The Deer Hunt

There was a time once long ago

That I did hunt for deer

I did so with my cut down bow

That once my father owned

‘Twas made of osage orange and

It had glued cow horn nocks

It was a beauty to behold

And drew just eighty pounds.

And then one day, as Dad did shoot

The bow began to split

As so he had to cut it down

Without the cow horn nocks.

It was about five foot six

Just right for me to shoot

But then I had to scrape it down

To pull at fifty pounds.

And then Rhode Island opened up

A season just for deer

This was the first since early days

But only bows allowed.

My cut-down bow was all I had

So it would have to do

I gathered my bow hunting gear

And waited for the day.

            -2-

Though I preferred to hunt alone

I almost never did

This time I took along with me

Milt Dennis and Steve Mairs

And on this season’s opener

We though that we should hunt

Around the place we often fished

In back of Breakheart Pond.

The hunt began at six o’clock

The sun was hardly up

The ice was thick upon the pond

The snow was one foot deep

It was so cold, our hands so stiff

We could not shoot our bows

And as we went our separate ways

We knew we could not hunt.

The fact that cold would not permit

Our hunting normally

Did not prevent our moving ‘round

The pond to find some tracks

For every step in this cold snow

Was made so noisily

We knew the best that we could do

Was find the tracks we sought.

            -3-

I moved around the eastern side

While Milt and Steve went west

They came upon a six-point buck

Just laying in the snow

He’d been dead for quite a while

Hit by some poacher’s shot

They knew this hunting day was done

The snow did crunch too much

They also knew I’d be there soon

And thought they’d play a prank

They propped that buck against a tree

And standing he looked real

They didn’t have time to brush the snow

Stuck to his hairy hide

They hid themselves and lay so still

They nearly froze to death.

I slowly came around the pond

Then couldn’t believe my eyes

For standing not too far from me

I saw a great big buck.

He made no move to get away

Which made me wonder why.

‘Twas then I heard two great big whoops

And knew it was a hoax.

            -4-

The buck was then reported to

The nearest officer

Who happened to be “Fish and Game”

And cussed the poachers out

They were about to bring him out

But then they thought again

If they left him right where he was

He’d feed some other game.

And so we thought we’d had enough

Our hunting day was through

The snow was crunchy under foot

The cold we could not bear.

And so we put away our bows

Then climbed into the car

To try to get our bodies warmed

Before we headed home.

            -5-

The next time that I went to hunt

I went out all alone

I had been down to Westerly

To help a client there

And because I’d pass right by

The hunting area

I brought my hunting bow with me

And also hunting clothes

I had about four hours left

Before the sun went down

And so I parked at Breakheart’s bridge

And put on my old clothes.

I started down along the stream,

Where often I had fished,

In snow about six inches deep

But this time with no crunch.

I now moved slowly thru the snow

An arrow on the bow

And watched the snow for any tracks

Made freshly by a deer.

I'd moved about a quarter mile

So slowly step by step

‘Twas then I found this great big set

Of tracks among the trees.

            -6-

This deer I knew had gone my way

And so I followed it

For just a while, the tracks then turned

And went the other way.

I looked back at the way I’d come

But nothing could I see

And so went back just off my tracks

Just following this deer.

The deer was wise to all I did

For he’d been watching me

As I went back the way I came

He’d move the other way

It now was like a game to him

For as I went one way

He’d go the other ‘til we passed

And then he’d turn again.

Four times this deer did pass me by

Until I spotted him.

All I could see was head and ears

No antlers could I see.

The distance was some thirty feet

I felt I could not miss

He was behind snow-covered brush

And I was in the clear.

            -7-

I drew my bow, the arrow flew

Right where I wanted it.

But he had stood sideways to me

And not the way I thought

Thus did my arrow miss its chest

Just plowed into the snow

Whether doe, or antler-less buck

That deer went bounding off.

But now I knew where I could find

The deer at any time

And we could track them through the snow

Wherever they would go.

And so the next day we could hunt

Was on a Saturday

Then Milt and I were right on hand

As dawn began to show.

It was not cold as it had been

The first day we went out

And so we started down the way

That ran past Breakheart Brook.

We reached the swamp that was below

The water all was ice

Which then permitted us to walk

With very little noise.

            -8-

But now my friend in eagerness

Just went way out ahead

I wanted him to stay in close

I knew he could not shoot

With rifle, shotgun or his bow

Could never hit a thing.

But off he went out in the swamp

And I was left to stew.

But then he jumped another deer,

Perhaps the one I tracked,

And though he shot his arrow wide

That deer did skid and turn

Then headed back quite close to me

And she was loping fast

But as I shot, I knew I’d missed

The arrow flying past.

We watched her go with leaping bounds

Up into the thick pines

That grew along the steeper slopes

That marked the Breakheart Brook.

So we continued with our hunt

And came across more tracks

But did not see another deer

And so called it a day.

            -9-

We had another Saturday

Before the season closed

This time I went out with a friend

Who stayed in his wheelchair

He’d been injured in the war

And could no longer stand

And so he drove me to the spot

Where I did wish to hunt.

This time we went to Escoheag

And down the Pratt Place road

We were not far from Stepstone Falls

When I first saw the deer

She crossed the road ahead of us

And went into the woods

It was a doe, but big and fat

She’d been around a while.

I had my friend continue on

Then turn and head on back.

And when he’d nearly reached the top

I had him let me out.

He’d pick me up in just one hour

He’d wait at Parris Brook

I quickly slipped into the woods

And started my approach.

            -10-

The doe had crossed ahead of us

About a quarter mile

She did not seem concerned at all

Just ambled right across.

And so I slowly started down

As softly as I could

And figured at the rate I went

It would be half an hour.

The time went by, I’d stop to watch

And then continue on

I must have been close to the spot

Where she had crossed the road.

And there she was, I saw her move

But she had seen me too

She stood and watched me from between

The forks of an old ash.

The wind was in my favor and

The deer was never sure

She’d seen a man or something else

And so I stood stock still.

She sniffed the air, then stomped a bit

And moved her ears about.

I wondered how I’d get a shot

With her behind the tree.

            -11-

I watched her as she sniffed again

Then slowly raised my bow.

The movement did not frighten her

And so I took a chance

I drew the string back to my chin

And let the arrow fly

It struck the tree, just ‘neath her throat

I’d missed a shot again.

Now when the arrow hit the tree

That deer just bolted off

I gave no thought to where she went

She had just disappeared.

And so I walked up to the tree

To pull my arrow out.

But the head was in so deep

I had to break the shaft.

I heard my buddy drive on past

Close to the road I stood.

And so I met him coming back

Then stowed away my gear

I told him all that I had done

Showed him the arrow too

We would not hunt again this year,

Our shooting days were through.

            -12-

I later learned that in the state

Only one spike horn was shot

And so I did not feel too bad

At best I’d seen three deer

And got a shot at every one

A feat not done by most

‘Twas then that I was transferred north

To draw a bow no more.