Morning journal and courier., 1882-06-02
Hunting Wild Turkeys.
Correspondence New York Sun

There are few localities in the eastern
States where the wild turkey continues to
make its haunts, although it was once com
mon game from the Schuylkill to the Alleghe-
ny river and in the tier of northern Penn
sylvania counties. The wild and desolate
ridges of the Blue mountains which hem in
the southern portion of Schuylkil county,
still afford such feeding and breeding places
as wild turkeys coyet, and the birds are
found there in large number5- The region
is sparsely populated, the inhabitants, being
rude and rugged woodmen, and their fami-
lies, many of them descendants of the old
Pennsylvania Dutch stock, are all honest and
hospitable. Among them are scores of men
who have become famous as wild turkey
hunters. and who make their homes and cab
ms in the mountain wilds The fall and early
winter months are the favorite turkey hunt
ing seasons and it is one of the rLre pas
times of the region to visit in parties tbs
cabins of the hunters and have a turkey
eat None of the mountain sportsmen can
ever be found without fat and well-frozen
wild turkey hanging in his cellar, as they
call the cave excavated from the side hill or
the rude stone Enclosure near the cabin The
best of cider, liberal supply of ''pean hoss'
and head cheese, and sweet rye bread and
butter always keep company with the turkey
in the cellar Pam boss" is strictly Penn
sylyania Dutch dehcacy, and is made of buck
wheat -four thickened with the rich juices that
are the result of boiling the ingredients for
head-cheese The compound is pressed until
cold when it is ready for eating, cut IN thin
slices The cabins are built of logs, the
chinks of which are filed with coarse mortar
made from the soil. and which becomes very
hard when dry. A huge stone chimney oc-
cupies one end of the cabin, on the outside
Banks of earth and hemlock or pine branches
are heaped around the outside. and some
times ranks of cord wood are piled up almost
a. 70 Eaara
cold There is only one room, and des-
cription of one of these backwoods interiors
answers for all. The fire place is the inside
of the stone chimney. Here and there on
the floor bear and deer skins may be seen with
two or three dogs doing on them IN the
| light and warmth of the pine knot fire which
eliminates the whole room The walls are
dry and smoky, and guns and traps of the
sportsman occupy pegs and shelves. On the
arrival of visitors to enjoy turkey eat the
host at once places turkey-vhich is always
| in readiness-on q spit over ire of hickory
logs in the fire place and attends to it careful
| ly while his guests enjoy the cider that ap-
pears before they are yet comfortably settled
| in the room The turkey ready for the table,
the hunter places it crisp and saEory on
lGrge tin platter, and the guests carve for
themself such bits as they prefer. II Is eaten
| from tin plates, or sometimes from large
| birch chips.
The mode of hunting wild turkeys adopted
| by these Blue mountain hunters Is to corn"
| a suitable part of the woods frequented by
/ the birds-generalIy in old clearings. Corn
| ing is simply the scattering of corn on the
| ground and making choice feeding places,
| that the turkeys, which fly in focks, are not
| long in discovering When hunter dis
| covers the presence of flock IN his field
| he corns it, and generally feels certain that
| in time he viii have every one of the turkeys
bagged When the clearing IS scattered with
| corn the hunter takes position in It from
| which he has view of the feeding place,
but where he cannot be seen by the birds.
The turkeys drop into the clearing with q
great fiutter and much gobblIng by the males.
/ The hunter picks out the bird he wishes to
secure on the ground, and another at which
he will shoot when they rise. he shoots the
| one on the ground and the other in the air.
! Large shot ia used, and heavy charges OF
/ powder, as the feathers of the game are very
close, and the skin tough. skillful hunter
rarely fails to bring down his two birds, but
| a novice usually sees both take wing without
any apparent damage from his charges
is almost useless to try to get shot at feel
of turkeys by flushing them, as their hearing
| and sight are extremely acute, and Hook
always gets up and removes itself from harms
way long before the hunter is within gun
shot But while SO willy in that respect they
lack all semblance of shrewdness in visiting
a flock is. it will continue being redneed IN
numbers by regularly visiting the place II
the morning where it was shot at the evening
before, and in the evening after having beer
shot into in the morning This is kept up unit
only one bird comes to feed where all of hi
companions were killed. Sometimes, when
pair of turkeys remain, the two viii JON
another flock and accompany il to the feed
ing place it has selected. There are many
pot hunters among the Blue-mountsin people
who trap, snare and net the turkeys, and thu
legitimate sportsmen destroy scores of thei
traps and nets every season. Hawks ant
foxes destroy many turkeys. The hawks ar
of immense sizes, some that have been hllet
measuring six feet from tip to tip WIKI
turkeys weigh from to 20 pounds, and lHrg
numbers are sent from the Blue mountain
region to the New York and Philadelphia
markets. Sportsmen from the cities visi
the region every season and 81 end weeks a
the cabins of the local hunters, whe serve a
guides to the hunting grounds. The shoot
ing has not been as good this season as for
merly, and in few years more the Wild tui
! key will, no doubt, be extinct in Pennsyl
yania.