Antlers Anyone? 
2003 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance
Gardiner, Montana
Summer 1985
A couple of locals decided to increase their income by illegally transporting shed elk antlers out of Yellowstone park. The antlers sell for about $7.00 a pound, and a big set of antlers can way 30 pounds or so. The two fellows thought long and hard about how to get the largest haul of antlers out of the park without being noticed. Cars were too risky as there was a ranger checkpoint on the road into and out of the park. Backpacks couldn't carry enough to make it worth their while, so they decided to try a boat. Well, not exactly a boat. A rubber raft. The Gardiner river runs out of Yellowstone and through the town of Gardner, MT. The two decided it would be best take the trip at night to minimize their chance of being spotted. This was late springtime, so the river, which is normally hazardous, now had about twice as much water running through it, just to make things more interesting for these two enterprenuers. After loading the raft to the bursting point with antlers, the two started off on their journey. It turns out that they didn't make it too far before the antlers punctured the raft in the middle of some incredibly treacherous rapids. One of the antler theives swam to shore and made it to the road and caught a ride into town. The other was not so lucky. He was found about a week later as he floated up on a beach used by local sunbathers. I know because I'm the one who found him, and was also in the car with my cousin when we gave his buddy a ride into town the week before. I think there should be something in Yellowstone ranger reports to confirm my story. They helicoptered the dead guy out from the swimming area, so they must have a log of it. The local paper may have something too, but I never checked it out. Submitted on 05/18/2002
Submitted by:
Jeff Pope
Reference:
Personal Account, June 1985
Copyright © 2002 DarwinAwards.com
|
