It was September 1991. Linda & I had just met so one could state that we were “courting.” I took her on the trout fishing trip at Lincoln Falls Bridge in Sullivan County. This is a fine trout stream and only stocked from the bridge downstream.
I have had many memorable fishing trips on this stream; both solo and with my lifeline fishing buddy, Gary D. Avery, who passed away on Dec. 14, 2014 at the tender age of 74. We caught a lot of native trout on Elk Creek. I will have a series of articles about my fine friend in the near future.
But this wildlife story is not about trout; it is about a deer and what I can only state was an extraordinary experience. When trout fishing on smaller streams, one learns to wear camouflage clothing and to slowly, very slowly fish upstream. We had only gone about 100 yards above the bridge when I noticed a doe deer coming right as us along the bank. I signaled to Linda to freeze as did .The deer got so close that I had to raise my fishing rod and homemade lure so as not to snag it in the nose.
The deer slowly got closer. At just maybe two feet away, I looked into its eyes to see if it was sick in some way. The eyes were clear, no spots indicating a fawn; although some have lost their spots by September.
I reached down and actually petted that deer on its head. Never before nor since have had I actually touched a living deer. We were both stunned at this event.
The only answer that I can give for this strange behavior is that there is a house located on a private road just above the bridge. One would never consider deer hunting there because it is in a safety zone. Was the deer just hanging around the home or just walking along the creek? We will never know of course. It certainly ranks among the top 10 wildlife experiences of my lifetime. I will be age 69 on February 19th; Lord willing of course. So to use a US Navy expression, a lot of water has washed across my bow in these 68 plus years.
Winter is still in fullness in our northern tier of Pennsylvania. This morning, February 3rd, it was minus 6.5 degrees at our home in Alba. I did record this since the shortest day of the year on December 21st; we have gained exactly 60 minutes of daylight since that day. We also have had 29 inches of snow so far this season. When you say your prayers tonight, ask God to keep our active military personnel safe. Also, thank a veteran for their service to America.
Jim Collins is an outdoor writer for this newspaper. To contact him, email jimcollinsinsurance@frontiernet.net; or write to him at Outdoors With Jim Collins, 87 Windfall Road, Alba, PA 16910.