Hunter Falls On Rattling Antler

Ouch! Woody Rogers fell on his rattling horn in November 1993. He had to drive himself to his dad’s house before he received any medical help.

Woody Rogers liked to hunt with rattling horns. On Nov. 23, 1993, the then 29-year-old tucked his antlers into his fanny pack and went hunting in Butts County.

He came to a steep-banked erosion ditch that was 8 feet deep. As Woody attempted to cross the ditch, his feet slipped and shot out from under him on the steep incline. Woody’s 5-foot, 11-inch, 200-lb. frame pitched backward, and the small of his back slammed into the ground, atop his fanny pack and the antlers inside.

The tip of the main beam cut through his fanny pack and two shirts and punctured Woody’s back just to the right of his spine. The antlers pierced Woody’s right lung. The G3 penetrated but helped stop the main beam from burying any farther.

Woody made the quarter-mile walk back to his truck with the antler sticking out of his back. He had to drive his truck to his dad’s house, a nearly impossible feat with the antler stuck. By the time he pulled in the driveway of his dad’s house and honked the horn, Woody was nauseated, his vision was blurred, and he was having trouble breathing.

Medics arrived and transported Woody to Henry General Hospital where he was treated. The doctors discussed various ways to remove the antler, which ended up staying in Woody’s back for three hours. Finally, one of the doctors took a firm grip on the antler and snatched it out “John Wayne” style.

Woody said he was done rattling, claiming he’d never had any luck with it anyway.