We were evenly split in two vehicles, I driving our old Dodge one-ton, and the other leader driving her SUV. We left the meeting place together, but we had to stop at the Bingo truck stop to pick up the paperwork I forgot, which the wife ferried out. So got separated.

No big deal, it's only 35 miles or so.

It was almost 19:00 when we neared the Coal Mine Town turnoff. Only one vehicle on the empty, dark highway in front of us, about a mile ahead. Almost a full moon. That's a warning sign.

Saw the three brake lights come on, and asked the youth beside me if he thought that was our other vehicle. Then the emergency flashers came on.

As we pulled up, I could see it was the rest of our crew. Bailing out with a flashlight.

They had hit a deer. A big "humongous" buck. Her front left headlight was out.

My crew wisely stayed in the truck, while we went back to check for her victim.

She asked what we were going to do if we found it?

If it's down and can't get up, I kill it.

Short and sweet. I no longer sugar coat this stuff. Got a leatherman on me. That's enough to be lethal if I need to do the deed. If I can't do it with a leatherman, then it probably doesn't need to be done.

While I checked the asphalt for blood, or worse, rumen contents (a sure sign of a fatal hit), she and the boys went up the shoulder. And found the buck bedded in tall sage, his green eyes glowing back at them. She let out a whimper as I took her flashlight and headed down the slope. Made the boys stay behind, but had to tell two of them twice.

Just like young canids, eager to be there for the kill.

But the buck jumped up and bounded away, crashing into the woven-wire highway fence (hate woven-wire). Followed along, paralleling him as he paced the fence. Left rear leg not working right. But not visibly broken. Probably some damage to the hip, but maybe not broken. Let him be before he broke his neck on the fence.

Checked his bed in the tall brush. No blood. Certainly injured, but maybe not fatally. He gets his chance to make it on his own.

Checked her vehicle. Broke the mounts in one corner of the cheap plastic headlights. (Cheap as in quality and durability, not replacement costs). And left deer hair. She had been mashing down on the brakes. May not have hit that hard.

He wasn't there when we came back by Saturday afternoon.

A good sign.