Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-06-18
A Hunters Parrot.

A CORRESPONDENT of the Little Rock
Ark Gazette sends that paper the follow
ing account of a common pOlI-parrot,
which, it is claimed, has not only been
trained to hunt but which has learned to
take a great delight in the chase. The
owner and trainer of this hunting parrot
is a boatman who formerly piled between
Little Rock and New Orleans, but who
some years since gave up the business of
boating and has since led the life Of
hunter living in snug cabin at the juno
ton of Big Mammelle Creek with the
Arkansas. River. This hermit hunter,
whose name is Nathan Lask, brought
him from New Orleans Onmaking his last
trip to that city fine young parrot, to
which he soon became more attached than
any other thing on earth. Seated upon
his shoulders the parrot attended him in
all his walks. To train the bird and talk
to it was almost his sole occupation.
With the careful training of so loving a
master, added to its great natural talent
for initiating all manner of cries Of birds
and animals, this bird had become a mar
vel Of cunning and great wonder in its
way. Taken into the hills bordering Big
Mammelle Greek, and the signal being
given at intervals, it utters the cry OF the
turkey so perfectly as to deceive the old
est and most astute gobbler that ever
strutted. On being answered by a COB
bier, the parrot proceeds to lure him to
death in the most f1endishly-coquettish
manner imaginable. Seated on his
masters shoulder, charity and coylY the
parrot replies. Once he has fully attracted
the attention of the vain and anxious
gobbler, after allowing him to call in a
fretful tone twice or thrice before deign-
ing to answer, he then, in a few low and
tender notes, lures the proud bird Of the
forest within range of the hunters deadly
rifle. Seeing the turkey struggling in the
agOnies of death fills the parrot with the
most fendish delight, to which he gives
utterance in a succession Of blOod-chilling
ha, has" in all manner Of diabOlical
tones and keys Should the hunter miss
his aim, however, the parrot ruff1es his
feathers, croaks and scolds, pulls his
masters hair, and long refuses to be paci-
fed. Duck-hunting in Forche and Meto
Bayous is, however, the parrots chief de
| light Seated in The bow Of his masters
boat, snugly ensconced in patch OF tall
| bulrushes, the parrot bursts forth into
such "quack, quacking," and general
duck gable that there seems to be in the
vicinity whole flock Of these birds, all
| enjoying themselves immensely. Thus
are many passing flOcks of ducks lured
within range of the gun Of the hunter.
Geese are in the same way called up by this
wonderful parrot; also many other wild
| fowls, and even deer, as the bird initiates
| the plaintive bleating of fawn or doe to
nicely. No money would buy the bird,
and Nat Lask, seen strolling through the
woods, gun in hand, and with his almost
| inseparable companion seated on his LETT
| shoulder, seems second Robinson Cru
| soc. Although so perfect by his lm1ta
| tons of all manner Of birds and animals,
! the parrot is not great talker; indeed,
his vocabulary is limited to few words
and one or two short phrases. He Will
| sometimes sing out, "Nat, you lubber, !"
! and when Dan flanagan "a brother boat
man of Mats living at the head OF Bayou
Forche, and almost his only visltor), IN
| his dug-out, is seen padding in toward
| the mouth Of Big Mammelle Creek, the
parrot-whose name, we forgot to say, is
! Bobby-wilI shout, flanagan, ahOy!
flanagan, a-a-hoyp The moment Bobby
| sees his master take down his gun he is IN
a great futter. He cocks his head on one
side, his great red eyes sparkling with
delight, and in a low, inquiring tone says
Turkey? turkey?" "No, Bobby" Nat
will perhaps say, mot turkey today,
Bobby cocks his head the other way, and
softly says, "Quack, qqack, quack?;"
| quack!' Bobby then bursts into loud
cha, ha, hal" and cries, "Nat, you lub-
Der, quack, quack, quack!" Then he ha
has till the whole cabin rings again.