The evening times., 1896-10-21
TURKEY SEASON OPENED
Local Sportsmen Are Preparing to
Hunt the Birds.
Noted Gunners of the Fea ath.ry Game.
The hest Localities for the
Sport.

The season for turkey killing is now in
| full blast, and fat gobblcrs are hiding from
| the shot and powder of the amateur sports
| man. This sport in enjoyed by many Wash
| ingtonians, who are making preparations
for their expeditions.
The season opened in Virginia, except in
a county or two east Of the Blue Ridge
october 10, and it opened proper in all
the counties west of the Blue Ridge, ex-
cept Rockingham, on September 20. The
season closes in Aprii
Among the prominent gunncrs of this City
who annually indulge in such sport as the
killing of wild turkeys are Capt. Il. c. West,
K W. Barker, James NJ. Green, Capt NJ. A.
. Tappan, Arthur S. Mattingly, Walter More
land, William WAGNER, Gabriel Ebinmon-
ston. There are also many others.
Capt. west, who is, perhaps, the most
experienced wild turkey huntsman around
Washington. talked Interestingly of his
adventures i'll this sport To a Times reporter
The CUSTOM began the captain. land
one which have always found TO be an cx-
ceedinsly well-founded one, is for q hunts
man who seeks 10 kill wild turkeys, to 10
by himself into particular wood. You
( can't go with "a crowd and expect TO kill
turkeys.
Another thing, my friend" said Capt.
West, "a man who's green at the business
rarely kills. and if such is the case he meets
with success by accidentonly. / have found
IN my forty years experience as a hunts
man OF wild turkeys that such turkeys are,
undoubtedly, the wariest bird of the forest
They keep their eyes open To see any
huntsman, and they listen TO hear YOU
footballs in the most cunning way. You
can't always see them, but they see YOU.
When they see you they're gone like a
flash
The rcquiSition for n successful hunts
man are these: He has to be exceedingly
cunning; constantly ON the watch; have a
good deal of patience; skill in calling;
must know the woods; must be sure under
all circumsta noes never to relax his yigf-
lance; must he exceedingly quick to see
and hear, and he must know, above all
things. the character and timber OF the
ground where he would find turkeys"
Most anyw here in Virginia, in the coun-
ties OF Fauquier and Fairfax: anyw here
about the Bull Run Mountains. all along the
Blue Ridge Mountains, are considered most
e excellent hunting places for the Wild
turkey.
There is always great dema nd for and
big supply OF Wild turkeys. and hunts
men say during theecoming season both
the supply aud the demand are going to
exceed last sea ~ II by good deal.
1t has been found very generally to be the
case that where there is beech woods or
what is comm only known as beech mast"
the best wild turkeys are to be found. The
turkpy in thcSp = faeI N th,. heafh re
and become very fat.
Wild turkeys feed on corn from the field
but while they are eating the corn naturally
they are frightened, expecting huntsmen,
and consequently do not profit much from
their .ood. The market is amply supplied
with them from the farmers, who bring
them to town and sell them.
Capt. West contemplates going out about
fifty miles from Washington on a hunting
adventure in a few days.
Il remember once" said Capt. West,
when myself and several comrades, dur
ing the '70's, we're out bunting wild
turkeys in the Indian Territory, 1 believe
it was among the Cboctaw Indians, when
a little incident occurred which, think,
is worth recalling. Ny comrade and l
were going through an open prairie into an
adjoining wood. We had just shot a
couple OF turkeys and were gloating over
our victory when we heard another hunts
man running through the woods. just then
a turkey jumped up and seemed to be fly
Ing over to some trees.
The huntsman shot the turkey, which
fell to the ground. We stopped and got
off to one side of a large bush when we
heard the huntsman running and of course,
he did not see us. We did not want to
interfere or scare the turkey worse that
it appeared. When the turkey fell to the
ground the huntsman ran to get it, but
before lie got to the turkey it raised up
and began to fly off. The huntsman hol-
Tered Hey! Heyl Hey there! We laughed
SO heartily until the huntsman heard us and
forgot to shoot again. i often 'guyed' that
gentleman when Imet him afterwards. The
fellow never did get his turkey"