Dumb Luck
Sometimes, luck is just being in the right place at the right time with a little helpful geography.
- It took Google Earth, a little deer psychology and a freak shot.
But bow-and-arrow hunter Joe Graber's persistence may have won him a coveted Boone and Crockett Club trophy for killing one of the largest deer this season in Illinois - a 25-point buck.
The 35-year-old Edwardsville construction worker had caught glimpses of the monster whitetail in Madison County for years. And recently, he used Google Earth to map likely paths it used.
It wandered down one of those paths as Graber waited on Oct. 26. His shot deflected and the arrow ended up going through the deer's ear. The startled animal slipped off a cliff, into a creek and drowned.
We might be a little embarrassed to be telling that deer story at the bar this winter.
Labels: we got nothing
posted by SCC at 12:01 AM
23 Comments:
Sounds like something out of a "Soprano's" storyline, but involving a deer instead of a gangster.
Do they have "Meritorious" deer hunters too!
So, the death was ruled a suicide?
In about 1975, I had a decent job as a driver for UPS and was the next up for supervisor, having been a part-time supv as a college student.
A buddy asked me one day to give him a ride to sign up for the police exam. It was the last day to do so. I gave him a ride and on the way he suggested I sign up. "ARE YOU CRAZY! I don't wanna be no fricken copper!"
Well, long story short, he signed up, talked me into signing up, (just for the hell of it), when the CPD called me a couple years later, I still was driving a UPS truck, so I quit to enter the Police Academy.
Today I'm a retiree after 27 yrs, the last 17 as a Sgt. I guess I can chalk it all up to "Dumb Luck", as well, but it was a great ride!
I an avid deer hunter I would be ashamed to put my name on this one.
What's with all the hunting stories in IL all of a sudden?
One Shot,One Kill, Gunny Hathcock would be proud!
Never the less.....it's going to be hanging on his wall..correct?
Anonymous said...
I an avid deer hunter I would be ashamed to put my name on this one.
11/28/2009 09:28:00 AM
I an avid learner. Many times my father would lemme leave classes earlyer then normel so, we, my dad &/and me, his freinds couldve get a jump on an other hunters per say lets jus say i missd alot a CLASS! hahaha jokes on them evybody had goodtimes had by all.
Winning ugly. You got the buck after you made a good attempt. Not your fault the deer was clumsy.
dead deer tell no tales
No respectable deer hunter would shoot or maim a old timer like this one. He was undoubtedly the head of his herd. Shame. . .
learn to communicate 9:28am poster
I once caught a drinker the same way.
I'd rather be lucky than good any day.
So, the death was ruled a suicide?
11/28/2009 08:10:00 AM
No, it was ruled as an accidental death due to shock within 24 hours of the incident being reported and the thorough examination of the remains by the State of Illinois DNR Mobile Necropsy Team.
Were the decedant's remains recovered from the creek? They must have, else the hunter counted the points on the fly!
WHAT EVER IT TAKES
Anonymous said...
Never the less.....it's going to be hanging on his wall..correct?
11/28/2009 10:51:00 AM
with a snorkel on his face!
It's dear Hunting season! first Bow, then shotgun. hence the stories!
That would be a real nice trophy mount! regardless, it was his initiation shot that got it and caused the demise. At least he didn't lie and say he took it at 100 yards in the rain on the run with a bow single shot in the heart.
to the unpublished...
you aren't a cop. you're a religious zealot hiding behind a badge. thou shall not kill? you're a fucking idiot, too. if you can't see the humor in the story then we truly feel sorry for your ignorance.
Now had this taken place in the ghetto........the deer would have fallen off the cliff, landed on it's hooves, and hit the ground running. A few hours later it might show up at an "animal" hospital yelling at the staff, "Git dis muthafuckin' arrow out my goddamn ear bitch." When police would show to report the incident, the deer would be uncooperative giving the standard, "heard shot felt pain" story...etc, etc, etc.
Deer are such beautiful, gentle and sensitive creatures. Why don't you people kill the ferocious ones instead. Too hard, right? So little regard for God's noble creatures. It's you that aren't Blessed with regard for Life. Shame on all of you.
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