On the last evening of season, I asked if he wanted to go but my wife interrupted with “he has a scout meeting tonight”, so I was on my own. I put on my Jefferson boots; grabbed my tulle, pouch and horn then headed out. I got into the field with about two hours left and decided to stalk around instead of sitting.

The wind was very light from the east and I had entered the property near the north west corner. I decided to head west and at least clear the area behind me so I knew I hadn’t missed the deer in that area. I knew I was not apt to get a shot but it was a small area anyway. Deer had been active in the area but the ground was very dry so no recent evidence. As I circled south I heard a rustle and looked up to see tails gently waving me goodbye.

They appeared to head south on into the property so instead of pursuing I cut east into the wind to see if I could find something in another area. On my way I tried to stay out of the open and to move slow and quiet. I was wearing my orange so satellites could probably see me from space but I was going to give it my best shot anyway. As I neared the east edge of the property I slid silently over the edges of several dry creek beds using the grassy areas to pad the sound of my feet. When I reached the woods I no longer had that option and was forced to make noise on the dry leaves left from last years drop. Soon after I entered the woods I caught a flick of motion ahead and to the left. There stood one, then two, then three antlerless deer looking in my direction. I slowly knelt and looked them over for horns. There were none so I assessed my options. It would not be the best shot I ever took, there was some brush between us but I would not be able to move with them watching. I found the best hole and aimed through it and at the left shoulder of one deer. Breath…..squeeze…..click! My primer had all fallen out of the pan while walking. I kept an eye on the deer and reprimed. Aim…..breath…..boom! Nothing fell, two deer ran straight ahead across the fence line and the third ran down the fence to my right. I stayed where I was and reloaded. I walked on up to check for signs of blood, as I was checking I could still hear the deer in the area. I continued checking and found I had missed clean. As far as I’m concerned the second best thing to a clean kill, is a clean miss so I was not too upset. I decided to check the path to the right incase the deer had started to bleed late. As I walked I heard it moving ahead a couple times so I broke my pursuit and headed back west. I headed back up out of the creek bed I was in slowly and saw motion to my right and in the tree. Darn squirrels, as I was considering barking a squirrel I heard the mother doe blow right in front of me 25 yards out. As I was circling them they had gotten the better of me and once again I saw them waving goodbye as they left. (We have very courteous deer in our neck of the woods.) They didn’t seem to be in a hurry and trotted out into the open to check behind them again. It was late but I thought I might catch them back up by where I came in if I could circle fast and far enough. I headed south again and started hearing footsteps in the leaves ahead. They were rustling like squirrels but there was no chatter. To my left I heard a bird calling. It was a long mournful screech and a few pecks. Turkeys! Now I was hunting the wrong thing. I continued slowly just to see what I could see and saw half a dozen running around on the ground, well within range had I been able to shoot. They were just flying up into the trees to roost. I flushed a couple on my way out and then had to hoof it in the open for several hundred yards to complete my circle. As I reentered the original patch of woods I was losing light fast. I t occurred to me that these urban deer, with their high top sneakers and low ridin’ pants, are pretty quiet animals. I was hoping maybe one would turn on a big boomin’ stereo so I could locate it on the way out. No such luck.

The deer bested me this time around, but I had the best time I’ve had deer hunting in a long time. I hope you all get a chance to go out this fall and hunt the way our forefathers did. Good luck, be safe, and write me a letter when you’re done.