1) Seen 'em in trees several times - funniest was last year when I saw 1/2 dozen or so on two different occasions in the trees of a rural cemetary in SE Colorado. Granted, that cemetary is in the corner of a cornfield, but it was still pretty funny. They would just fly back and forth between the all-but-bare ground and the pine trees. If I got close, some would actually try to hide behind the gravestones! Wish I'd got a pic, but I didn't.
2) Once I winged one in a river bottom. He took off running straight for the river. There was an inch of new snow, so it was easy to track him. He went into a hole in the bank, less than a foot above water level. I didn't know what to think, but couldn't see anywhere else he could have escaped, so I finally reached in and sure enough - felt tail feathers! He scratched me up pretty good, but I got him out.
3) A different river bottom (the Arkansas), I again winged one and he dropped in the river. I watched him swim to the other side, but it was too deep to cross, so I had to run up river a 1/4 mile or so to cross. I ran back down, figuring he'd be long gone, but when I got close, I saw something that looked like a snag, right next to the bank. When I got closer, it was a very bedraggled and 9/10's dead rooster. I felt pretty sorry for that one!
4) Same year, same river bottom - had my dog (Spencer) with me this time and was working in a small clearing, with a tree line between me and the nearest field. I heard some cackling and looked up to see three roosters headed right at me between a gap in the trees. I kept waiting for them to flare off, but they didn't - somehow they didn't see us. They came within 10 yards of me, maybe 5 from Spence, and flared for landing, cackling the whole time. Spence jumped after the lead bird, and of course then they all beat wings as fast as they could in 3 different directions. Spence's mouth was within a foot or so of that bird. I didn't even get a shot off, I was so shocked!
