At "home" this week in Fulton, Missouri. Exciting day, while children at school, I did my laundry at the Sunshine Laundry-a great place-and talked with the owners. This evening, took Ron-my middle son-to a school musical program that he was involved in. That's my day...
SECOND 5 YEARS: (Semi-truck turkey hunting-Part 2 of 2)
(See October 16, 1989, 2009 for Part 1) While traveling south on I-35, after having to stop at the Missouri chicken coupe(state weigh scales), I was enjoying the gray skies with a light snow flurry. I saw a beautiful huge turkey fly across the interstate far in front of me. Then horror popped into my mind as I saw a second huge turkey take off after the first. I was traveling at 70 miles per hour and knew I would be hit by it. It hit the mirror on my left fender and then crashed through my driver's windshield, landing in between the dashboard and steering wheel. The steering wheel was pushed down into my lap with the dead turkey laying there. I was covered with glass and had freezing air blowing in my face. I got the truck pulled over to the side of the road with my light flashers going. I got out of the truck, shook the glass off me and put my 3 reflective triangles out as they were to be put. I had satellite communication with dispatch in Olathe, Kansas so I sent a message of what had happened. All I got back was,”What are you doing hunting turkey? You are suppose to be driving your truck. I messaged him back with,”What? I need advise, not joking”.He sent me a return message that the truck maintenance would be getting in touch with me and to notify them where I was. After that message, a highway Patrol man stopped behind the truck and took a report. He told me that if the bird had been about a foot higher, It would probably have killed me. He gave me a permit to have the bird(later I would get a message from the local conservation agent saying the same). He them left. Maintenance than messaged me to stay were I was and that a fellow would be by to replace my windshield as I sat there on the interstate. Another highway patrolman stopped to check on me. I asked him to take a couple pictures of me holding the bird, which he did(See pictures above). He left and I decided to gut and de-feather the bird, which I did. I was not a hunter and found out that I had thrown away the “tom's” 18 inch beard when I threw out the head, wings, feathers and guts. I wrapped it in plastic store bags and put it in my cooler. Shortly after dark, the fellow came by to replace my windshield, He parked in front of the tractor. He vacuumed the glass up that he could see and then started on the windshield. He got done and I headed for Olathe, Kansas-on my way-to have our maintenance look at the windshield.
I got the load delivered and had to give the turkey away as I wouldn't have the ways or means to cook it.
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