Duck Dynasty star visits area, talks ag
FORREST – A star from the A&E original series Duck Dynasty is in the area this weekend to participate in a family hunting event near Forrest.
Tim Guraedy, best known to the show’s millions of fans as “Mountain Man,” will be at Rooster Heaven Hunt Club Saturday and Sunday (Mar. 11 & 12) from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for the open house style event.
Saturday is a duck hunt special and Sunday is a pheasant shoot special. Autographed pictures of your hunt will be available for purchase along with Mountain Man clothing. Some of the funds raised will benefit food pantries.
Guraedy’s connection to the Central Illinois hunting club started back in 2013 when he was doing a Shriner’s Hospital fundraiser in Chicago and met Rooster Heaven owner Patrick Harms who was also doing a Shriner’s fundraiser.
“He got me to come out there and that’s where it all started,” recalled Guraedy.
Guraedy has been impressed with his visits to rural Forrest.
“Everybody is really nice,” he said. “I know Patrick is out there trying to do stuff for people all the time.”
A big fan of farmers, Guaraedy grew up in Tennessee where many of his friends lived on farms.
“I usually helped them out with whatever they needed to do.”
This included fixing fences, vaccinating cattle and working in tobacco patches.
“Mountain Man” had a handful of Duck Dynasty moments which made him a favorite among the show’s fans prior to the series finale in 2017. He is known as the slow-talking radio host and air conditioning repair man who is the Robertson’s neighbor.
The Robertson family found success years ago by selling their popular duck calls. This is what the A&E show was based on.
