The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-03-06
A Deer Hunt of 1850

| Portland who was a we'll known
hunter and trapper in the Dead River
region many years ago. His son,
Samuel was a soldier in the Civil
War, and came home from MeClel-
lan's peninsular campaign, with
wounds and diseases that caused his
death in the fall of 1864. The jour-
nal from which we are taking this
narrative bears the date of October
81, 1860.
I'VE caught a deer today. and l
am going to tell you all about it;
for we had lively time, assure you.
at was one of those still, cloudy
mornings, you see so often at this
time of year. We rose early, got our
breakfast, did up our chores. and
then started for the lake to hunt deer.
We found the lake was calm and
smooth as glass. Father took the
large boat and went up to the head
of the lake to start the dog, and l
took the small boat and started down
the lake and started for the point
to watch for the deer. After get
ting there I climbed up into tree,
so that l could have a good view of
After staying there sometime the
wind began to rise. and l was cold,
and began to think that we should
hardly get deer that day. So l
came down out of the tree and begun
stirring about to get warm, when |
heard the dog away off on the hills.
| stopped for a moment to see which
way the chase was going, and came
to the conclusion that they were COM
ing around the head of the lake, and
so on down to where | was. | then
got up into the tree again, to await
the result. | watched about an
!. hour, l should think, watching the
upper part OF the lake most of the
time, thinking the deer would be most
/ likely to come in there. On looking,
however, in the other direction, be
hold there was the deer, swimming
for life. 1t was a buck, and large
one too. He was about half way across
the lake, and a half mile from where
| was. / did not stand there and
look at him long, | reckon. Down |
came, twenty feet at two jumps, hurt
ting my shins most woefully on the
limbs, and my nose on the stones
where l landed; but l picked myself
up and got into my boat. Then
commenced the chase. But let me
describe the boat in which | was. so
that you can better appreciate the
fun 1t is Just eleven feet long. and
sixteen inches wide, and scarcely
heavier than an egg shell, poetic
license) and will upset a great deal
easier. 1t was made from a bass
wood log, and we'll made too, and is
what is commonly called "Dugout."
| had to stand on my knees in the
middle, and had double paddle,
which is just like common one, only
it has a blade on each end. Thus
equipped | started the chase with the
wind in my favor. and with the firm
intention of catching the buck if
possibly could. He was a good half
mile ahead of me, and had not so far
as that to go to get to shore; and |
could see that he swan furiously. |
had no weapons to Stay him with. My
duty was to get around him, and drive
him up the lake to father, who, when
he saw me start out. | expected,
would come and meet me and help
kill him. So away | went, eXerting
every nerve and muscle; shot around
the point and was out at sea in no
time; kept my eye on the deer, and
took a course that would cut him off
from the shore that he was swimming
for. For a long time | went thus,
with the wind in my favor, sometimes
thinking that | should overhaul him,
and then again that | should not
Finally I saw that | was gaining on
him little but ! knew that | must
do more than that. if ] wanted to
catch him; so | redoubled my efforts
Pull SAM | muttered, you must
overhaul him anyhow: and 50 | did
After a long and hard pull | came
up to him. When he saw me he
turned square off, and swan almost
as fast again as he did before. When
( I came about, side to the wind, TO
follow him my little boat dipped wat
er at every wave but | stopped not
for that. | wanted to run in beside
him once more and turn him toward
the opposite shore but | found that it
was somewhat harder to do so than
I expected. I laid out all my
strength. You could have heard me
puff half a milo off, if you had been
within that distance I could see
that gained on him, but very slow
ly. He sees that ! am coming too
near him and he makes a short turn
and aims for the middle Of the lake
just where | wanted him TO go exact
ly, When I found he was safe
dropped my paddle and shouted lnsu-
~ for Joy Father came in few
minutes, and dispatched him, but not
without desperate battle. He fired
three charges OF buekshot into his
head. struck him more than forty
blows with Ratchet and only sue
ceeded in killing him by getting hold
of his legs separately and hamstring-
ing him. after which he could raise
his head sufficiently 10 cut his
throat. He was an old buck of the
toughest kind. and weighed three
hundred pounds