Doe Season — By David Michael Kaplan Full Text __full__

As the day progresses, Andie becomes increasingly frustrated with her father's distant behavior and her own inability to shoot a deer. Eddie, sensing her frustration, takes her aside and teaches her how to handle a rifle and connect with nature.

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Lost and terrified, Andy imagines her mother walking into the ocean: As the day progresses, Andie becomes increasingly frustrated

After a long, unsuccessful day of hunting, they see a doe. Andy’s father, believing she is “good luck,” insists she be the one to take the shot. Though she secretly wishes for the deer to run away, she fires, but the shot is not immediately fatal. The wounded doe runs off, and the group cannot find it that night. That night, Andy has a harrowing dream in which she reaches into the dying doe’s wound and holds its heart in her hand; when she wakes, her hand feels withered and she can still smell the blood. The next morning, they find the doe, and as Andy watches her father gut it, she finally runs away, symbolically leaving her childhood self behind.

It is a small story, barely twenty pages. But like the best short fiction, it leaves a wound that doesn’t close—a mark every bit as lasting as a hunter’s notch on a belt. This link or copies made by others cannot be deleted

The story concludes with Andie reflecting on the events of the day, feeling a sense of growth and newfound understanding. She recognizes that her relationship with her father is imperfect, but she's also aware of the love and connection they share.

The story is featured in anthologies like Comfort , which can be found in collections such as The Best American Short Stories 1985 , or accessed through academic resources. Share public link