A Personal Gift

When Junior was alive he used to come around and bring some of his friends with him. One was a buck that we subsequently called Hat Rack because he donated his antlers for a hat rack. I was out to the side of the house late one winter and 3-4 bucks were standing around and I was talking to them. It was about time for them to shed their antlers. They were in a semi  circle and I was facing them when I mentioned to Hat Rack if he would shed his antlers I would make a hat rack out of them in remembrance of him. He looked at me and put his head down and shook his head real hard and both his antlers fell off on the ground. I picked them up and made a hat rack out of them that is on the back side of the front door.

Some of Hat Racks friends moved off several feet and did the same thing and in the above photo is their contribution. I mounted their antlers on a piece of aromatic cedar that I obtained from a gulch a few miles from here. Then I installed it in the kitchen for Carol to hang the kitchen towels on. True story and no one will ever convince me that deer don't understand. That is clear evidence that they do and I have a hat rack and towel holder to memorialize the occasion.

Junior was very intelligent but Hat Rack was equally so. One year I was doing cowboy breakfast and here comes Hat Rack walking up to about 6-8 feet from me. I greeted him and we communicated a little and I told him I had not seen Junior and hunting season was only about a week away and I was getting concerned for his and Juniors safety out there with the hunters. I told him I'd appreciate it if he would go find Junior and bring him back here where he would be safe. He abruptly turned and walked away.

Three days later I happen to look out the side window and here coming through the woods was Hat Rack in the lead with Junior and Junior's brother single  file coming right behind him. I went down to get him something to eat and true to his nature Junior stayed around our house where it was safe until I told him hunting season was over which was his annual ritual. While this may sound made up it is absolutely true and I couldn't be more proud of the deer we had that used our home as a base of operations and safe haven.