The Savannah morning news., 1900-12-31
WAYS OF 8IL6 TURKEYS.
HABITS on THE LARGEST or
AMERICAN cane nIRDS.
The Birds Vars Greatly in SIRE and
Other qualities, According SO G,..,-
graphical OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Ia
Their Likes aud uiSiikcs-prcnn
Nuts the Hest Food for Them.


From tae washnuston Poet
when tle l.ancl IA poas Frn Aga
p.da. ,outssor aud Historian % Cortoz.
returned To- spain from bates arst yislt to
MoSlco. hr wrote brief narrative OF
the marvellous Trims 'ori the wonders
ihst came to his notice during 1Ia meme
orab.c vi-it to thr Sew World He M-
lated upon tho abundance 90 Cine food
nsh in iho American waters aud srbk,
most nppr,oiluvcly OF Che vculsou aud
of "a variety of "wid cattle" tmauus
undoubtedly GOO hsom. "Whieh were hunt
~ tor food aud their l,sh b. very eooJ.
too. alds thc rooi fnarr "rhore b.
also a hiri, muca greater n blcncss tuan
a peacock that b. found wltb.a the Cor
eF'a and ycsas mc1dowl an over tht
country % surp1ssea as food any witt
bird We have found up 20 this time Tho
natives DO shoot these birds with arrows
1ud catch them ln various Kinds OF springs
ANA suares They are sometimes very
large. being as much a. thirty pounds .n
weight. They can ny. but prefer 10 nln.
which they can do with exceeding swift
mess"
This Is thc first Introduction Of tbc Will
lufk'N {" history era Aeip.da probably
1ai iu mind the wild turkey of Arizont
when 1e wrote 81 lt. w,iehug ne much az
thirty pounds. There b. wind turkey in
mat country which frequently reaches
mot welgnt ana tby writer once shot
one in iho MoEollou Mountains in Arizona
liai came nearer weighing forg pounds
thAn thirty. NV AuAchse,h helper and guide
declared he had seen villa turkeva Ia the
mountain range mentioned thar would
easily have weighed forty pounds ana
our party were an inclined to credit hit
statements. Certainly Arizona. S.=lfes
iiH nine foot ratilcrs. three inches thick
aua its wealth OF scorpion aud tarautuin
NE grows The largest game birds 81 core
tain kinds that are known to our contl-
ncnt
The range 30 tho Will turkey once 80
terded from Mexico 60 Arizona northynrd
as TAR nH the present state OF Michigan.
ana even into the province ~ Outnrlo.
Iurkeys were particularly abundant AMI
OF fine size ln Tennessee aud ksntucky
and the contiguous states hundred years
ago and are Ftih TO he found iu these
states ana also in parts OF Illinois. Indi-
ana ana ONTO IN tolanba profusion con
sidering how they have been hunted. in
white men, for the past hundred years
10 fact. L is the highest possible compii-
ment 20 the Wild turkeys inteliigence thar
% exists 40 an
ifd sou ever sit unseen AM watch "a
Hook - hundred Wild turkeys dcvastate
e. mouutainc.r's patch OF huckwhest or
oorn' Strategy equal 10 any exhibited hv
t~o-leggcd animals without feathers g. de
Nel1ped on an occasion Of this sort such
a raid 81 matter for much discussion
among the fathers. and more especially
the mothers, ~ the attacking party 4
skirmish Tine. made up u q dozen Oil
and wary hens. usually makes the nrst
reconnaissance. They approach the prem
iFes and iiy upon lhc fence with the
greatest etrcumspection. each holding a.
self ~ readiness TO run for its life. CRYING
quit, quit. az every jump. upon the
slightest occasion for alarm A turkey
much prefers running 10 flying. and there
is good reason for IL. II can run with
great Eviftnoss ana 20 long distances
without much fatigue but flying Is an un-
natural method ~ motion. ana II never
resorts TO lt save under the extreu.n
stress OF sudden emergencies. come occas.
ions requiring that 81 nut a. great dis
lance between itself ard the object OF ia
dread or It's enemy as possible
The extreme northern ana eastern hah-
iiat q the Wild turkey. IN the countr,'a
early history. has never been clearly de
fined. Wilson. one OF the earliest ana
most accurate honter uaturallgts think !
o ranged as far east as the western bor-
dera Of Connecucut. but be- gives no rea-
son FOR his faVh The early chronicles 81
/ New England 90. indeed, mention turkey.
/ but there is no proof that Il was the
/ wild bird. There were few. btg never
an abundance o. wild turkeys IN Western
/ New York. but they seem 60 have disap-
I peared about the beginning Of the Amer
/ lean Revolution.
I The wild turkey varies greatly in size
I and In other desirable qualities. accofd-
/ lng g. It's geographical distribution. Il o.
ne yer cold weather bird and q greatly
I dialikes a region Of continued frost tnl
I heavy SHOWS. iude@. after two or three
I cold winters. with deep snow accnfnpan-
imonts. the turkeys VIII forsako an 9th.
erwise congcnial region where they have
I lived and thrivcd. for many years. The
most intelligent suorismeu ana hunter
naturaliste Of Michigan and Wisconsin &C.
Z count FOR the abandonment Of those Sec
lions by the Wild turkey upon this theory
I and Il has a strong degree Of plausihility
Heavy SHOWS render n very dificult foi
these huge birds b obtain their food-
and they require o great deal 81 heat pro
duclng food This accounts for their par
uanty for Indian corn and the other ce
reals. and IN the South for OF nroiuein-
I nuts. such Ms those from the beech tree
but. above an the Ovid food with whlct
nature furnisNes ~. tho turkey most de-
lights IN the Voutborn pecan.
! Ia Louisiana and Texas. In particular
and Also along nearly all the river bot
toms Of Arkansas. Alabama and Missis
slppl with few in southern Missouri
thcre are great quantities. of pecan tree
I OF magnificent size. and bearing the tru
I papcr-aheii pecan. a nut one can cracl
\ between the thumb and finger. These nut
I attain q size and length scarcely 70 ~
I credited by those who have seen only IN
7 fhick-sheiled nU 81 she West that on
| needs a hammer 10 crack Two or tire
times / have seen groves Of these rOya
trees over 100 feet In hight. with the nut
I living two or three inches thick on tl'
ground under them after a high wind ha'
followed two or three Hight frosts. bu
not for long do they BE IN this luxuriau
profusiou. The deer seem % know wheI
ami where the pecan nuts are lying thick
I est and iiin beaPs are also pecan eaters
I The Wild turkeys then have their riches
feast. They can swallow the smaller pe
I cans whole, and the gizzard or some ofhe
part OF che stomach cracks the nut. Aftc
a feast 81 pecans. followed BY desser
OF The llitlo frost grape which grows a
! profusion ~ the fc{esls Of the states men
TONED aud becouSs sweet and palntahl
10 beast. bird aud man after the fra
frost. the great Eobblors malesticaily ans
/ with some labor rs up into she branchc
/ OF a big tree where. 70 Or 50 feet from
the ground. they can peacefully sleel
I ,xfthout fear or their great enemy man