The doe that got away, and the pine tree that didn't

by IronEagle
(Moncks Corner,SC,USA)

I have hunted all my life and the woman I married didn't. After several years of my wife Lisa not hunting she decided to give it a try. Here in South Carolina we hunt with dogs. A couple years ago Lisa went hunting with me on a dog drive in the francis marion national forest. It was either sex day so we could take a buck or doe. The start of the morning I dont remember all that much, but that late afternoon has stuck in my head for a long time and can't be erased. It was getting kinda hot in the afternoon and we had taken a stand on the road. A short time later a friend of mine pulled up to the next stand down the road to turn the dogs loose. Lisa and I were sitting on the back of the truck. I told her since she was left handed to watch behind the truck so it would be easier for her to throw up the 1187 shot gun she was useing and I'd watch in front. Well after a while nothing was going on so I decided to take a break and just sit on the tailgate and told her she had both ways. After a while longer I could here my friend driving the dogs through the woods. He was only about 75 yards off the road walking parallel to the road. I was about bored out of my mind when lisa starts yelling at me, there's a deer there's a deer, but she was laughing saying it. I looked up and down the road and about 75 yards down the highway I saw a doe laying on her back in the middle of the road kicking her legs in the air. I then too began to laugh. Apparently, she got up out of her bed which was right off the highway and took off running. When she got to the highway she tripped and fell in the middle of the road. Of course hunting a not frequent traveled highway, I took a quick glance and told her to shoot. Nothing happened. Now in the mean time this doe is trying her darndest to get up. I threw my gun up and clicked off the safty. I'm still waiting for her to start shooting, still nothing, by this time the doe got up and started running to the opposite side of the highway through the woods. I couldn't wait on her any longer, so I start shooting. Do you know how hard it is to shoot while laughing? After about my third shoot Lisa rings my ears with a blast from her 1187. As she shot I saw a big brown cloud emerge from a poor bystanding pine tree. Of coarse the 12 gauge rocked her little arms and could only get that one shot off. Me laughing even harder now took one more shot and decided not to shoot anymore at this doe for she had given my wife and I one of the greatest hunting experiences I've ever had. I hope the pine tree made a full recovery and the doe went on to produce many off spring yearlings.