HOM: Deer Jerry

Jerry had been an avid shotgun hunter when he was growing up, so listening to conversations at the shows and in the store that centered on big game hunting sparked his interest. He eventually talked himself into giving it a try. He located a rifle and got it sighted in, read up on the subject, talked to hunters, got all the facts he could, and finally decided he was ready. I ran the store that day while he got an early start for the woods and didn't expect to see him till the next morning, but it was only shortly after noon when he got back. He was in full color when he walked in; red pants, orange jacket, orange cap, red gloves, red face. Red face? Yep, very red: he was not happy. I asked him what was wrong ("Nothing!") and if he'd gotten anything and got a pretty curt response that yes, he'd gotten a deer. When I asked where it was, thinking maybe he'd wounded it and lost it, I got an even curter "It's out in the glove compartment!" Well, it wasn't, actually, it was in the trunk, but when I saw it I got his meaning. It was tiny. Yeah, in the faint light of dawn and the glow of inexperience he thought he was shooting a big deer, but when he got up to it he found out that it was one of this year's fawns, and a small specimen at that. No, I didn't tease him. It was kind of funny, but he felt too bad. I did share the stories with him of very experienced folks I'd hunted with who'd made the same mistake, but I don't know if it helped. That kind of thing is a LOT funnier when it happens to someone else. TBC (Me) (Blacktail Books)