Remember That Time Dale Earnhardt Broke His Hand on a Poacher’s Face for Illegally Shooting a Buck? OutdoorHub Reporters 02.07.17



Dale Earnhardt, an iconic figure in NASCAR, was and still is one the most known names in racing. He certainly didn’t like being beat on the race track, but wait until you hear what he did with a poacher for shooting his buck.

In a Sports Illustrated article discussing the late race car driver’s courage, we learn about Earnhardt’s steely nerves and his bitter distaste for poachers.

The article states that one afternoon in December, Earnhardt heard the sound of gun fire far off in the distance. Upon investigating the suspicious rifle shot, Earnhardt discovered a trophy buck had been killed and stashed in a patch of brush. Furious, Earnhardt staked out the spot, hoping the trespasser would come back later to retrieve the deer.

Sure enough, the guy came back to claim the buck and that’s when an irate Earnhardt confronted the poacher. The angry confrontation came to blows, and Earnhardt ended up fracturing his right hand on the poacher’s face.

He would have to wear a cast, which he painted black so it would blend in with a tuxedo, because the incident with the poacher happened just before Earnhardt was due to receive the trophy as Cup Series champion at the Waldorf Astoria.