Ghost Deer
Victor Leake

Early morning sitting up in a tree, it is still so dark I cannot see the ground only fifteen feet below me. Slowly, every so slowly the blackness changes to gray, a colorless world with shapes looking like anything but what they are. A stump looks like a bear, that tree limb takes on the form of some
creature from a SciFi movie.

Then as the sun rises higher, just under the distance hills as if by an unseen hand, the gray begins to take on color. First only dull green then shortly bright shades of at least fifteen different hues of green. The tree trunks show their browns, from dark as night to so light they are almost white. A few leaves have just begun to change, and bright reds can be seen spotted throughout the forest, looking as if some child from a mile high dribbled his paint in a very random fashion. In a few days the leaves on the trees will begin losing the green; changing to golds, browns, orange and reds, adding all the colors of a rainbow to the forest.

The leaves left over from last year still lay covering the forest floor, waiting for this years crop of dying leaves to add to the carpet.

In front of me is a small opening in the woods and I sit waiting for the deer to show up and hoping they will walk into that clearing. I don't have long to wait as I see a small heard walking in from out of the east, then another group feeding toward the first. With seven deer coming in all at the same time I just watch for now; not wanting to move and spook them.

As the first group approach the clearing from out of the east the second smaller group walks to the edge from out of the west. They stand facing each other as if wondering who has the right way. Then as I watch they all turn their heads in the same direction, I too look that way to see just what has
grabbed their attention. I can see nothing but all the does have not moved save a twitch of an ear from time to time.

Then as if all heads are tied to one string they all follow the unseen invader, as it moves between the two herds of does. From their attention I can almost make out a large buck, (in my minds eye), yet I cannot see anything nor can I hear any sound, save my own heart beat. A cold chill rushes over my body and I shake uncontrollably for a second.

The does continue to follow the invisible deer as it walks through the opening and under my tree stand then continues on it's unseen way through the forest. Soon after that the does return to their feeding as if this was a normal happening to them. I have just been privileged to an unusual event in nature, and one I hope not to see again.

Was this the ghost of a buck from long ago? Or just a normal happening, but in all the years of hunting I have never seen anything like this before.

Happy Halloween!!!

Fish often, catch all you want; keep just what you need, and release the rest for the future.