I love hunting just after it rains. The woods are easier to slip around in. The air is almost too thick with moisture to transmit scent for any distance. More importantly, the deer, like other creatures, tend to become more active after a rain.

My boss had taken off the entire day and I was filling in for him. He and I hunted the same places. We had agreed that I could join him if the workload accommodated. I worked feverishly after the rain quit trying to get to a quitting point for the day.

Darkness comes early in December, especially when the sky is filled with low-hanging rain clouds. I couldn't get out of the office soon enough.

A fellow had been kind enough to give my boss and I permission to hunt his land, which, by the way, was only about 20 minutes from work. There were plenty of deer in the area as well. Earlier in the week, my boss and I jumped a large drop-tine buck with several does. My boss had been there since early that morning and I spotted his truck as I approached the land. It didn't take me long to park my truck and head toward the woods.

The landowner had advised me prior to the season to make sure his dog, a big black Labrador, was chained before I ventured into the woods. I was about to find out what he meant.

I had to trudge across a plowed field for a quarter mile in order to get to where I wanted to go. About the time I got to the other side, I turned and looked back to see that dog coming right behind me. As the dog approached, I tried to scold him away, to no avail. I even threw rocks at him and all he did was chase them. I decided to set down and wait him out. Now I knew what the landowner was talking about.

After an hour the dog trotted off down the woodline. I waited for about fifteen more minutes to make sure he wasn't going to return before I made my way into the woods. I eased into the woods and began walking a frequently used trail, all the while noticing several rubs and other deer sign.

Only fifty yards into the woods I heard a noise coming over a rise directly in front of me. I just knew it was that damn dog. But, to my surprise, I nice buck trotted into view. I raised the gun and squeezed off a round. I hit him in the middle of the rib cage, not a great shot. The deer lurched and bolted out of the woods toward the field.

A small cattle pond stood between the field and me and the deer went straight for it. I came running out of the woods looking for the deer and found him standing in the pond with just his head visible. What was I going to do?

The deer acted like I wasn't there. I knew he was hurt and would eventually die right there in that pond if I couldn't get him out. I knew what I would have to do if he died in the pond and I didn't even want that to happen.

I started making noises, trying to scare him out of the water. It didn't work. So I started throwing rocks at him. That didn't work either. Guess who showed up while I was throwing rocks? That damn dog did.

The dog must have thought I was playing with him, so he jumped in the water after the rocks. It didn't take him long to notice the buck. The next thing that happened was truly amazing. The deer started trying to charge the dog, who shoed no fear of the deer whatsoever. The dog swam around the deer and crawled on his back. The deer, being weak from the gunshot, couldn't maintain both weights and went under.

I couldn't believe it. If I wanted the deer dead in the water, I would have shot him there. But no, the damn dog drowned him instead. The dog finally swam out of the water, but the deer didn't. I knew what I was destined to do, go in after the deer.

The idea of swimming in December wasn't very appealing, but I undressed down to my underwear and proceeded. About the time I made out to the deer, I saw my boss' orange cap over the edge of the pond. Once he saw me in the water and realized the situation, he fell down in a heap of laughter. I knew I wasn't going to live this one down. But, I had a deer and he didn't.

It took me every bit of five minutes to retrieve the deer, but it seemed forever. I was frozen and the deer must have gained fifty pounds because of the water it ingested.

My boss didn't believe the story. I must admit, it does seem rather comical. Needless to say, I got the deer home and from then on, I made sure that darn dog was restrained before I went into those woods again.

By: Mark Edwards

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