Deer hunting with the brothers always produced some interesting stories. Several of my favorites involved my brothers Jessie and Ernie. I remember one year, about thirty some years ago, it was hunting season, and as usual, we all were in Southern Maryland, I think we were on Mr. Beechum's land (not sure if I spelled his name right), I had found a nice spot in the woods that looked good and sat down, leaning against a tree. Everything around had settled down, it was quiet, the squirrels had gotten use to me sitting there and were playing in the trees. I was sitting very still enjoying the surroundings and just thinking. Then I heard it ........ crash ..... Crash .... CRASH ...... the sound was coming closer and closer........I eased up a little.......sliding my rifle butt to my shoulder......this had to be the biggest deer ever......my eyes scanned the area where the sound seemed to be coming from.....I spotted movement......could not quite make it out......wasn't as big as I was expecting......colors were wrong.......deer do not wear red......then I saw it.......my brother Ernie sneaking (well his version of sneaking) through the woods......I was waiting patiently.....thinking he would notice me since he was walking right toward me........I finally, I called, "Ernie!"......he jumped....thought he was going to wet himself.....now that I think about it.....I am sure there was a very nasty smell in the air.......Ernie said he thought he saw a couple deer.....I thought to myself, "well sneaking the way he was sneaking, the deer were probably in the next county". Ernie went on his way and I settled back down......I still liked this spot......things got quiet again and not much later I heard another sound that got my attention.....this was a quieter sound...almost a part of the surroundings....I eased up to a stand and leaned against the tree. I spotted the deer coming through the woods (not in the next county after all). I lined up my shot and then realized there were two of them.....I took my shot and the deer dropped....the other deer froze for a second.........then other deer started to run.....realizing that the rest of the brothers would laugh at me if I let the other deer go, I quickly took the second shot....the army had taught me well......and the second deer dropped. I gutted both and then came the realization that here I was in the middle of the woods.....by myself.....with two deer to bring out....the brothers laughing at me now did not seem like such a bad thing......using a rope (always carry a rope) I tied one to each end of the rope, got in the middle and began to drag them toward the edge of the woods. Seemed like forever but I was finally almost there.......I saw Jessie standing on the other side of the field.....I yelled to Jessie but he did not hear me....Jessie had received a head injury when he was younger and he did not hear well out of one ear....he finally noticed me and ran across the field and asked, "Did you get one?"....Catching my breath, I said "No....... I got two." He didn't say, "What were you thinking shooting two", he just laughed and got in the middle of the rope with me and together we pulled the two deer back to the camp. Jessie never complained that I had cut his hunting day short. That was just the way Jessie was, you could always count on him to lend a hand where needed. But I guess I could say that about all my brothers and cousins too. Tomorrow I will share Deer Hunting Part 2: A Lunch Box, A Car & A Box of Bullets.
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