The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-21
1Aslrs OF WILD TURKEYS.
Pra.f icai Hints to Hunters About the
"Wit of the Woods"

"Wit of the Woods"
Indians call the wild turkey the wit q
| che woods IL is the most difficult al
game 10 approach. The most scientific
method OF killing it is by calling-imitat.
ing its cry. This Is most efiicacious in thC
spring, when the gobblers call to the hens
necessarily in the early morning and at
intervals all through the day The sound
may be either love note or a challenge 10
a male. In either case, if well done by
the hunter, it will prove effective in bring
ing the bird near its hidden foe.
The best turkey call is made Of the wing
bone. Sometimes il consists only of Bit
Of slate and smoothcd twig The twig
when drawn across the slate gives a won
derful imitation of the birds "cheep. "
To call successfully requires long practice.
Some men become so expert that they need
only broad leaf held between the thumbs
and applied TO the lips. The challenge
CALI is made in this way
The gobbler tries hard TO prevent the
hen nesting He wants all of her time and
attention. He must have an audience for
his strutting After many attempts to
escape and more than one beating she will
suddenly go violently lame, with "a broken
wing and queer leg. This is favorite
trick OF gallinaceous females. The quail
does it often to lure marauders from her
young. The gobbler has 10 use at all for
lame wife. After prancing around her
for "a little while and sayagely striking her
with his wing he hies himself away into
deepest woods, heart whole and happy.
His patient spouse then makes her nest
in peace Her foes are active, and she
needs all of beI wonderful power of secre-
tivcncss. Crows and snakes are fond of
her eggs. The crow, if he discovers the
nest, will wait until the mother vacates it
in search of water and food and then carry
away the eggs one at IA time. While nest
ing the hens many times fall victims to
foxes, wild cats, leopard cats, lynxes or
coyotes
The brood when Matched must be guard
ed first of all from the parent gobbler If
he finds it, nc will decapitate the chicks
one after another with his strong beak
This is jealousy. Caught in an open space
by a lowering hawk the chicks, at the
sound of peculiar cluck, will stretch
themselves upon the ground as If dead,
while the mother fees TO the underground
The hawk will not eat flesh that he thinks
Is carrion. At a signal from the hidden
mother the little ones rise and scamper TO
her. The hawk is then out Of sight.
Some OF the things wild turkey does
smack of the reasoning faculty For in
stance, hen will never tread upon the
same ground in approaching her nest. She
Tears to make "a path. The ability of the
birds to discover danger can hardly be due
wholly to sight, phenomenal as it is Pos
sibly they have sixth sense. A turkey
Will detect the movement of finger 100
yards away Perfect stiffness is the hunt
ers only chance. Some of them declare
that they are afraid to wink one eyelash
AS a table bird the wild turkey is much
superior to its domesticated brother, espe-
cially when baked in the ground and
steamed all night in its own royal juices
Chicago Times-Herald