success ratio. We call these guys the St. Beer-Nards – rescuing the downtrodden, the depressed and thirsty hunters. If they lick you in the face, it is OK – they have had their shots.
“May the thrill of the hunt be greater than the joys of success.”
May the Bock be with you,
Today and throughout 2024.
Good Luck on the Hunt –
~ the HUNTMASTER ~
P.S. – KEEP THE TRAILS CLEAN — NO GARBAGE!
Clues
1. CIRCLE VINE
2. WHERE STORIES WERE TOLD, AND MEMORIES WERE MADE
3. LIVING THING FINDS A WAY
4. ANGRY MAMMALS
5. BETWEEN THE TWO POSTS
6. 16 SHOOTS. ONE SPOT
7. TREE HAS EYES
