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On a clear late November afternoon two days before the start of the Wisconsin deer season in 1937, Royal Nettleton, 29, a Nicolet National Forest junior forester, climbed a tree.
He was creating a map of the area and wanted to orient himself by looking for the tallest landmark in the area, the Jones Dam fire tower the newest of 16 observation towers recently built on the Nicolet when he heard two rifle shots in quick succession. The first was accompanied by the whine of a bullet; a second bullet tore through his upper right thigh leaving an 8-inch hole and Nettleton yelled out “you shot me” as he fell 8 feet to the ground. In agony, blood spattering the snow, he cried out for help but there was only one other person within the sound of his voice and there would be no help.