A guy had been a hunter all his life. He was obsessed with it so much that his long-suffering wife decided in the spring that she was going with him for the opening day of deer season. He tried every way in the world to talk her out of it but she was determined. So, he taught her how to shoot and about gun safety and all the other things she needed to know to be safe and successful hunting deer. On the morning of the first hunt it was cold and drizzling rain. He again tried to dissuade her but she insisted on going. As they got into the woods, he set her up in her tree stand and explained one final time, "stay in this stand. If you see a deer, shoot it. I'll hear the shot and come get the deer for you." She nodded in understanding and he went through the thicket to his stand.
No sooner does he sit down on his own tree stand when he hears two shots from his wife's rifle. Sighing, he climbs back down and begins to work his way back through the thick underbrush between them. As he's doing so, he hears his wife screaming, "That's MY deer! That's MY deer!"
Now he starts to slash through the underbrush in a panic. He breaks through to find a man backed up against a tree with his arms raised in surrender and his wife standing there with her rifle pointed at the man's belly and still screaming, "MY deer!"
Right as the husband breaks through the other man nervously says, "Shit, lady. You can HAVE the deer! Just please let me get my saddle off him first!"
Okay, here’s my “Joke Poo” version, titled:
Joke Poo: The Book Club Encounter
Agnes had been a dedicated member of her book club for decades. Her long-suffering husband, Harold, found himself increasingly burdened by her literary obsession. He secretly dreaded “Reading Retreat Weekend” but this year, Agnes was determined he join her. He argued and pleaded, but she was insistent. She reviewed the agenda, “There will be literary discussions, a guest speaker, and a themed costume dinner.” Harold just sighed.
On the morning of the retreat, it was drizzling and overcast. Harold again tried to dissuade her, but she insisted on going. As they got to the secluded cabin, she settled him into the “Quiet Reading Nook” and explained, “Stay here, Harold. If someone starts discussing Ulysses, just nod. I’ll hear the mumbling and come rescue you.” He nodded reluctantly, and she went off to the main session.
No sooner did Harold sink into his armchair than he heard two loud voices from the main room. Sighing, he reluctantly got up and began to shuffle towards the commotion. As he did so, he heard Agnes screaming, “That’s MY interpretation! That’s MY interpretation!”
Now Harold really hurried, shoving through the gathered book club members. He broke through to find a woman backed up against a wall with her hands raised in surrender, and Agnes standing there, clutching her copy of War and Peace and still screaming, “MY interpretation!”
Right as Harold broke through, the other woman nervously said, “Look, lady, you can HAVE the symbolism! Just please let me get my thesis advisor off of him first!”
Alright, let’s dissect this deer hunting joke and then add some comedic seasoning.
Joke Dissection:
- Setup: A husband obsessed with hunting finally relents and takes his wife hunting. He meticulously prepares her.
- Premise: The wife, despite her husband’s instructions, shoots something other than a deer.
- Punchline: The “deer” is actually a man riding a deer, and the wife is fiercely possessive of it.
- Humor: The joke relies on:
- Misunderstanding: The wife completely misunderstands what she’s supposed to shoot.
- Absurdity: The image of a man riding a deer is inherently ridiculous.
- Role Reversal: The wife, who is supposedly new to hunting, is more aggressive than expected.
- Wordplay: The double meaning of “deer” (the animal vs. something valuable)
Comedic Enrichment – New Joke:
Here’s a joke riffing off the same theme, incorporating a little factual deer trivia:
A city slicker goes deer hunting for the first time, and he’s armed with only his smartphone and a terrible sense of direction. After wandering around for hours, he finally stumbles upon a deer. He raises his phone, snaps a picture, and shouts, “Gotcha! Trophy secured!”
A seasoned hunter walks by and asks, “Why didn’t you shoot it?”
The city slicker replies, “Shoot it? Are you crazy? This is a white-tailed deer! You know how rare it is to get a photo of one of them that isn’t photobombing your picture with a selfie stick? It is way rarer and more valuable.”
Deer Fact for Comedic Effect:
- Fact: Deer are known to eat poison ivy, seemingly without any ill effects.
Witty Observation:
Deer hunters are the original “influencers.” They spend all year perfecting their camouflage and calls, just to convince a bunch of teenagers with antlers that they’re cool enough to hang out with.
Why it works:
The new joke and observation play on the themes of misunderstanding (city vs. country, phone vs. rifle) and the value people place on different “trophies.” The poison ivy fact adds an element of the unexpected and the almost supernatural element some ascribe to deer. The “influencer” observation makes a self aware joke relating the common activity of hunting to modern-day life.