Question

What does freneau mean when he calls the hunter and deer a shade?

Answer 1

It would be he cannot catch them as it is referring to a position the deer is taking, which at the moment they could both be "a shade"

Answer 2

When he calls the hunter and the deer ''a shade," he means that both are dead but visible like spirits roaming around the Earth. The word "shade" is also used in another part of the poem and still has the same meaning