Coal City turkey hunter makes Grundy Co. history

NAME: Chadd Safarcyk.PERSONAL: Safarcyk, 28, lives in Coal City in Grundy County. Hegrew up in Morris with his parents, Ron and Carol, and brother, Luke,and graduated from high school there before going to Illinois Stateto study zoology.OUTDOOR FAME: At 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Safarcyk became the first personto harvest a turkey legally in Grundy County in nearly 100 years whenhe downed a 25 1/4-pound gobbler with 1 1/2-inch spurs and an 111/4-inch beard south of the Illinois River. This year was the firsttime he went turkey hunting. The first season for turkey in GrundyCounty had opened Monday.OUTDOOR OBSESSION: "I love hunting and fishing just about anyspecies.

"(My obsession) had been pheasant hunting. I don't know, itmight be turkey hunting now."OUTDOOR MEMORY: "Right at sunrise, we heard him gobbling."

Safarcyk and his hunting companion, Larry Henry, called thedominant gobbler and two other adult toms in from 200 yards awaybefore Safarcyk shot him at 25 yards with a 12-gauge, three-inchmagnum. They used a variety of diaphragm, slate and box calls.OUTDOOR PORTFOLIO: Safarcyk is the Site Interpretative Programcoordinator for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources at GooseLake Prairie State Park in Morris.OUTDOOR QUOTE: "I am a Department employee. It was a big goal ofmine to harvest the first turkey. It will be neat to tell mygrandkids that I shot the first turkey, legally, in Grundy County inclose to 100 years."