While deer hunting, National Guardsmen Rex, Lou, Zeke, Pete, and Bob come upon a river and spot another group of hunters on the other side. One of the other hunters raises his rifle and fires. Peter drops to the ground, shot in the head. When Rex orders his men to return fire, a gun battle ensues until Zeke shoots a man between the eyes. The other group scatters, dragging their fallen comrade with them. After realizing the bullet has only grazed Pete’s skull, the men hike back to their car and drive towards the nearest hospital. As they discuss the shooting on the drive, Lou is worried about the legal ramifications of killing a man. His companions argue it was self-defense, but Lou insists it is not that simple. Hearing police sirens, the men go to Lou’s home instead of the hospital where they call Jim, a local veterinarian, who tends to Pete’s wound. Afterward, Rex announces they are not going to report the shooting. When Lou protests, Rex explains that the other hunters will report the man’s death as a hunting accident since they cannot admit they started a firefight. Everyone, including Lou, promises to keep the shooting a secret. Later that night, Rex returns home to find his estranged wife, Ellen, waiting for him. She wonders why he is not with his girlfriend on a Saturday night. He reminds her that he is willing to give her a divorce, but prefers the status quo. A few days later, Rex sees an obituary that fits the description of the dead hunter. He calls the widow, Mrs. Graham, pretending to be a college friend of the deceased and asks to pay his respects. Mrs. Graham is drunk when Rex arrives at her house, and she explains she was told her husband was killed in a hunting accident. She flirts with Rex, who takes his leave by saying he has to attend a National Guard meeting. That night at the armory, Rex tells Lou that he believes Graham’s friends did not report the shooting because they intend to seek revenge; Rex believes Graham’s friends will come gunning for them. Lou wants to go to the police, but Rex has made up his mind to fight it out. The next day, Rex discovers that Lou shared their conversation with Zeke. When Rex confronts Lou, demanding to know Lou’s alliance, Lou declines to defend his fellow guardsman. Rex then calls the rest of the group to a meeting at the armory and is surprised to see Lou in attendance. Briefing the men on his plans, Rex predicts that the enemy will be waiting for them at their hunting grounds on Saturday morning, probably with heavily armed reinforcements. He argues that they must recruit more men and be heavily armed. He orders Lou to procure automatic weapons, as well as helmets and flak jackets. However, Lou begs his friends to stop the madness before there is a slaughter. Rex insists he is not looking for a fight, but vows to retaliate if one of the other hunters fires first. Later, Rex orders Sargent Bellows from the armory to supply him with enough equipment, grenades and automatic weapons for twenty men. When Bellows protests, Rex says he will expose Bellows for stealing the armory’s rifles and selling them. Bellows gives in to the blackmail. On Saturday morning, Ellen tells Rex that Lou informed her about the “mission” and begs Rex not to go, fearing he will be killed. She offers to grant him the divorce he wants under the condition that he call off the fight, but he tells her it will be all right and leaves. Rex gathers his army, and they discover that Bellows forgot to pack the flak jackets. Lou unexpectedly meets them near the river and after a brief discussion, the men agree to take him along. While Zeke checks out the far bank, Rex deploys his troops over the snow-covered ground. A young recruit tells Rex that they are wasting their time. To prove it, he stands in plain sight and discharges his weapon. Across the river, camouflaged men leap from well-prepared foxholes and open fire, riddling the recruit’s body with bullets. Rex’s men are quickly massacred as Rex passes out from a head wound. Much later, a permanently blinded Rex lies in a hospital room and thinks about his fallen friends. In his mind, he sees the mangled dead bodies of his troops and wishes that he had gotten to the river earlier so that he could have slaughtered the other side first.