Source: Published as told by Tim Partlow

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In the mid-1980s, Tim Partlow and his friend Joe were out hunting in the beautiful woods of South Carolina. It was a gorgeous day, and they were enjoying a hunt together, just as they had done many times before.

After a few hours, they spotted a big buck within range. They quickly decided that Joe would be the one to take the shot. As he settled in and lined up the deer in his sights, Tim heard the unmistakable sound of a rattlesnake. Tim's eyes immediately scanned the ground and, sure enough, he saw the snake coiled up and ready to strike just a few feet from Joe.

Tim calmly but firmly said Joe's name, then followed up by alerting him to the imminent danger. Joe glanced down at the snake, then back up at the deer. "Joe," Tim whispered, "you need to either back up slowly and try to get away, or you'll need to shoot the snake!" Joe didn't feel comfortable trying to move, fearing the snake would strike, so he chose to shoot it. As he slowly lowered his gun to bring the snake into his sights, he began to have second thoughts. "If I shoot the snake, the deer is going to get away!" he protested.

Without missing a beat, Tim delivered an unforgettable line: "If you don't shoot that snake, you won't have to worry about that deer, or any other deer ever again!"

Heeding his friend's dire warning, Joe reluctantly fired his gun, shooting the snake. The big buck, upon hearing the gunshot, bolted into the brush. The deer narrowly escaped with its life that day. And thankfully, Joe was able to say the same.