Last Deer Hunt

The Last Deer hunt

 

The opening day of deer hunting season was perfect for wandering through Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park. It was not long before I spotted the big buck. I watched this big buck circling around between woods and meadow, keeping a wary eye on me. 

 

That is when she came into the picture, the doe. Her presence caught his full attention, his demeanor changed; he no longer deemed me as a threat and chased after her. However, she was playing coy, hiding in the shadows, luring him further into the woods.

 

Hiding in the shadows of the woods, she managed to keep just ahead of the big buck. I watched them for some time as she circled around while he followed. The two of them headed off deeper into the woods. I caught up with them a few hours later resting in a meadow.

 

I met up with an elderly man along the trail. We both were hunting deer; he with his binoculars, me with my camera. We talked at length about this buck and other parkland deer. He stated he quit hunting deer years ago, and now enjoys getting out to the park to stalk deer in late autumn with his binoculars. Hunting had become too difficult in his old age. We both witnessed the big buck and the doe, their love story unfolding before us. In his excitement I caught a sense of loss in his aged eyes. He was old and frail no doubt missing the hunting tradition that continued through his son and grandsons. Parting ways as I watched him walk down the trail, I sensed this may be his last deer hunt.