I had a young fellow come to me one time. He was not a paying guest but a boy who lived nearby. I knew that he had done some hunting but had never bagged a deer. He told me he was never able to find or see any deer. I always like to give a little aid to these young men when I have the chance, so when he said that he was sure he could get a deer if I would only take him out and show him one, I decided to give him a lift, right then. Since it was midafternoon, I thought his best chance would be to go to an abandoned orchard and wait for a deer to come after apples.



We had a walk of nearly half a mile along an abandoned road to reach the orchard and as soon as we reached the woods I knew why he had never shot a deer. He talked continuously. He didn't care where he put his feet. He waved his arms as he talked, and worst of all, he waved the gun in his hands. When I saw his actions, I made him walk in front of me as I was in danger of my life. With him in front, I could at least see what he was doing and might be able to dodge if anything went wrong.

We came to a deer crossing where I pointed out to him that it might be a good place to watch at some future time. He had a habit of turning his head over his shoulder as he talked and all of a sudden he brought his gun to his shoulder and pointed it back along the road. I hit the dirt. I thought he had lost his mind and was about to shoot me. After he had fired, I looked down the road and there lay an eight-point buck deader than a mackerel?shot through the neck. That fool buck had tried to cross the road while that fool hunter was gabbing away like a runaway gramophone.

Do you know that till this day that fellow thinks I am the greatest guide who ever lived because I helped him shoot his first deer? He wonders why I've never taken him on another deer hunting trip. I always tell him that since he learned to hunt, I would rather help some other young man. I don't know whether he ever shot another deer, but with luck like that, anything is possible.

Some of you city fellows are slightly nervous about bobcats if you happen to be out after dark. I can assure you that usually they are perfectly harmless. Of course, there are exceptions. Once in while an old cat may have trouble in catching enough rabbits for its needs. It may be unable to bring down a small deer. Or it may be afflicted with some disease similar to rabies. The likelihood of meeting one of these exceptional cats is slight, but it is better not to take any chances and to kill any cat that you see. The bounty will help pay for a hunting trip.

I had an encounter with one of these cats when I was a young man. I was courting a girl at the time who lived about four miles away by the road, but I could cut through the woods and make it about three- quarters of a mile. I liked this girl pretty well and had a well-trodden trail to her house.

A beginner should learn and get the methods from an experience hunter; it is a best way for him to get the idea of the good and effective hunting. He has to make sure that nothing will distract him while he go for the hunt.