As the summer passed, Ron and
Rose Ann Gay kept the neighbors abreast (white meat) of how many chickens remained. There were about 20 to start with. When Winter set in, it seemed that there were only two left. Two roosters that crowed every morning. Anyone passing wouldn't realize that they were lurking just off the roadside and in the woods. Colorful little birds they were! The neighborhood buzz was amazement that these roosters had survived the slyest
of foxes and coyotes. Everyone could hear the mix of coyotes howls and roosters crows in the night.
Deer season came and Tim Putnam had a deer stand in the woods where these chickens lay! It was a week into deer season that
Tim discovered why those roosters had survived! It seems that the roosters realized that the best defense is a good offense.
When Tim approached his stand, he couldn't hear the pitter pat of rooster feet on the woodland floor of autumn leaves. Tim also didn't realize that roosters were territorial. The backs of Tim's legs were raked by the greeting ganter of a male chicken. "You are in MY woods" the eyes of this rooster seemed to say as Tim scurried to the ladder of his tree stand.
Once up in the stand and out of harms reach, Tim was able to get a good look at this bird. "He was a cocky little thing." said
Tim. "He kept me treed in that stand for nearly four hours." And of course no deer were going to be in that woods.
The woods belonged to the roosters. Ron and Rose Anne dee duck-tivly realized that the numbers of roosters had become one.
Deer season ended and for the entire winter, every morning, the solo crowing of the "Mad rooster of
Woodworth Road" could be heard up the hollers and ravines.
Came spring, Todd Fesko and Eric Eibert unknowing had decided to camp out in the "Roosters woods". Sleeping next to the camp fire, adjacent to the cabin, they enjoyed the spring smells and warmth of firelight. It was about 1 am that
Todd awoke.
"I swear I could feel someone looking at me". The fire was dim but the flicker of a sole log
light up the mad roosters eyes that were the same color as the flame of the campfire! A staring contest took place in which Todd was trying to determine if what he was seeing was real.
The rooster stood completely still and Todd didn't dare move...Soon the rooster determined that Todd was in fact an intruder and the rooster began his legendary attack! Todd and Eric scrambled for the cabin door , sleeping bags in tow.
The rooster pursued. Once inside the cabin, the boys peered back through the screen door to the gleaming gaze of the mad rooster.
When morning came, Todd and Eric were able to board the six wheeler and boogey out without incident.
As the summer went on, it was realized one day that we hadn't heard the roosters crow in a while.. and no one ever heard from or of him since. Tim has gone back to hunting the woods, but the deer are still not so certain that the woods are safe.
The legend of the Mad Rooster of Woodworth road lives on.
by Chris Fesko
