Deer Mom

Howdy, Neighbor. People have been telling Phil he’s a good storyteller for a long time… so we are trying something new and pretty-much non-sales Just sharing occasional sweet stories, tall tales, and life lessons learned around these parts.

Northwoods Notes are a new, semi-bi-irregular peek into the heart and mind of Phil Frasier… you can read or listen… whichever you prefer… and you are receiving a copy because you’re a current customer of Frasier’s Plumbing and Heating, Inc. We think you’ll like them, but you can unsubscribe any time by clicking on the link at the bottom. But we hope you give us a chance!

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We had a few nice whitetail bucks visit our yard when I was a kid living on Woodland Drive. And those bucks ignited a fire in my young heart that still burns to this day.

I had an old Herter’s recurve bow… and man, I practiced with that bow religiously. I was preparing for that fateful day when I would finally encounter the buck of a lifetime.

One morning, my mom was up early. Well, mom was up early every morning. It’s what moms do.

But on this particular early morning, she came running down to the basement whispering as loud as she could…

“Phillip! Phillip! That big buck is in the backyard! Right in the backyard!”

I jumped out of bed and immediately strung my bow wearing nothing but my Fruit Of The Looms.

I grabbed my quiver and unlatched one single arrow. Then I unlatched a second one, just in case.

With the James Bond theme music playing inside my head, I snuck out the basement door and made my way to the cedar trees in our backyard.

There he was. Fifteen yards at the most. Eating out of our apple tree. And I had him dead to the rights.

He was, by far, the biggest buck I’d ever seen in my young life… on what seemed to be the easiest hunt of my life.

I could feel my heart beating in my throat as I inched closer through the snow and notched my arrow. He had no idea I was there! I felt like Fred Bear in my own backyard.

Grasping three fingers on the string, I drew back my bow. This buck was mine. All mine.

Then, out of nowhere, there came a banging on the window behind me, followed by my mom shouting, “Go, deer, go!”

What the heck? I threw down my bow into the snow, jerked my head to the window, and hollered, “Mom! Why did you do that? You woke me up. I’m out here in the snow in my underwear! I’ve been waiting for this!”

She admitted that she suddenly felt sorry for the deer.

That buck was gone. I never saw him again.

There were a few more things I wanted to say to her that day. But I was afraid to get a mouthful of soap.

My adolescent anger eventually subsided, and, to this day, we still laugh about her bangin’ on that double pane window.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Go Deer! Go!

Be careful out in the blinds this week. But more important, enjoy those little moments that become lifelong memories.

But, don’t forget to wear more than just your Fruit Of The Looms.

Take care neighbor…. Take good care.

Oh, and P.S. if you happen to get lucky and harvest a big buck this deer season, do me a favor and post it on the Frasier Facebook page. I’d love to share your picture with mom. And I’d love to see it.