Rescue Deer

Finally, our high school was out for summer vacation. My brother, Dom, and I wanted to go camping. No dad nor uncle, just us two. We wanted to “boondock” meaning camp right in the forest. No campground with people parking luxury vehicles with TVs and air conditioning. We are tent campers!

We arrived at Shawnee Forest in the mid-afternoon. We smiled, seeing trees rising around us like spiraling church steeples. I pulled off the road, near to the river. We got our equipment and pitched our tent near the shore. Satisfied, we began our trek to Jackson Falls. I had done the hike before.

We hiked, feeling the city peeling off as we walked over pine needles, and tasted fresh, pine-scented air. I noticed the orange sun was sinking. A chill darted up my spine while sweat popped on my forehead.

I said, “Dom, I made a mistake. We’re lost.”

I looked into his eyes. I could tell we both were feeling panicky.

We walked, but the trees all looked the same. We didn’t see any familiar landmarks.

Our stomachs churned. We sat down on a rock. The sun sank below the horizon, darkness seeped from the east.

Tears were in Dom’s eyes. “I’m scared,” he said.

I put my head in my hands and whispered, “Me too.”

Noise! We jerked our heads, a deer stood among the trees, stared us. He turned his head like he was signaling to follow. I had read that deer like to drink at sunset.

“C’mon, Dom, but be quiet. Let’s follow him.”  

We kept the deer in sight as he picked his way through the forest. The route he took was not smooth. We climbed over fallen trees and branches and sloshed our way through muddy ground. After a while, heard the cascading river and saw the deer bolt and then stop to drink.   

“Thanks, Mr. Deer,” I shouted.

I knew we could follow the river back to our camp. When we arrived back at our tent. Starved, we quickly made a fire, took out a frying pan and cooked bacon and beans just like cowboys in the open range. We gobbled our meal and relaxed a bit by the fire. An array of stars formed a twinkling canopy over our heads.

Dom said, “Thank you, God, for sending us the deer.”

I said, “That’s ditto from me.”

We looked at each other, shook hands, climbed into our tent, and crawled into our sleeping bags. Anticipating the rising sun, the feel of damp clothes and the smell of wet canvas in the morning.

I’m glad we got lost and then, of course, rescued. I think both Dom and I learned a valuable lesson. Every hiker should develop a plan before going into the wilderness. I believe we are both better and safer hikers because of the frightening experience we had.