The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-11-21

Pacific Slope EOpihg Them On the
PraiTass--w'hst Indians Can the wild
Bird-Torksy Gala
The wild turkey, nightiegt uDost
beautifUl and vsriegt IF our feathered
game, is not, like the quail, bird Of
civilization. In all If the northern and
eastern states that were once his home
he il becoming scarcer and mere scarce
de must have vast stretches ii prinevaI
woods for his habitat When the trees
are felled, he dies OF goes away. Beaten
back, as the Indian was beaten back.
b. the advancing waves Of white men.
he has retreated farther and farther 10
the south Of west. lie is still plentiful
IL some portions Of the Pacific slope.
but much Of that land is too bare to suit
him. The turkey is not averse to noun
tains, but prefers the plains l believe
that Of all parts Of America where he
may still be found in moderate numbers
he is more common in the Rio Grande
region. Even there he is being hunted
too much and countless focks have been
driven across the river into the wilder
parts of Mexico.
Standing once with three COMPANIONS
near the bank of little creek fringed
with willows that wound its tortuous
way through the tablelands of Nueces
county, Tex, saw by the light of the
fast sinking sun vast throng of ami
mails mile away upon the open prai-
RE. They were coming slowly toward
me, and thought they were sheep. In
little while we saw that they were
wild turkeys. There could not have
been less than 500 of them, and they
y ere making for their roost in the will
lows. They struck the creek half mile
above the place where we were perdu,
and we could hear the mighty rush of
wings as they flew up to the branches.
visited the roost before daylight the
next morning. When it grew light
enough to show the birds like large
black balls between us and the sky, we
opened fire. The thunderous throbbing
roar that followed as the birds took
wing was like nothing 1 had heard be-
fore or since. Deafening is poor adjec-
tive to apply to it. 1t was appalling.
We got only three of them, which was
as many as we wanted A man, howev-
er, could have taken an airgun and
killed dozens.
In Live Oak county, which borders
Nueces county, it is still possible for
three men to kill a wagon load of tur-
keys in two days. The country is partly
timbered and has been favorite with
the birds since the first Indian stepped
on it. 1t is the custom in Live Oak
county to rope them for sport. This is
done, of course, only on the prairie. A
man needs small lariat and fast DO
ny. 1t is characteristic of the turkey
that he can rise for flight when hard
pressed only three times in succession.
His first fight will take him probably
a quarter of mile, and when he hits
the ground the pony and rider will be
not more than $50 yards behind him, if
so far. The next time he will fly not
more than 100 yards, and the next not
more than 40. He makes two or three
spasmodic hops after that, but is barely
able to rise from the earth, and then
trusts to his legs.
Southern negroes shoot wild turkeys
from V shaped blinds. The point of the
V is toward a trench dug 20 yards
away, and in this trench parched corn
has been scattered. A trail of corn leads
up to it. When the flock finds it, the
heads of the birds become interlaoed in
their greed, and single shot sometimes
results in the death of dozen of them.
This is not tolerated in Texas. There no
man is considered a sportsman who
shoots a turkey with anything other
than rifle. The log trap is another
method Of capture. Singularly enough,
no member of the gallinaceous family,
except the tame chicken, will look down
IN an attempt to escape from an inclo-
sure The turkeys are "tolled" inside
Of the pen by means Of corn. They enter
through passageway cut in the ground
under the bottom log. Finding them
selves imprisoned, they rush madly
round and round until exhausted, look
ing always for an opening at the top.
Indians call the wild turkey the "wit
Of the woods 1t is the most difficult
Of game to approach. The most scien-
life method of killing it is by "call-
ing Initiating its cry. This is most
efficacious in the spring, when the COB
piers call to the hens necessarily in the
Early morning and at intervals all
through the day. The sound may be
either love note or challenge to a
male. In either case if we'll done by the |
lunter it will prove effective in bring
ng the bird near to its hidden foe. The
'est turkey call is made of the wing
'one Sometimes it consists only Of a
tit of slate and smoothed twig. The |
wig when drawn across the slate gives |
! wonderful imitation of the birds |
'cheep." To call successfully requires
ong practice. Some men become SO ex-
'ert that they need only broaf leaf
leld between the thumbs and applied
o the lips The challenge call" is
made in this way.
The ability Of the birds to discover