Losing Your Shirt Tail

Who knew you could be tried by the Judge for missing a deer?

I always wore old clothes deer hunting when I was a boy. I wouldn't dare let Mamma catch me wearing a nice shirt to the woods. 

It's been over 50 years now, and I can still hear her telling me, "Don't wear that good shirt hunting." And for good reason, if you missed a deer, the Judge would order your shirt tail cut off.

Serious Business Back Then

Hunting was serious business in my early days. Hunters enjoyed the sport, but they needed the meat. I still remember watching hunters draw numbers out of a hat for a piece of venison. 

After the hunt was over, all of the men would gather at the skinning rack. If there were seven hunters, the deer would be cut up into seven piles. The hunter who killed the deer always had first choice, then the remaining hunters would draw numbers from a hat and claim their meat.

Hunting was also serious business because there weren't as many deer back then. We couldn't afford to miss. I don't know how the tradition got started, but if a hunter missed a deer, the men would hold court after the hunt was over to determine if the hunter had a good reason for missing. I know it was just having fun, but it sure made you shoot straighter. 

Mr. Clyde Gordon

Court would always start with someone being appointed Judge to hear the evidence. In our group, the Judge was usually Mr. Clyde Gordon. He was the city Mayor and ran the local barber shop. Later, Daddy would become his business partner in the barber shop. 

Mr. Clyde's Barber Shop

I believe Mr. Clyde must have issued a lot of guilty verdicts back then because the "shirt tail" boards were always full of hacked-off pieces of cloth.

Facing the Judge

I was nine or ten-years old the first time I faced the Judge. We were camping with a large group of men at the old Mud Lake Camp near Buck Island. 

Daddy and I had made the drive that morning near Betsy's Field. The dogs jumped and were circling back towards us. The woods were covered with scrub oaks and palmettos. 

We were kneeling on an old logging road when Daddy motioned for me to move around the curve. By the time I got around the corner, the deer was already crossing the road. I fired, but missed.

Later that evening, we had gathered back at the camp when Mr. Clyde decided it was time to hold court. I imagine it was a funny scene, but before I knew what was happening, Mr. Harold Manning had grabbed me by the shoulders and put me in front of the Judge. 

Mr. Harold Manning with Planning Committee

Standing there, I could hear Mr. Clyde saying, "Court will now come to order." I was being tried for missing that deer.

The Judge must have been ready to pronounce my guilt when Daddy came to my rescue. He reminded the court that drivers couldn't be tried for missing a deer; drivers usually only had snap shots, not better shots like most standers got. To my great relief, the Judge agreed and ordered the shirt-tail cutting committee to cease their activity.

I was saved. Daddy later told me he had to do something because my bottom lip was starting to quiver. I'm sure it was because I was worried about Momma getting mad if I lost my shirt tail.

Mike's Hunting Tip - Always keep a ragged t-shirt in your truck. You never know when someone might try to revive an old tradition.

PS - All of my stories are true, mostly true or maybe just made up 😀!

Photo Credit: Barber Shop (peachridgeglass.com,) Harold Manning (Long County Library Collection)

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