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Date Posted: 08:53:59 01/25/03 Sat
Author: Eddie C
Subject: "Yaller Bill" South (slave who killed record deer)

"The deer were very plentiful in the country and a hunter could take his rifle at any time and kill one in a few hours. There is a low gap in the mountains between the river and the south fork of Quicksand which was a great thoroughfare for deer to pass through to the river; especially when chased by hounds, and they would then swim down the river. I have seen many of them swim past the store. Upon one occasion I saw a very large buck swimming down a short distance above the store with such a head of horns as I never saw before or since. They were almost equal to an elk's. There was a large and stout colored boy present, about 18 years old, known as "Yaller Bill" South, a slave of Jerry South, who lived in the neighborhood. I called his attention to the buck and asked him if he could capture it. He replied that he would try, and jumped into a light canoe that I had at the landing in front of the store. He soon intercepted the downward course of the buck and turned him in the direction of the opposite bank, keeping in such close proximity to him that he could have touched him with his hand, until he got within ten feet of the bank, when he dropped his paddle and jumped on the back of the buck, both going down together in deep water. They remained under water so long that I was alarmed for the safety of the boy, but they finally came to the surface, and Bill had hold of his horns. The struggle between them in the water was very great and furious, and the result seemed to he doubtful. But, fortunately for Bill, there was a sycamore tree growing at the edge of the river, some of the roots of which extended out into and under the water; and although going under water several times and coming very near being drowned, he still hung to the horns and succeeding in getting one of them under a root of the sycamore. This gave him complete control of the situation, and he held the buck there until he was drowned. This was the largest deer that was ever known to be killed in the State."

This is an excerpt from "Recollections of Breathitt" by J Green Trimble written at age 91 in the year 1916.

Makes me wonder if any other deer have been taken this way since, before it was illegal to do so!!!!

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