The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-07-12
SPORTING SCENES AND ANECDOTES
~ THE wILps or TEXAS & NEW NENiCo,
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The Rdnlsmats and o'hsr Slypenfs
While speaking Of the rattlesnake among
the prairie doep may A. we'll add a few
words connected IN relation to his snakcship,
These venomoas creatures abound through
the plains Of Texas aud New Mexico. We
met them continually IN our path, and they
always eAxo us aoiioa rof their proximity hy
shaking their ratilcs, Onen did hear This
warning without discovering the enemy; and
on such occasions Il IA best 20 get out Of tho
way, The rattlesnakes never attack except
when provoked; and they arr rhsigy kiiied,-
4 blow with stick will disable them, when
they are readily despatched. Tho Young
men Of tho expedition were fond Of shooting
them with their pistols, but 80 much Smmr-
milton was wasted In this sport, If II may he
20 called, that It became necessary to issue m
order forlidding H. We had some experience
Of the effect Of the bite Of this snake.
As we were approaching the Conrho river,
ono Of our horscmen discovered a largo rat
tlesnake directly in our trail. Ito gave him
a shot from his six ,booter, which took effect.
cutting his body in two. He then attempted
10 ride over him, when tho snake raised hia
head and struck the horse on tho hind leg q.
bout foot shove the hoor Several saw the
effort Of the snake, and we stopped to SEQ
whether any injury hal boon done. We NJ
once discovered the marks whore the fings
entered, from which the blood WAS ooziGF.---
Within five minutes the horse, which WAS
ycry irc one, began To limp. Soon oilcrlis
| leg began to swell, so that he rould not walk
on IL, aud Il was with difficulty TINT he could
be led into camp, so great appeared to be bis
agony.
Within half an hour We reached our eamr,
and proceeded to alleviate the suhuribFu OF
the poor animal. A small air pump was mp
Piled first and some blood drawn from tho
wound-poulticeA were afterwards applied,
and tho horse was watched with care during
tho night, ~ he lay at length on the grass
In the morning his entire leg and thigh wero
much swollen; nevertheless, he was lod along
after the wagons, After few days the swell
ling subsidized, but he showed symptoms Of
sickness, which increased that VIC were at
tasr rompoilestto abandon hinf.
We saw many other snakes Of different
kinds, some of them OF the most brilliant col
ora, which were safely put away in alchoho'.
+There iS ono specics known as the chicken
.spNkel which At frat gave us much alarm
This snake we always found in tops OF trecs,
moving with as much rapidity from branch to
branch as squirrel. For this motion, his
form seemed admirably adapted by its great
length, which was from five to eight feet,
though his body was not larger than'that Of
other snakes OF half the length. The chick
en- snake, afterwards learned from Texans
in the party, is harmless. These men would
catch them by their tails and snap them like
a Whip--how they derived their name, /
know not This much is certain, that there
arc no chickens in the region whore we met
them II is possible, however, that in the
settled portions of Texas they may infcst tho
poultry yards.
The IYild Turkey.
Let me say word about the wild turkey,
in every respect q more interesting subject
than that of snakes, unless one happens to be
an adept in hcrpetology. What noble game
is this bird 1t is game as is game as Capt
Cutie would say, and no ono wUutd question
the assertion. However, there is doubt
whether thcCaptan ever traversed the plains
of Texas.
My first contact with the wild turkey was
in the wooded valley of small stream, where
rode in to water my mule. At this time u
flock ofat least thirty full grown turkeys roso
up within ten feet of me, making noise lik"
the roar of musketry. l was so much startled
at their sudden appearance that was thrown
of my guard, and before I had time to un-
strap my gun from the saddle, the whole flock
were beyond my reach | was more eau
tious afterwards, knowing where the haunts
of these birds were, aud hence was moro sue
ccrsinl in shooting them.
Ths usual hannAa af llle Wild turkey is in
the river bottoms, which, in Texas, abound
in the pecan tree, on the nut of which they
feed They are seldom found in Tire plains
unless there is wood near. The best way to
shoot them is to take stand in the wood near
q river toward sunset, when they como TO
roost The call of turkey is easily initiated
by an" experienced sportsman. This call or
whistle will attract any passing bird toward
YOU which, when perched on tree, perhaps
above your head, will call his or her brood
to the same spot.
As they alight one anor another, they may
bs shot down. without disturbing the rest Of
the ioeh. IN tais manner 3 sportsman @ay
shoot half dozen in the course of half an
hour. 1t is exciting sport to give them chase
,yhan ooa /. n horseback They will then
I! ran nr-niitns withoue taking wing, and
sportsman sometimes finds himsssf far on be-
fore bc Is aware Of the distance he has run
7 found myself in this predlbament several
timCs on foot, and deterrniaed neYerto give
chase to turkeys again unless moontod
At stream known. rs. Turkey crock, whero
oar party lay in camp day, VIC found ibe