Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-28
written for The Dispatch.)


Of the turkey mean perfect delight, are
upon us-it seems TO me the time to tell
OF turkey hunting IN Eastern Virginia.
II is November-the Code" tells me
may mount my horse, call my dog and
five into the red and yellow forest. build
NY blind and bag perhaps a red-combed
sobber which will give me dinner fit
lor king.
For this sport a trained turkey dog is
indispensable and for years my red set
ter, George swept field and woodland
and rounded up flock after flock with
beautiful grace and precision
The wild turkey, unlike his tame rela
Tive is knowing bird-to stalk it is we'll
nigh impossible, His sight is keen and
his smell and hearing wonderful He is
on the alert at all times and to circum.
vent him and set in good work the hunts
man must be thoroughly acquainted with
his habits and instincts.
The game laws in Virginia prevent
hunting or shooting the wild turkey ex-
ccpt at specified periods-the law is not
Uniform all over the State. In Gloucester
county. where my hunting has been done.
the shooting season is from the 18th of
october TO the 18th Of January. The pen
atty for an infraction Of the law is a fine
OF twenty dollars-one half to the infor-
mer, and Imprisonment until the fine is
paid. In this connection L must tell OF a
talk with old John Cary. free negro
At the before the war" general mus
tiers, John was the "ffer" in the Militia
Battalion. BE lived two or three miles
from the courthouse and was there all
Wednesdays and Saturdays and court
days. John was a noted pot hunter"
and would sit perfectly still behind a
stump for hours with the hope that q
flock of turkeys would appear and he got
shot He knew the habits and ranges
OF these BIRDS was often successful and
would march into the courthouse vii
iage with bronze beauty on his back,
which he would sell to the tavern keeper.
One day l saw John and knew by his
manner that he had something to tell.
'Marse Colonel" he began, las come
through the lanyard woods this morn
ing seen that old gobbler-I knows you
know him. He done growed some sence
you seen him. l know he weigh thirty
pounds now, eff he weigh ounce. Well,
sir i come right up on him and he walk
off just as unconsarncd AS If / warnt
man. He know I didn't have no gun well
as anybody. Eff 1 had had my gun /
could killed him easy as eat
But, john" / said, you know you
can't shoot turkeys this time Of year; it
is against the law"
1T mout be 'gainst the law. Marse
Colonel, but I tell you eff I had had my
gun 1 would a shot that gobbler eff he
had a law book in he mouf'
There are two ways of hunting turkeys.
One is to find out where turkeys range.
pick out a convenient spot and bait it
with corn. When the corn is eaten up
several times the hunter will build a
blind as nearly like the foliage of the
surrounding underhrush as possible. in
which to conceal himself. A trench is
then dug at q convenient distance from
the Blind and corn drilled along at the
bottom Of it for eight or ten feet or
more.
Then he sprinkles a few grains around
TO attract the attention Of the game, in
case they do not pass directly over the
spot when the flock comes. They soon
find the corn in the trench and standing
along on each side they put their heads
down and eat. This is the hunters time
10 shoot and l have heard OF an old gen.
tleman twho made a habit of hunting the
birds after this fashion, having killed as
many as eleven at one discharge. This
is simply murder and condemned by all
lovers OF sport.
The other method Of hunting turkeys is
thoroughly sportsmanlil5e. The hunter
mounts his horse, some bright bracing
day in the autumn, and, calling his dog
either a setter or pointer off he goes
through the woods.
He should know before he starts the
range Of the turkeys he wishes to find.
For these birds range over the wood for
miles and miles following generally the
same track, going and coming. It is not
likely that they Will be In the exact piece
of woods on two consecutive days. The
dog trained for turkeys will range through
the forest as he ranges the fields for
quail. When he strikes scent he give
the same signs as he does for quail, ex-
!, ,r-I,n g 3,,~N L.
instead Of becoming slower and more
careful, becomes excited and rapid.
AT the start he roans at will and pres
entity he will give tongue and / know he
sights the game. Not pausing moment
he dashes at fun speed through the flock
every direction.
Now is the first chance, for when the
dog dashes in he is almost certain to
send some OF the birds back to you, gen.
orally flying either by or over your head.
I have killed many at the flush. The dog,
If we'll trained, will sweep around until
every turkey has flown away
They usually fly 500 or 400 yards and
slight on the tops Of trees-invariably
oine-if there are any, because the thick
foliage of the pine serves to conceal
lhem.
good rule for the turkey hunter to
follow. unless his horse is perfectly
steady and will stand fire. is to disrnount.
as he can deliver his fire much more
effectively from the ground.
The birds having flown the well-trained
bog returns to you. The horses are taken
back to point sufficiently far from the
place where the game has been flushed
for II the turkeys see a horse when they
are answering the cali they will fly
off az once.
Now we choose a spot as near as posi-
bic from that which the game has
been flushed, and then build a ..hlind" or
blinds Gf more than one hunter is
aiong) in which to hide. Care should be
taken in the construction of this blind,
for it must look much uossible
like the surrounding underbrush.
The hunter creeps into it through an
aperture left for his entrance, and hav
ing carefully closed this up he sits and
waits for about thirty minutes.
BY this time the birds have recovered
from the fright of the flush and are ready
TO answer the call.
What is a CALI" the novice asks
The call" is generally the small bone
taken from the thigh of turkey, which,
when thoroughly scraped is fixed into a
reed the length Of the bone. and eX-
pert caller upon this rude instrument
can initiate every note of the turkey with
an accuracy which is simply marvellous.
Other calls" are, however, used with
great succesS