Episode 2: Deer Stories
Cleo Johnson and Lady
“I think it’s sad that kids don’t know how to hunt from their parents.”
—Prentiss Dwinell
HUNTING IS as fundamental to Vermont's cultural heritage as dairy farming and its lineage reaches back beyond the arrival of the first European settlers. But as Vermont has changed, knowledge of hunting is no longer universal and some Vermonters are entirely outside its culture.
Based on interviews with hunters conducted by the Vermont Folklife Center, Deer Stories doesn’t advocate for or condemn hunting but rather explores the experience from an insider’s point of view. This episode features excerpts from an original twelve part series produced by Greg Sharrow and Erica Heilman. Deer hunters introduce us to their world through stories that illustrate hunting practices and core values.
We’ll hear a man talk about hunting lessons from his father [3:16], a mother and daughter one-upping their male companions [4:53], and a deputy game warden’s forging of an unlikely friendship [8:08].
Interviews from this episode:
These original interviews with deer hunters around the state were collected on these dates:
Mary VanVeghten - August 26, 1998 interviewed by Greg Sharrow
Prentiss Dwinell - August 17, 1998 interviewed by Greg Sharrow
Joanne Ward - April 15, 1997 interviewed by Greg Sharrow
Phil Brown - May 14, 2006 interviewed by Erica Heilman
Gail and Hannah Streeter - October 3, 2006 interviewed by Greg Sharrow.
Cleo Johnson - May 23, 1997 interviewed by Greg Sharrow
Erica Heilman was interviewed by Mary Wesley on October 24, 2018
To access the full interviews please contact the VFC Archivist.
