Middletown transcript., 1898-11-19
!. A ROYAL SPORT.
WILD TURKEY SHOOTING AS IT USED
TO BE.


How Turkeys Are Trapped-Benja.
min Franlxlin's Idea of the Turkey.
The turkey, like Thanksgiving day,
with which he is inseparably associated
in the American mind. is, in the Ian
guage Of proud Yankee, lone of the
institootions. It had been domesticat-
ed and bred in the old world before the
pilgrim fathers landed on Plymouth
Rock. presumably by the Spaniards, who
captured specimens in Mexico and trans
ported them to Europe. In every part of
the American continent except the frig.
id regions of the extreme north the
earliest settlers found the turkey in its
wild state. The species of fowl which
was regarded as SO toothsome at the first
American Thanksgiving was the bird of
today in his unenlightened condition.
The pioneers of all parts of the Unit
ed States where there were extensive
tracts of forest found wild turkeys in
great abundance, and even in the days
when deer were plentiful no hunter
scorned this bird as unworthy of his
prowess. Wild turkey hunting was and
yet is royal sport wherever the bird
exists. He is considered noble game
and, like the deer and the buffalo, has
rapidly disappeared from many of his
former haunts before the march of civil
lization. He is now seldom found in his
native state except in the larger forests
of the great north and northwest, the
brush lands of Arkansas and the Indian
territory and the jungles of semitropical
Florida.
Within the memory of many sports
men turkey hunting was considered
great sport in southern Indiana and Illi-
nois, and the writer, who is Zone of the
trade" has brought down more than
one of the proud birds by the skillful
use of his fathers ancient, long barreled
rifle. The methods of taking the turkey
all require the exercise of ingenuity.
The bird is timid and regards man as
his natural enemy. It is and has been
since the turkeys of the country first
observed that man with gun pro-
duced great noise and much slaughter
among them impossible to get near
enough to render shot certain of re-
suits without approaching the game un.
der cover
When turkeys were plentiful in the
great wooded tracts Of the 0hio and the
Mississippi Valleys the hunters in the
daytime sought for their roosts, which
were easily found by means of the
faces. Then he concealed himself with
in easy range Of the place and awaited
sunset, when large flock would ap-
proach the place and one by one fly up
to the almost horizontal branches on
which the birds prefer to roost A shot
at that time would put an end to the
sport. The hunter must wait until the
last of the flock has mounted the perch
and the twilight has SO deepened that
he can but just fix by his vision the
muzzle sight of his rife in the little |
nick of the one nearer the breech If he |
remains out of sight, he may be able to |
secure two or even three birds ere the |
darkness puts an end to his sport Then |
he gathers up his game and goes home |
to return long before the cock crows,
for at break Of day his turkeys will |
leave that roost never to return. If he |
is careful, he may get two more Of the |
flock as a result of his early morning |
visit.
Then comes another ruse Of the hunt |
er, by the skillful exercise of which he |
may be able to inveigle two or three |
more Of the turkeys to their death. In
the wing Of each turkey is hollow
bone that can readily be transformed |
into a whistle, the note Of which, when
blown, very closely resembles
the call of turkey. Not far away and
well concealed lies the daylight MUIR
derer's accomplice. Assoon after their
fight from the perch as the turkeys dis
cover that all has become quiet and the
gobblers have mustered up little cour-
age, they begin calling for the purpose
Of collecting the remnant of the flock
to permanent departure
from the scene Of the massacre. The
second hunter softly answers with his
and the chances are great that
be will by often responding to the in
Iuiring cry lure the turkey within
range Of his gun. A sharp report, re-
peated over and again by the echoing
fiutter Of wings in death
struggle on the ground, and the forest
Is again wrapped in silence.
After an hour Of waiting the hunter
sounds his call, then listens for faint
'esponse. If none is heard, he ventures
lgain. A third effort is likely to elicit
IN answer unless the turkeys have be-
;ome SO terrified by the last shot that
" common impulse they have fled pre-
'ipitately alone or in very small groups
f they have hidden themselves in
Jumps Of bushes or the tops Of fallen
rees to which the withered foliage is
till clinging, the hunter may get an
ther shot. I
The third method is to entrap the
'irds. A strong pen Of logs.or rails Is [
rected in the wood, and a trench with
n easy descent beneath the foundation
iece is dug deep enough to admit the
argest turkey without crowding. In
he trench little corn is strewn, and
10 bukAOJ6 VAIN dAOA6 OobkA6 Va 4SOA- |
ng for something to eat as.they 60 un-
il all Of them are within the pen. /
hen they become alarmed and 60 tear
ng around the inclosure with their
eads erect and chirping as loudly AZ
hey can. -
They never lower their heads enough
) discover that it is as easy for sensi. {
le bird to get out as for foolish one .
J get in, and as the pen is securely GOV.
red the turkeys remain there until the
lever trapper comes and puts peremp-
Try end to their dire alright Benja-
lin Franklin once deplored the fact Q
nat the turkey had not been selected as !
ie bird Of freedom, but it is probably | J,
est that the Yankees did not make this .
ign headed, foolish creature the en-.
lem Of their liberty -JeTeler. II
= "A N aaaannn Il 8