The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-05
HUNTING THE WILD TURKEY
rHB woods SPORT THAI REQUIRES
THE HIGHEST Skill.

Three weaknesses of which the Pot Hunter
Takes Advantage and Other Qualities
that Test the sportsfnAn's Art-The Ac
oounplishment of Calling the wild Turkey
MrNprN. La. March 2.-0n misty mornings
whom the dew trickles heavily down the boards
Of the Spanlsh moss, when a lazy breeze swayt
the damp upper leaves OF the trees and drowsy
day spins threads OF dun and ashen gray In the
loom OF the east. the love call OF the turkey
echoes through the woods. The notes-at once
aohallenEe and n ,wooing-are sweeter to the
ear Of the hunter than the "Gobbie Duet" in
ia Nascotte." At all seasons OF the year the
turkey may be led with parched corn into IA
pigpsn trap or butohered at his roost as he
hIss in OF nights or perches like a black ball
against the sky before the moon has set. IT Is
only in the sprinGtime that his warrior instinct
II awake and he may be slain as he answers
the defiance Of a supposed rivnl. Calling n
turkey cock in March is the same thing as
hornine . bull moose In October. In both in
stances the male advances to do battle.
In the case Of the greatest Of American wild
fowls IL is. as developed by more than two GEN.
turtles Of practice In this part OF the country.
probably the most scientific Of woods sports.
Only an expert can hope for success. and often
through some temporary. undiscovered fault
OF information or repetition or pitch he goes
home turkeyless. His antagonist in the duel
% Iuy0ulkouCol IL III ohAc " N"V
American animal kingdom. A thousand years
ago the Indian had a name for him which.
translated, means wit OF the woods" It is de-
served. People who undervalue the turkeys
mental equipment or do not understand his
peculinrities kill him in March from his roost.
This roost they locate by his bold
and sonorous gobbling Just before the break
Of day. they sneak noiselessly under the tree.
winning their way to It through the dark by
patient stopping. listening and advancing MS
the call continues. The turkey is shot. gener-
ally with a large-bore gun. as soon as he can be
brought between the slayer and the sky. Even
IA the gross darkness, II the assailant Is incau-
tious, steps on a twig. stumbles. sneeZes or
coughs, the turkey Is away. He will flush In
the night. not 90 promptly. but as surely. as In
the daytime. This form OF slaughterh has nothing
to recommend It to . sportsman. 1t means
meat from first to last and only meat. 1t Is on
o parity with the ordinary negro method Of
butchering the kingly bird.
This method. like most other deadly things.
b simplicity itself. The hunter. finding a part
Of the woods In which a flock is using. digs
shallow trench eight feet long and two feet
wide. The bottom OF this trench he covers
with old leaves and then strews IL tbickly with
parched Indian corn. of which the turkey Is
foolishly fond. He drops the corn. also, a grain
here, another there. at intervals OF two feet.
making many trails OF It. These trails all lead
to the trench. The turkey. finding one grain.
finds another and another. until finally he
reaches the trench, where he finds plenty and
death. This is called tollng. Thirty yards
from one end Of the trench the hunter con-
structa a v-shaped blind. He makes it Of
SWigs and dead limbs. The sides OF It are
four feet high. it is impervious to sight
and its pointed end is toward the trench. He
does not enter it until the flock whose destruc-
ton he contemplates has found the trench
moro than once. eaten its grain contents and
gone away unframed. When he has decided
that he 10 ready to butcher. he crouches In the
blind and waits. He is cramped and dare not
move q finger. but he hangs on. He may remain
In this position an hour. or he may occupy his
blind for a week. His patience is certain to be
rewarded. Sooner or later the flock returns.
when their heads are all in the trench. peck
Ag at the corn. and their necks make q roof
FOR It from end to end. is the moment the hun
ter chooses to turn loose both barrels OF a
t~en-gauge shotgun. loaded with four and a
half drains of powder and an ounce and a half
OF No. 2 shot in each barrel. Then the turkeys
hop around. victims of misplaced confidence.
In this way fifteen hens and gobblers have been
killed at one discharge.
The trap. or turkey pen. as IL is termed here,
10 q device that also is used only by negroes.
It is built on the principle that no member Of
the gallinaceous family. turkey. quail, prairie
chicken, grouse or domestic chicken. for that
matter. will look down in seeking a means OF
escape. Once Imprisoned. the birds travel
around and around with their heads in the air.
until their captor comes or exhaustion inter-
venes. The trap Is made Of rough logs and Is
rooted with heavy branches. 1t is ten feet
square by four high. Under the lower log upon
one side a passageway is dug. large enough to
admit a fTrtnu In n nrnnnhinD nnoitinn
On the inside this passageway extends
for three feet. but Is boarded over close
MP to the inner surface of the bottom
log and the boards have dirt packed over them.
The turkey that again has been betrayed to
ruin by parched corn energies on the inside.
eats until his crop sticks out like q sore thumb
and then thinks OF retreating. His method Of
doing 30 Is to get close to the walls Of the trap
and walk round and round brushing 1t with
his wings and looking for a crack through
which he may squeeze. He does not get a foot
AWAY from the wall and he never secs the hole
through which he came In. The negro who
ensnares . half dozen turkeys in this way re-
CARDS himself as the largest parsonage in
Louisiana. and o white man cannot convince
him of his error with a club. though he often
tries to do 80.
Tho turkeys betrayal OF his roost by COB
bling. his passion for parohed corn and his
constitutional and congenital inability to find
his way out of a hole are his only weaknesses.
All the rest Of him is cold intellect. His sense
Of hearing is phenomenal. His power OF scent
equals that OF the rhinoceros. He 10 exceed
inRly swift Of foot. He will. when necessary.
lie with his belly to the ground like q quail.
while his pursuer passes within five feet. So
hidden. the turkey is difficult to distinguish
from surrounding dark green. grayish and
russell foliage. He Is ever alert. He has the
reasoning faculty in a state OF high develop
mont. He Is strong OF winR-a healthy turkey
has been known to fly two miles straight on
end-and his caution is abnormal. These
qualities are necessary to him and only their
possession has prevented his extinction. The
reward OF tho turkey hunter is 30 great, when
successful he is 80 much OF a mark for the
envy OF his fellows. the pursuit unites so
many OF the best things In craftsmanship
open air. contact with busy woodland life.
skill. patience. endurance. ability to enjoy
privation. knowledge OF the games habits.
capabilities and limitations. accuracy and self