I don't care if you use the right fork; I probably won't either. If you ignore my blinking turn signal, refuse eye contact and steal an open parking place just ahead of me, I'll probably just shake my head and drive on.

In short, I don't criticize other people's manners. For one thing, I'm aware of my own shortcomings, evidenced by things like the unopened box of thank you notes in an office drawer for a few years now. None of us are perfect, and I try to judge not and care not about other people's behavior.Unless I'm on a hunting trip.I remember the exact instant of inspiration for writing an article about hunting camp etiquette. It came as I stepped barefoot on what proved to be a sharp half-moon piece of toenail left on the floor by the woman who was my roommate on a four-day hunt.Geez, if I'd wanted that kind of experience, I would have gotten married again. I never expected it to happen on a ladies' hunt. Yeah, I know our toenails grow too - but couldn't that chore have been taken care of before the hunt? Or if not, couldn't the slivers have been put in a trash can?I thought: something needs to be put into print on the subject. Beyond the obvious rules of living that everyone should know, such as don't cut your toenails and leave them like little daggers on the carpet, there are manners' guidelines that especially apply to deer hunting camp.Around CampIf you snore, 'fess up. I often room with snorers, since I'm a sound sleeper and fall asleep easily. If the camp is set up so that everyone is in one big room, and you're the snorer, try to stay up late so that people have a chance to fall asleep before you start sawing logs. Don't make me slip over there and hold your nose shut. Bring complimentary ear plugs.Don't hog the bathroom. I remember standing in the hall during one hunting trip, early morning. There were six hunters in camp, and one bathroom. Minutes passed. I began to consider the real possibility that I might have to slip behind hedges outside the camp. Soon two other hunters waited with me. Then, incredibly, we heard a blow dryer start. We looked at each other in disbelief, and without discussion, with one mind, we pounded on the door like a SWAT team.Makeup is a wonderful thing. I may be sporting mascara and lipstick the day I arrive and the day I leave camp, switching to the smear-on black, brown and green kind smeared on my face during the hunt. I have no objection to women wearing regular makeup during the hunt - just don't put it on in the bathroom.In a nutshell: Get your shower and get out. Better yet, try to shower at midday or in the evenings instead of tying up a bathroom during those critical morning hours, such as just after everyone has had coffee.Camp wear is pretty much anything goes. If you're using your Fredericks of Hollywood Valentine's Day special as lounge wear I'll probably wonder what type of buck you're trying to bag, but that's up to you. Like I said, judge not and care not. But I do draw a line in the sand at flip-flops.I once hunted with a woman who owned the world's noisiest flip-flops. During the nights, up and down the halls she would go, ka-slap, ka-slap, ka-slap, each time waking up all four of us sharing the room next to her group of four. There's nothing wrong with having to go to the bathroom during the night. It happens all the time. Slippers are cheap, and so are socks. And "moccasins" means "quiet shoes."On the HuntBe ready to go in the morning. You can load up your backpack or fanny pack as you pack for your trip, and put it in your bow or gun case. That way you won't hold up a truckload of hunters as you root through luggage for your flashlight, knife or hunting license.Don't smoke around other hunters or around their gear. Close vehicle doors as quietly as you can. Stay where you're supposed to be.The Final WordsYou're single-minded, and so is everyone else who has been anticipating this hunting trip for months and maybe all year. You're there to pursue a specific game animal, deer.Before you get the game in your sights, don't lose sight of your fellow hunters. Remember to consider how your actions affect others. Be considerate, and remember the Golden Rule as it applies to things like flip-flops and toenails. With the right Camp Etiquette, game or no game, every hunting trip can be the trip of a lifetime for everybody.