Mom Brings Home a Deer by June Kosier

One November, Sunday afternoon back in the 50’s, Mom got a
call from Dad to come and pick up a deer he had shot.
He was out hunting in a group and wanted to stay with them even
though he had gotten his deer. Dad was a good shot. The plan
was, if he saw another deer, he would shoot it and put a tag from
one of the other hunters on it.
Now back in the 50s, jeans were worn only by farmers. Women
wore their Sunday best for church and left it on all day. This
ensemble consisted of a dress, high heeled shoes and pearls. My
mother was no exception. As I remember it, it was a nice
November day. It was sunny, but crisp. The leaves were putting
on a colorful show. It was also the fashion to wear a mink stole
which was cut from a mink coat that had been fashionable a few
seasons before. Mom had her stole on.
Mom put me in the back seat of our brand-new blue Chevy and
away we went. When we met my father at the assigned place, he
couldn’t get over how my mother was dressed. “If you think you
look like a hunter, you are sadly mistaken.”
The other hunters in the party asked Dad what they were going to
do. My father put his plaid hunting coat with the deer hunting
license in plastic pinned to the back of it on my mother. He

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unloaded his gun, cracked it open and put it on the floor in front
of the back seat. The guys all helped tie the deer to the hood of
the car. Off we went headed for home.
Sure enough, on the way, we were stopped by a DEC officer.
“Lady, who shot that deer?”
“I did, officer.” Replied my mother.
“Please get out of the car.”
Mom looked more like a movie star than a hunter. The officer
then asked. “Where is your gun?”
“In the back seat.”
He took the gun out and checked to see if it was loaded. He then
handed it to my mother. “Load it.”
“Officer, I don’t have any bullets. I left them with the other
hunters.”
He went to his car and got some bullets. I don’t even know if they
were the correct bullets for my dad’s rifle. He then told my
mother again “Load the gun.”
This was when I knew we were in big trouble. She couldn’t do it.
She looked at the bullets and then the gun in bewilderment.
“Officer, I don’t know how. My husband loaded it for me before I
shot the dear. I made a lucky shot. Beginners luck, you know.”
I had visions of going to jail. Would Dad be able to get us out?
After all, he was a part of this predicament.
“Lady, get in that car and drive straight home and never ever let
me catch you with another dead deer!”

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Whew! Saved! I would be home for dinner. Of course, Mom was
very upset with my father. Her face was red and she said “Wait
until your father comes home and I tell him about this. He is
sleeping on the couch tonight! It was my good looks in my best
clothes and the luck of the Irish that got us out of trouble.”
I think it was the best clothes that got us into trouble.

Addendum: Dad’s favorite song was “Autumn Leaves”. I wonder
if it had anything to do with his love of hunting in the fall.