Chicken Man

By Wendy Sigmund

It started with a call to check on a dog named Koa.  Up behind the golf course a friend asked Chucke Walkden if he would look for his dog Koa.  Chucke had returned from evacuation to his home near downtown Boulder Creek in order to help others where he could.  The gas station was his spot. The trucks and engines from all around the county, then state, then the country needed gas to be able to fight the fire.  Everyone had a job to do, and Chucke’s job had just begun.  

While looking for Koa he ventured onto Rasta Tony’s property, a neighbor.  While there he heard a peculiar sound.  As he looked around a frazzled chicken stuck out her head and began to cluck what must have been the tragic recap of the last week’s events, filled with fiery nights and blazing hot days with no food or water.  The chicken clucked its tale, as Chucke gave the creature food and water.  It would later be remembered as the start of an amazing journey and a new friend.

While all of Boulder Creek residents were evacuated, Chucke’s roll began and he became known as Chicken Man.  As residents learned of his presence in Boulder Creek they reached out to his wife Willie.  This amazing couple ended up servicing 75-100 homes in Boulder Creek.  Willie was evacuated but kept in constant contact with her husband.  Via social media, people began messaging her with their names and addresses.  She would confirm with them that it was ok for Chucke to enter their property then add their names and addresses with a brief description of their animals, to THE LIST.  

Chucke would set out every day with his list.  He found lots of chickens, ducks, koi ponds, some dogs and as fate would have it, humans.  That is another story for the next issue.  Chucke even found a couple charred squirrels looking dehydrated and confused.  He cut open a water bottle and left it in the same spot for them on his daily route.

As CalFire would check buildings they would find chickens in cages and would open the cages to give the chickens a fighting chance. But even with this slightly better chance of survival, they still needed food and water.  If time allowed CalFire would add water to their bowls and as much food as they could find but that would never be enough.  After all they were there to fight the fire.

Chucke, an avid animal lover, took it from there.  In some cases the CalFire fighters would suggest where there might be some chickens in need of help.  They of course would never send a civilian into an evacuated area.  But Chucke taking the subtle clue would add those feathered friends to his list.

The list grew, 10, 20 50 and it kept growing.  Kevin Foster would deliver chicken and cat food to Chucke.   Sometimes Chucke would venture out into the world and collect supplies.  No one was allowed to come and go into the evacuated area without credentials  Fortunately for the animals Chucke was credentialed.  He is a member of the Santa Cruz Mountain Bulletin staff as a photojournalist and had a press pass.  

That is not all Chucke did.  As he was on his route he would often find hot spots.  He carried enough water to address little areas and notify the fire department of bigger ones.  He raked and tended to the areas, keeping it safe.

“It was just a small piece of the puzzle I could do while others did their jobs” Chucke told me several times through the evacuation.   Chucke would not only bring food and water to 1200-1500 animals he would also sometimes be able to add water to dying gardens.  In exchange he might have taken a few tomatoes and strawberries but that seems like a fair trade.

Toward the end Chucke received some help.  The McHone boys Josh and Andy helped Chucke.  They took up the business of tending to the animals right alongside Chicken Man.  I guess they are now The Chicken Brothers.  I’m not sure if they would like that but I am sure Chucke would.

They have not yet found Koa, however while he was up there looking with his friend who had lost his house as well as his dog, they did find the man’s cat.  She was tattered, charred and her feet were burned and blistered with maggots doing their job to clean her feet.  A very happy ending to the story as she went to see the vet and will be fine.  She will also have some amazing stories of the Chicken Man to tell her kitty friends.  

So many of you were on THE LIST.  Chucke wanted you to come home to living animals for a happy reunion.  Many of you have seen Chucke around town, his long blond hair makes him look like the local town viking.  Many of us owe this viking a debt of gratitude.  If you see him around the gas station or town, pulling the hayride at the harvest festival or delivering candy with his wife Willie from his Mule on Halloween do not hesitate to say, “Hello Chicken Man” and of course “thank you”!