MY FIRST DEER RIFLE 

I THREW THE BOTTLE OUT INTO THE RIVER. AS THE CURRENT CARRIED IT DOWN STREAM MY NIECE, BETTY, TOOK A BEAD ON IT WITH MY 30-06. WHEN SHE PULLED THE TRIGGER THE RECOIL OF THE RIFLE MADE HER PONYTAIL JUMP UP AND DOWN LIKE A SQUIRREL'S TAIL WHEN HE IS EXCITED. WHEN I LOOKED BACK FOR THE BOTTLE IT WAS GONE. BETTY WAS JUST 12 YEARS OLD AND THE RECOIL OF A 30-06 WAS TOUGH ON SOMEONE HER SIZE BUT SHE JUST DIDN'T MISS.

I WAS 18 YEARS OLD WHEN MY DAD HAD GIVEN ME HIS 30-06 DEER RIFLE THAT HE MADE FROM A JAP RIFLE ONE OF HIS FRIENDS HAD GIVEN HIM. LEE WAS IN WORLD WAR II AND HAD SERVED IN THE PACIFIC CAMPAIGN. BUT THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME. LEE HAD BROUGHT BACK TWO JAP RIFLES AND HAD GIVEN DAD ONE IF HE WOULD MAKE A HUNTING RIFLE OUT OF THE OTHER FOR HIM. DAD HAD MADE 30-06'S OUT OF BOTH OF THEM. HE HAD KILLED SEVERAL DEER WITH HIS AND DIDN'T DEER HUNT MUCH ANYMORE. HE SAID HE COULD ALWAYS BORROW IT BACK IF HE DECIDED TO GO DEER HUNTING AGAIN.

WE HAD BOUGHT A CASE OF 1200 ROUNDS OF MILITARY AMMO AND HAD LOTS OF IT TO PRACTICE WITH SO WE DID A LOT OF SHOOTING WITH THAT OLD JAP RIFLE. THAT'S THE REASON MY TWO NIECES BETTY AND LATRICIA, MY TWO NEPHEWS LAVON AND LAVOY AND MYSELF WERE DOWN IN THE RIVER BOTTOM SHOOTING BEER BOTTLES. WE HAD GONE OUT ACROSS THE RIVER INTO SMITH COUNTY WHERE THE BEER JOINTS ARE AND HAD GATHERED UP A BOX FULL OF BEER BOTTLES FOR TARGETS.

AFTER ONE OR TWO SHOTS WITH THE 30-06 ALL THE KIDS SAID THEY DIDN'T WANT TO SHOOT IT ANYMORE. THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE RECOIL. BUT BETTY WAS TOUGH. SHE WOULD SHOOT IT JUST AS LONG AS I WOULD LET HER. USUALLY AFTER 8 OR 10 SHOTS I WOULD TELL HER, OK THAT'S ENOUGH FOR THIS TIME. I KNEW HER SHOULDER WOULD BE BLACK AND BLUE THE NEXT DAY. WE WOULD FINISH OFF THE BOX OF BOTTLES WITH MY 22 RIFLE.

BUT I WAS GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY FIRST DEER RIFLE. THE FIRST TIME I GOT TO GO DEER HUNTING WITH IT WAS IN RED RIVER COUNTY IN NORTH TEXAS. I WAS HUNTING ON A FRIEND'S LAND AND DIDN'T KNOW THE WOODS VERY GOOD BUT I FOUND A BOARD UP IN A TREE THAT SOMEONE HAD PUT THERE TO SIT ON WHILE THEY WATCHED FOR DEER. I CLIMBED THE TREE AND SETTLED IN FOR A LONG WAIT. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR I HEARD SOMETHING WALKING IN THE DEAD LEAVES. IT WAS OFF TO MY RIGHT. AS I SLOWLY TURNED MY HEAD TO LOOK IN THAT DIRECTION I COULD SEE A DEER WALKING SLOWLY ALONG. HE HAD NOT SEEN ME. HE WAS ONLY ABOUT 80 YARDS OUT SO IT WAS GOING TO BE AN EASY SHOOT. BUT AS I RAISED THE RIFLE TO MY SHOULDER TO SHOOT I REALIZED I HAD A PROBLEM. (HOUSTON WE'VE GOT A PROBLEM HERE) I'M RIGHT HANDED AND TO SHOOT TO MY RIGHT I WOULD HAVE TO TURN ALMOST HALF WAY AROUND. ALL THAT MUCH MOVEMENT WOULD SPOOK THE DEER AND I WOULDN'T GET A SHOT OFF BEFORE HE RAN OFF.

