Uncle Si Is Still in Awe of Phil Robertson’s Backwoods Medical Skills
It’s no secret that Uncle Si Robertson, the ever-unpredictable and hilarious heart of Duck Dynasty, has faced his share of bumps, bruises, and breathing trouble in recent years. But in a recent interview filled with laughter and nostalgia, Si admitted there’s one man he still turns to when things get a little “medically questionable” in the swamp — his brother, Phil Robertson.
“I’m telling you, Phil’s got more backwoods medical tricks than most doctors I’ve met,” Si said, shaking his head with a smile. “He may not have a license, but he’s stitched up more Robertson boys than the local ER.”
The story that had fans howling — and shaking their heads in amazement — involved a long-ago duck hunting trip gone wrong. Si had sliced his arm on barbed wire while chasing down a runaway retriever. Instead of heading to town, Phil walked back to the cabin, grabbed fishing line, whiskey, and a sewing kit from Miss Kay’s kitchen drawer.
“He poured a little whiskey on the cut, took a swig for himself, and then just started stitching,” Si recalled. “Didn’t flinch. Didn’t blink. Said it was just like patching an old pair of jeans.”
That wasn’t the only time. Over the years, Phil has become the family’s unofficial medic — applying salve made from pine resin, pulling out splinters with deer antler tips, and even diagnosing a bad case of pneumonia before the clinic did.
“He’s part woodsman, part preacher, and part witch doctor,” Si joked. “And I wouldn’t trade him for anyone else.”
Despite Si’s recent health struggles, including a COPD diagnosis and lung surgery in 2022, his admiration for Phil’s steady, no-nonsense care remains strong. When asked if he’d trust Phil with his health again?
“I’d let him stitch me up blindfolded in the dark before I let some stranger poke me with needles in a white coat,” Si laughed. “That man’s saved more than a few of us in ways we don’t even realize.”
What’s clear is this: beneath the beards and jokes is a bond built on trust, family, and good old-fashioned grit. Uncle Si might be the clown of the family, but when it comes to his brother Phil, he speaks with nothing but respect — and maybe a little disbelief at just how far duck calls and country wisdom can go.
And for fans who’ve always wondered just how real the Robertsons’ off-the-grid life really is — the answer, it turns out, is stitched right into Si’s arm.