The greatest day in a boy’s life is when he turns fourteen. Fourteen meant everything because at fourteen a fellow can hunt the most exciting animal that ever lived in Michigan, the deer. Yes, the year of the deer I shall never forget. When my dad poked his head into my bedroom at 5:30 A. M. in the morning on November 15, 1973, I knew the day had finally arrived for my first deer hunt. Even though I had barely slept at all the night before, I was wide wake, eager to get into the woods. The bacon was frying filling the house with a terrific odor that made a person’s stomach just perk up with excitement.
Pancakes also kept the bacon company on the plate and went down your throat smooth as silk. All through our hunter’s breakfast my dad and uncle told stories of past deer hunting trips coating the room with wonderment and awe. My brother, Mark, and I just sat and drank in each and ever word careful not to lose one precious memory that they gave us. I suppose these stories inspired my brother and me to look forward to this day. Soon we were ready to leave, so an equipment check was in order: shells, gun, gloves, hat, and flashlight. Everything was ready, so off we went down the snowy road heading for the woods.
The road was covered with a thick layer of heavy wet snow that had fallen the night before, 6 inches in all. Just what we wanted because it was easier to see a deer in a bright white forest. The headlights of the car loomed out into the snowy dark morning as we approached the woods. I looked out into the dark shapes of the forest hoping to see a deer standing by the side of the road. The thought of sitting in the woods, as the sun rose about the tree line exposing everything to my eyes was exhilarating. Even though we all sat silent in the car our excitement hung in the air.
Soon the car came to stop along side the road where we were going to hunting. We quietly slipped out of the car and moved without talking to the trunk where our guns were kept. My father opened the trunk and each person took his gun out of the case. Once we were all standing there with our guns ready, he asked, “Do you have all the things you need. ” “Yes, we responded. ” “Okay, once we get to our spots then load your gun. Be careful you don’t drop any shells in the snow because it will be hard to find. We all began walking parallel to the long fencerow that ended down at the far in of the cornfield.
We trudged through the deep white snow trying not to disturb any deer that might be sleeping near by. As we approached the end of the cornfield, I could hear my own heavy breathing. “David, you sit here and watch the corn and the woods,” my father said with a whisper. With my head bobbing with understanding cleared a place to sit. I sat down and snuggled into my thick orange coat. Minutes later I heard some popping of twigs and my heart jumped up in my chest, but then I realized it must be the others walking to their spots. Soon the woodland settled down to an eerie silence.
Nothing could be heard but the soft fluttering of large snowflakes swirling down. They were hitting me in the face sticking to my glasses. The wind murmured in my ears as it whirled around my hat. Then I noticed that everything was becoming lighter and lighter. As the darkness lifted its heavy hand, I my eyes could see farther and farther. The still logs and broken trees began to play tricks on me looking just like deer standing like statues. As the morning broke and the sun began to raise its sleepy head, my heart pounded faster and faster.
Dawn was the best time to see the deer moving. I shifted my position to get a better view into the frosted white forest. I began to become discouraged thinking I would not see anything. Then, suddenly, I heard bang! Bang! Bang! The three shots came from back of the woods. Another bang! Bang! Bang! sounded to my left. It seemed as if a war had begun. I quickly turned in the direction of the shots hoping to see a deer running toward me. But after a few minutes I realized nothing was coming. I heard other shots around me, but still nothing came into view.
Soon stillness returned once again to the white crested trees. An hour slipped quietly by. It began to snow harder with the wind whistling through the branches making it difficult to hear and see. Later on and covered with snow, I was sitting against the hard rough tree when a movement caught my eye. I turned my head slightly, and there almost straight in front of me was a deer. My heart felt like it was going to explode from my chest, but it seemed my brain was in slow motion. My arms were weak from trembling as I slowly raised the gun to my shoulder.
Ever so slowly I flicked off the safety with my thumb trying not to spook the deer. It was staring directly at me with big black eyes. Its head twitched, and I froze like a block of ice. Then it buried its head into the snow searching for food. My finger slid in front of the trigger. My breathing became louder and louder as I pointed the gun right at the deer. Holding the gun for what seemed forever, I pulled the trigger and gun jerked upward smashing me against the tree. I sat motionless. The deer bounded away deep into the white foliage. Just then my dad ran up and said, “Did you hit him?
Did you hit him? ” ” don’t know,” I responded,” half in shock from the excitement. My dad and I ran to where the deer stood and looked frantically all around looking for the any blood or hair, but none could be found. Finally he said, “Where were you standing? “I was sitting over there by that tree. ” We walked over to the tree that was only about 20 feet away and turned around looking in the direction of where I had shot at the deer. Then my father looked up and noticed a hole up in a tree about where the deer was standing.
It was about 10 feet up. You must have jerked the trigger instead of gently pulling the trigger,” he chuckled. “Well, you are not the DavyCrockett- the-best-hunter-of-all type. Nope! No dinner for us tonight! ” We both laughed. I was very disappointed that first hunting season because | did not see another deer to shoot at. But I did not stop hunting, and I have been hunting for the last 31 years. Thave never had much success with deer hunting but do have some tales to tell especially my first hunting season when I was fourteen. Yes, the fourteenth year of one’s life is best in my family.
