Love and Hunting, Part I

I was moving down an access trail in my favorite Pennsylvania game land, heading towards and open meadow, near which I’d set up a tree stand. Then came a rustling from some bushes thick, a buck shot out at lightning speed, I reached for my gun, but he was gone, through dense forest the buck did flee. I was stunned by this strange happening, for a buck to have gotten so near to a human walking in plain sight, it should have been skittish, hiding in fear. Then exploding from that same thick brush, came a petite and seething form, she fixed a pair or rabid eyes on me, shook once with anger, and then she roared: “You stupid fool! I had that awesome deer, all lined up for the kill in my sights! If it weren’t for the sound of your footsteps, I would have had that buck dead-to-rights!” I instinctively bristled at her sharp tone, snapped,”Forgive me for walking a public trail. Maybe if you had a stand, weren’t mucking ’round, you would have seen more than that deer’s trail.” She roared,”And maybe if you had half a brain, you’d be able to pick out my ground blind! Took me days to find their bedding space, now all of that is just wasted time!” I yelled,”If you really do have a blind there, I would have to stay that I was impressed. But I’m so damn mad I wouldn’t say so, even if it’s camouflaged with the best!” She screamed,”And I’m so pissed, I won’t say ‘thank you,’ even though I worked for this so very hard. How could I accept a compliment from a fool who sends deer running far? “And I certainly couldn’t appreciate That pristine rifle, that cowboy gun, owned by some rookie who makes too much noise, who scotches up my shot and hunt!” I laughed. “And I clearly can’t ogle at the ancient bolt-action you’ve got there!” She said,”And I would never tell a greenhorn that my gramps once used it to hunt bear!”... CONCLUDES IN PART II