In the late 1800s, one particular deer kept hunters in Franklin County so baffled they claimed it was enchanted.

The doe caught the attention of half a dozen hunters in Madrid during the fall of 1895, including the mayor of Lewiston. Mayor Noble had an excellent opportunity to shoot the doe and was amazed when she didn’t fall. A lot of other hunters told similar stories that season. They had her in their sights, but somehow she got away. They talked about her all winter, and the next season, sportsmen were eager to find her again.

In 1896, the Farmington Chronicle reported on the experiences of John Shepard of Phillips, a crack shot who held a championship badge for marksmanship.

Shepard was hunting in the same area where the doe had been seen the previous year when he met up with her. In his orchard, he had laid in wait between two boulders and the deer came bounding into the clearing toward him. He waited until she got quite close, took deliberate aim, and fired.

He was sure the bullet had hit her, but the deer fled. He followed, expecting to find her down not far away. Soon he reached an open spot where he saw her.

She hadn’t fallen. In fact, she didn’t appear to be suffering at all. She was standing on a knoll, calmly looking back at Shepard.

He had a second easy shot at her, and he took it. Again he thought he hit her.

Again, she turned and ran away. He followed, and the story repeated itself a third time. She paused to give him another try and then appeared to be impervious to the bullet.

Shepard did not give up yet. He spent the rest of the day searching for the doe he was sure must have been hit.

Alive or dead, he never found her.

The experience plagued Shepard and being a logical man, he concluded that the problem must be with his gun. When he got home, he tested it. He paced a distance twice that of his last shot and set up a board for a target. In 20 consecutive shots, he hit the board every time; 16 times he was within four inches of the center.

Shepard was not superstitious, yet he came to a startling conclusion. His failure to shoot the deer was not his fault or the rifle’s. According to the Farmington Chronicle, “He cannot account for it on any other grounds than that the deer bears a charmed life.”

Luann Yetter teaches writing at the University of Maine at Farmington. Additional research by UMF student Danielle LeBlanc.