Justin's 40
"The Tail of the Deer"

Sleeping only an hour or two

Dreaming of the morning light

All the hunters arise in the dark of night

Up and moving, coffee down

Long Johns on, belts cinched around

Boots laced with smiling faces

Thinking of their hiding places

Coats, gloves and caps…..

There will be time later for a morning nap

Blaze Orange on, oh so bright

Everyone is ready for the hike

Away we go, across the dam

Packs and rifles well in hand

All tested and fired to be true

Ready for the moment, we all knew

The young ones eyes dance with light

Wondering "We just might….

….see a deer or two they say

on this beautiful November Day

In the North Missouri trees we hunt

Sitting, waiting and listening for grunts

As we hike the ridges disappear

And reveal a place so very dear

The sun is awake, rising up

We need to keep moving if want any luck

As we approach our favorite spot

Our hearts are racing and just won't stop

Finally we relax and settle in

Knowing he's out there, at least a ten

The chill bites at our ears and penetrates our coats

The fog rises off the field like a ghost

Squirrels forage in the fallen leaves

Yet their rustling does not deceive

We shiver as the light ricochets through the trees

Leaves fall and float to the ground with ease

Trees sway, back and forth, in the wind

They sway and sing, again and again

We watch the tree line, pond and open fields

Wait and wondering what they will reveal

….wait….in the dim light, could it be

I swear…. I see movement in the trees

Quietly, we shoulder the rifle and look to see

Nothing…. it must have just been me.

Carefully we look, and look again….

It's …..it's……it's him!

There he stands 120, 150 out

Beautiful, big, proud and stout

Nine on one and Nine on the other

It makes me wonder, are there others

Is this the biggest one, the biggest one yet

I wouldn't dare take that bet

The young ones can't believe

It's really a deer, that I see

In the crosshair we see our prize

It's as if we were eye to eye

Just then shots ring out

One, two, three, no doubt

He's on the move, running full speed

Take your time, breathe, aim and squeeze

We touch one off and let it fly

Down he goes, flat on his side

In the tall brown grass our prize does lay

We are successful on this day

Memories made and lessons learned

We all start back, across the dam and around the turn

To the camp that welcomes us all

Every Turkey Spring and Deer Fall

We sit and we tease the younger ones

We tell tales and jokes all in fun

Times to remember for years to come

Traditions to pass on to future young ones

So good luck my friends, my hunting buddies

I hope the deer are running across the fields and gullies

Have a safe hunt , and a successful fall

Do your best to enjoy these days most of all..

Matt Shearhart 2003