THE ONLY THING I COULD THINK OF WAS TO SWAP THE RIFLE AROUND AND SHOOT LEFT HANDED. NOW ALL THIS THINKING IS HARD WORK FOR ME. ESPECIALLY WHEN I'M SITTING ON A LITTLE PIECE OF BOARD 20 FEET UP IN THE AIR. THE FIRST DEER I HAVE EVER HAD A CHANCE TO SHOOT IS WALKING AWAY AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET A SHOT BEFORE HE'S GONE.

    I SWAP THE RIFLE AROUND TO SHOOT LEFT HANDED TAKE AIM AND PULL THE TRIGGER. SHOOT! I FORGOT TO TAKE THE SAFETY OFF. I TAKE THE SAFETY OFF PUT THE RIFLE TO MY LEFT SHOULDER SQUEEZE THE TRIGGER AND THE RIFLE SNAPS. I FORGOT TO PUT A SHELL IN THE CHAMBER AFTER I CLIMBED THE TREE. I WORKED THE BOLT THROWING A SHELL INTO THE CHAMBER TAKE THE SAFETY OFF PUT THE RIFLE TO MY LEFT SHOULDER TAKE AIM AT THE DEER AND START TO SQUEEZE THE TRIGGER THEN STOP. THE DEER IS JUST STANDING THERE WATCHING ME. HE'S NOT SUPPOSE TO DO THAT IF ANYTHING HE SHOULD BE RUNNING AWAY. BUT THERE HE STANDS WATCHING ME LIKE HE WAS WATCHING SOME SIT-COM ON TV I CAN ALMOST SEE HIM LAUGHING.

HOW DO YOU SHOOT A DEER THAT IS STANDING THERE LAUGHING AT YOU? I DIDN'T. I CLIMBED DOWN OUT OF THE TREE AND WENT BACK TO CAMP. WOULD YOU BELIEVE THAT DEER FOLLOWED ME HALF WAY BACK TO CAMP? I GUESS HE WAS WAITING TO SEE WHAT ELSE THIS STUPID HUNTER WAS GOING TO DO. I HAD TO CHUNK A ROCK AT HIM TO MAKE HIM GO ON. I CAN JUST HEAR THE GUYS SAYING WHAT'S THIS, YOU FIND BAMBIE?

WHEN I DID GET BACK TO CAMP EVERYONE WAS TALKING ABOUT PEG-LEG JOHNSON A NEIGHBOR THAT LIVED JUST ACROSS THE FENCE FROM WHERE WE WERE CAMPED. HE HAD RODE HIS OLD MULE DOWN TO THE CORNER FENCE ON HIS PROPERTY BEFORE DAY LIGHT THAT MORNING AND SHOT A BIG EIGHT POINT BUCK AS HE JUMPED THE FENCE ABOUT 20 YARDS IN FRONT OF HIM.

HE'S CALLED PEG LEG BECAUSE HE LOST HIS RIGHT LEG IN THE WAR AND HE HAS A WOODEN SUPPORT HE CARVED OUT OF A 2 BY 4. THE ONLY GUN HE HAS IS AN OLD SINGLE BARREL 12 GAGE SHOTGUN. AS HE TOLD THE STORY OF HOW HE KILLED THE DEER HE WOULD HOP AROUND ON HIS PEG LEG AND SHOW US WHAT HAPPENED. HE SAID HE ONLY HAD TWO SHELLS OF BUCKSHOT. BUT HE HAD SEVERAL LOADS OF NUMBER 6'S. HE HAD TAKEN ALL THE SHELLS HE HAD WITH HIM THAT MORNING. WHEN THE DEER JUMPED THE FENCE IN FRONT OF HIM HE WAS READY AND SHOT HIM WITH A LOAD OF BUCKSHOT.

WHEN THE DEER HIT THE GROUND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE HE WAS PROBABLY DEAD BUT HE WAS KICKING SO PEG LEG PUT HIS OTHER BUCKSHOT IN AND SHOT HIM AGAIN. HE WOULD DEMONSTRATE HOW HE WOULD BOUNCE UP ON HIS GOOD LEG SHOOT AND COME DOWN ON HIS PEG. BY THAT TIME HE WOULD HAVE ANOTHER SHELL LOADED INTO HIS GUN AND WOULD BOUNCE BACK UP ON HIS GOOD LEG AND SHOOT. HE KEPT THAT UP UNTIL HE HAD SHOT EVERY SHELL HE HAD WITH HIM THAT MORNING. HE SHOT THAT POOR DEER EIGHT TIMES BEFORE HE RAN OUT OF AMMO.

BY THE TIME HE GOT THROUGH TELLING ABOUT SHOOTING HIS DEER AND DEMONSTRATING HOW HE WOULD BOUNCE UP ON HIS GOOD LEG TO SHOOT HE HAD ALL OF US ROLLING ON THE GROUND LAUGHING. I EVEN FORGOT ABOUT MY MISADVENTURE.