Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-02
Fighting a Wounded Buck.

Andrew Couch of Black Lake Monticello
county, ~ y, is famous deer hunter and
guide A few days since be was engaged
by party of Monticello hunters to drive
the woods in the Black Lake region for deer.
The first days hunt resulted in the starting
of two deer, but none of the party succeeded
in getting shot On the second day the
dogs started a big buck and drove it to where
Couch was standing on runway. Anx-
ious that some one of the visiting hunters
should have q shot at the deer, Couch fired
one barrel of his gun in front of 1t with the
intention of turning its course. 1n-
stead of the deer changing its course,
as was expected, 1t turned and made direct
" toward Couch. When it came within
shooting distance, the guide fired his remain
in, charge at the deer, and it dropped in the
scrub oaks Couch, surprising that it was
dead ran to where it lay, and drew his hunt
ing knife to cut its throat. AS he was stoop-
ing over it the buck su denly sprang to its
feet and furiousy attacked the hunter. Couch
had his empty gun in his hand. lie jumped
quickly to one side as the deer raised in the
air and struck at him with his fore feet, and
ESCAPED the full force of the deadly aim of
wounded buck that all hunters fear. One of
the sharp hoofs struck Couch on the left
shoulder. 1t staggered him.
As the buck gathered itself for another
leap the hunter dealt it a blow over the head
with the gun. The blow had little effect on
the buck, but broke the stock of the gun
from the barrels. The buck renewed the at
tack, and this time planted his fore feet
SQUARE on COUGHS shoulders, knocking him
down. Before it could leap upon him with
its hoofs again the hunter Ieganed his feet,
and knowing that his only hope was to keep
himself clear of the bucks hoofs, casped
the Infatuated animal around The body, with
its two fore legs over his shoulders, Blood
was streaming freely from the rile-ball
wound in the bucks breast, and Couch felt
that the wound must be mortal, n d that it
would be only question of n short time
when the buck would succumb. The
wound did not prove to he as serious as the
hunter had believed. and after nearly
quarter Of an hours wrestling with the buck
in the scrub oaks, during which time the
animal twice broke COUGHS hold and tramp
led him beneath its feet, cutting and brnising
him badly, the guide saw that unless he could
manage to make some decisive movement,
or il the other hunters did not appear upon the
scene and get the better of the buck he could
not hold ont against it much longer. lie was
nearly exhausted. His clothing was near
" torn from his body, aud he was covered
with blood from head to foot
At the first onslaught of the buck COUGHS
hunting knife had been knocked from his
hand. and when he closed vita the buck he
dropped his gun barrel. TIE struggle inally
brought the contestants to within few feet of
where the gun barrel lay: Couch by quick
movement, diseugaged himself from the buck,
and. sprincing forward, secured the weapon.
lie had barely time to rise to his feet before
the buck was again upon him. Couch dealt
the animal blow back Of the eutloIs which
felled it to the ground. Tie hunter quickly
followed up his advantage, and with another
blow crushed the bucks skull and killed it,
Couch then dropped 10 the ground himself.
completely exhausted. His companions, after
waiting half an hour otter hearing his two
shots, and not hearing anything further
went TO sec what the result had been. and
found Couch and the buck lying side by side
The hunter was not seriously hurt. The
buck was the largest that has been killed In
Sullivan county in many years. II weighed
2lO pounds.