Seeing a neighbor coming down the woods trail, I winced. There I was, dressed in camo with a bow in hand, headed home after a morning hunt. And here he came, walking his dog. I suspected that he, like most of my friends and acquaintances, wasn’t keen on hunting. I could hardly blame him. I … Read more
In college, studying Mahatma Gandhi’s moral and political philosophy, I was impressed by the twin commitments of his lifelong quest for truth. On the one hand, he lived according to what he saw as the truth, which must, he wrote, “be my beacon, my shield and buckler.” On the other hand, he had the humility … Read more
Kneeling beside my first deer, I had no words. I just sat there stunned, my hand on his shoulder, uncertain whether I would ever hunt again. Finally, I whispered something clumsy: half gratitude, half apology. The next year, when my second deer dropped in his tracks, I was shaken but less shocked. I spoke my … Read more
He loved the woods, the animals, and the hunt. What he didn’t count on were the hunters. Following his boyhood dream, he earned his license as a Registered Maine Guide and landed a job with an outfitter. Then came the group of hunters who returned to camp bragging about how they had chased a moose … Read more
Looking back over this blog’s first six months, I notice three items that need tending. First, a postscript to the loss of my friend Steve’s French Brittany, Kate: He brought home her two-month-old niece this past Friday. Cath and I got to meet her yesterday. Yes, she is as sweet and silky soft as she … Read more
Was that the faint sound of steps? Of hooves crunching dry leaves under the thin blanket of snow? Seated on the ground, I shifted to the right and half-raised my .54 caliber caplock. Moments later, I saw deer some forty yards off, walking toward me among the pines. Two, three, four of them. I brought … Read more
The sound was quiet, but close: a rustle in the leaves a few feet from the hiking trail. Curious, I peered under the ferns and caught sight of a garter snake. Then I saw what it was up to. Not one of Mr. Frog’s better days. The image of the amphibian in that reptile’s maw … Read more