LEADING THE WAY

EVERY NIGHT THE BUCK HAS BEEN BRINGING HIS FAMILY, A HAREM OF NINE, WITH BABIES, INTO MY SIDE YARD. THIS WAS A PARTICULARLY DARK NIGHT, FROM CLOUD COVER AND RAIN. THERE WAS NO MOON. I WAS RUNNING UP THE HILL FROM MY DRIVEWAY AND MY "ESP" MADE ME STOP. A CAR WAS COMING UP THE ROAD, LIGHTS FULL ON THE HERD OF DEER, AND IN FRONT OF MY EYES NOT MORE THAN AN ARMS LENGTH AWAY, WAS THE LARGEST BUCK I HAD EVER SEEN. I COULD HAVE SIMPLY PET HIS BACK OR HEAD. THE BUCK'S EYES FOLLOWED THE LIGHTS ON THE CAR AS IT DROVE PAST. THEN IT SAW ME STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO IT. I KNEW I HAD "HAD IT," I STOOD FOR ABOUT A SECOND BEFORE I MADE THE 40 FOOT DASH TO MY FRONT DOOR, WITH VISIONS OF ANTLERS PUSHING ME TO THE GROUND. BEFORE I MADE THE DASH, HE BEGAN A LOUD "HUFFING, HUFFING, HUFFING, " SOUND....THEN HE SNORTED LOUDLY THREE TIMES. I WAS GONE. IT HAPPENED IN A SPLIT SECOND. AFTER THE BABY BEAR, THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE WILD LIFE ADVENTURES!!!! EVERYONE NEEDS TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY.