Twernt long back we wuz a huntin fer big game bucks an it wuz pert neer a perfect fall fer doin just that.  The fall colered leeves wuz turnin perty orange an yeller, an even sum wuz startin ta fall ofen the trees.  The air wuz crisp in the mornins an it wud warm up considerable durin the afternoons.  When the sun dun goed down, it wood cool down agin.  Might say it wuz most excellent times.

Anyhow, we wuz huntin muley bucks an as usual I wuz drivin my wagon and they wuz a heap o mountain men with me.  We wud go up ta the top of the mountain frum camp an hunt whilst we wuz ridin along.  Whenst we gitted ta where we dun figgered there wuz some good deer lookin spots we wud unload from the wagon an head off ta see what wuz there.  Sum times we wud see sum bucks an most time we woodn’t.  But we wuz there ta try an fill the meat pole with some tastey buck meat.

Well when we wuz ridin in the wagon, an everbody wuz lookin around as we went, sometimes we wud see a buck just standin next ta the trail.  An we wud git outa the wagon an take a shot ta try an git it.  Most times they wuz such a ruckus whenst we wuz unloadin from the wagon that the buck wood just runned off an hide.  The mountain men wud be pert near ready ta shoot an offn in the brush the buck wud go.  An no shot wud be got.

I am always tryin ta make sure the mountain men in my wagon had pert near ever thing they needs ta git outn the wagon real quick like an git capped up an take careful aim an git they selves a buck.  This here particular wagon ride wuzzn’t no differnt.  Everbody had ever thing whut they dun needed ta make meat fer sure.  We dun talked afor leavin camp what we wuz gonna be doin whilst we dun rode up ta the top of that there mountain, an one of them things wuz ta be gittin outa that there wagon real quick like if we dun seed a buck.

After ridin in the wagon fer a long spell an the afternoon sun is dun heatin up the mountain air, the mountain men in  the wagon dun starts ta nod theys heads an closing theys eyes.  They be plenty times whenst I look around in the wagon an I is the onlyest one what aint sleepin.  This happens a bunch with these mountain men what I hunt with.

There we wuz clear up on top of the mountain an we seed this here deer standin in the trees lookin at us in the wagon.  I dun pulled up the reigns an we is all alookin at it an tryin real hard ta put sum horns on it.  We is always wantin ta see them horns cuz that is sure nuff what we is wanta ta kill an only bucks has horns.  I git ta thinkin about what wuz happinin in my wagon an onest we dun decided the deer we wuz lookin at wuz a doe deer, I put the brake set on the wagon an dropped the reigns an gitted myself outn the wagon.  I walks back to the back of the wagon an all the mountain men in the wagon is wonderin what I is doin.

I looked at each one separate like an started in ta remindin them what they said what wuz gonna be dun whenst we wuz back at camp.  Member fellas, whenst we see a deer we is all gonna git outn the wagon an cap up an then decide if the deer is a buck er not.  What just happened wuz no body dun gitted outn the wagon atol, an if that there deer hada been a buck, he wooda runned off an nobody wooda got a shot off.  So’s next time we dun seed a deer I wanna see sum gittin outa the wagon.

I reckon my talkin wuz a bit much fer most of them in the wagon cuz they started in on me about gittin the wagon movin agin an they wuz wantin ta git up the  trail sum ta find a buck deer an I wuz holdin up the proceedins.  I gitted myself back inta the wagon sure nuff, but not afor I told them just what I figgered wuz gonna happen.

I said, now fellas, whenst I is drivin this here wagon an we dun sees a buck, an I wanna try an shoot it, I gotta stop the wagon from goin forward down the trail.  Then I gots ta set the brake on the wheel real good sos the wagon don’t go ta rollin down the trail.  An then I gots ta git outn the wagon an git my gun an cap it up an then aim perty gud an take the shot.  Alls yous got ta do is git outa the wagon an cap up an aim an shoot. Perty simple on your parts, an perty lot ta do on my part.  But I’m here ta tell ya, whenst we seed a buck, I am gonna be the one whats gonna git it an hang it on the meat pole afor any of you.

Agin, they is yellin an stompin an sayin fer me ta git back in the wagon an drive it down the trail.  An that is just what I did.  Later on back ta camp, they dun telled sum of the others what wuz camped with us what I dun said an they got a good laugh about it.  I told them that I wuz gonna git me a buck the next day if it showed itself.

Next day, just as soon as we cud see ours sights we is loaded up in the wagon an headin up the trail agin.  Afor we left camp I reminded them agin about gittin outa the wagon.  An agin I heared the same as I dun heared yesterday bout drivin the wagon an quit talkin.  It wuz a perty morning agin with a nip in the air an the leaves wuz fallin more than they wuz yesterday.  We dun comed up the trail an shore nuff there stands a deer big as big.  It wuz close like an it wuz plain it were a doe deer an not a buck, but agin, nobody is gittin outa the wagon.  I dun sets the brake on the wagon an right there in front of the wagon runs a big ol buck deer.  Sure as sure cud be, an it dun runs right up an stops next ta that there doe deer.  I am slidin outn the wagon real fast like an grab my rifle as I is slidin.  I hears the wagon beginnin ta unload like a heap o potato sacks is bein tossed about.

The rest wuz like slow motion ta me.  I has meself a piece of leather what is attached ta my rifles trigger guard an I keep sum caps in little holes I dun punched around the leather.  As I is slidin outn the wagon an grabbin my gun at the same time, an whenst my feet dun hit the dirt of the trail, I is cockin my hammer an reachin fer my capper.  The capper dun cums right up an does a real neat flip an dang if a cap don’t land right smack dab onta my rifles nipple, reat perty like.  Alst I had ta do then wuz ta aim real gud an shoot that there big ol buck right there, an that is zacktly what I dun did.  BOOM!  An that big ol buck wuz down an out an pert near ready fer the meat pole.

I look over ta my left side an there stands one of the mountain men what dun gitted hisself outn the wagon an he aint even got no cap on his gun yet an is fumbling an droppin stuff an I said, aint no nevermind ta cap now, cuz I dun kilt that there big ol buck, just like I said wud happen yesterday.

Ifn them mountain men in the wagon wooda gitted theys selves outn the wagon whenst we dun first sawed that doe, the buck probably wuda been kilt by one of them an not by me, but we knowed now that aint how it happened.  Will them fellas member this here story whenst it cums ta huntin next frum my wagon?  Maybe sum, but I bet a cold one, not all learnt the lesson ta git outa the wagon.

Bears Butt

July 2011