Deer Hunting Recollections

My favorite part of the harvest was the deer hunt. As a teen-ager I looked forward to it more than Christmas or anything else. I got my first hunting license when I was 12 and bought my first 30-30 lever action rifle from money earned from working in the hay fields East of Paris that summer. It was actually a pretty good job. I drove a white army jeep pulling a rake behind. All my friends thought I was pretty lucky and I guess I was. Even though I was only 12 I had several years on tractors and other equipment and was able to do a good job for my first employer.

Back to the local deer hunt. It was a community affair. I especially remember trucks going through the community and picking up everyone that wanted to go. Usually that occured on Saturday. Once in the area of possible deer locations drives would be organized and shooters would be placed in strategic spots. Most of these days resulted in successful hunts. It was also fun sitting around the camp fires in between drives and listening to the stories that were told and eating food brought from home. As I look back on it it still remains as some of the most memorable times of my life.

At this point in my life I don't believe I could shoot a deer but in those days deer meat was food for winter. The deer was cut into quarters or as needed and hung on the outside of the house where it remained frozen all winter and was used as need. Later we dug out the basement and had a large freezer placed in it which eliminated the need for hanging the deer meet out side.

I found out that the older and wiser adults on the deer hunts always figured out how to get the younger members of the hunt to do the driving and they would do the shooting, Oh well still fun. Dad was an excellent hunter a very good shot and always took care of me. My last hunt with him was on a leave from my Air Force duties. He picked out a place where he knew the deer would run out if they were in a grove of trees. He went above the grove of trees and started yelling and throwing rocks. Shortly the deer came bounding out of the grove. I stood up and started shooting. Three ran out and three were taken home. We had the tags for all three but I don,t know where they came from. I remember Dad saying "it's a good thing that a dozen didn't run out." He was fun to go hunting with but he could out walk me any day. I miss those occasions with him.

I just had a thought that I may have already told this storey --If so I'm sorry, but it kind of goes with the territory these days.

by Ellis