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There is a program on television about a bunch of crazy Cajuns hunting alligators in Louisiana. It is not very realistic, but young and old find it entertaining. One of the most commonly used lines in the show is, "Shoot him, Elizabeth!" This is always uttered when Troy has an angry alligator on a line that is about to eat him and Elizabeth. Since Troy is a true Cajun, the exclamation comes out as "Choot em, Lizabeth!" It is a fun phrase, but I have found very little opportunity to us it.

Sunday, my son, Damon, grandsons, Trevor and Zane, and I were deer hunting. Zane had been with me the day before when he got his buck. I was now the good luck charm so Trevor wanted to go with me. Trevor and I dropped off Damon and Zane at the south end of the farm and drove the truck up to the Ten Acres. We walked down Strawberry Hill and crossed the creek to stand at the edge of the timber. We were almost in position when my phone rang. Yes, I had forgotten to turn it off again. Damon was calling to say a neighbors horse had its foot in the fence. It would be a while before they would be coming through since they had to round up wire cutters to get the horse loose.



It was damp but not bitterly cold. I decided we would just wait where we were. Perhaps a deer would wander by looking for a nice freezer in which to spend the winter. It could happen. At twelve years old, Trevor has patience, but staring at a bunch of trees with nothing moving while the damp cold creeps into one's bones can try anyone's endurance. We had decided our drivers must have gone home for lunch when deer came running down the hill toward us. Perhaps we did have drivers in the woods. Ten or twelve deer came within fifty yards, ran to our right and stopped. One deer was a big buck and I could see Trevor ready as the group moved nervously behind some brush. A few seconds later, another big buck came down the hill, stopped, and turned broadside to us. I bent over and whispered to Trevor, "Big buck!" He whispered back, "Yes, I see him" while he continued to watch the other buck milling about with the group of does. I said, "No, in front of us!" He continued to point his gun at the brushy area and said, "Yes, I see him, but I cannot get a shot."

I was getting frustrated. I could see the deer that had his attention so transfixed but an equally big deer was standing watching us and presenting a clear shot. Since I was standing directly behind him, I reached up and grabbed his head to turn it toward the deer. His head turned but his gun remained pointing toward the other buck. Our time was running out. The buck had obviously seen us and was just standing there trying to figure out what we were doing. I bent over and pointed into the timber. Finally, Trevor spotted the other buck. He swung toward the deer and I said, "Shoot him!" Nothing happened. After a second or two, I said, "Choot em Lizabeth!" It is a good phrase but the wrong time to use it. Trevor's gun started shaking when he started laughing. The deer bounded off up the woods before a shot could be fired. My days of being a good luck charm may have expired.[[In-content Ad]]

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