The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-03-14
WILD TURKEYS IN A RoOsr.

Except in the very far South the
wild turkeys have not yet begun their
spring gobbling They are hunted
by calling them and often in their
roosts.
Finding turkey roost is difficult
matter, but once it is found some
sport is certain. Generally it is loca-
ted by sign under the trees, the hunter
happening to stumble upon it, or by
their tracks converging to one point.
Sometimes in the dry districts, too. it
is placed by the hunter following one
of the small streams, for in such a
district the roost is certain to be on a
stream.
Turkey roosts vary in size, but it is
seldom that less than twenty birds
form one, and often the number will
run to three or four hundred. They
will use the same roost until they are
1s=t~--b~I, e~..d -el.>-4.~ ~<l--,-----a-.----..--
other one.
The turkey, however, distant from
roost, starts toward it so as 70 ar
rive between sunset and dark, and it
times its speed very accurately. The
man who has found the roost goes to
it when the sun is half an hour high
and disposes himself so that he may
see and not be seen. He will place
himself so that he may command a
good view of the roost and be within
easy shooting distance.
There is never any telling how
turkeys will come to roost. They
come on foot silently and the first
intimation the man has of their pres
ence is when they fly up, or they take
wing half mile away and come flap
ping noisily, alighting on swaying
branch awkwardly and teetering
backward and forward until they get
their balance and the limb stills.
The man, if he has shot turkeys in
this manner before, will let the first
comers alone. Once having settled
they are certain to stay until driven
away and he will not lose any ything
by waiting.
The earlier arrivals will be on their
perches when the sinking sun is still
reddening the tops of the trees the
others will all be in before black dark,
so that there is plenty Of light. A
turkey tree in the early twilight is a
remarkable spectacle.
The big birds are on it from the
upper limbs to limbs within eight
feet of the ground. They will not
come lower for fear of predatory night
animals. The only thing which can
get them at that height is the wild
cat and the height makes no differ
ence to the cat, which would as soon
go to the top of the tree as not.
If the man is armed with shotgun
he will take two or three turkeys in
a line on limb and let go, knowing
that he will get the one doubled bar
relied shot and not more, but if he is
armed with rifle of 22-calibre he will
= iis~1An1r nfuf 20 see eIsht ennlsaAt
then take the lower birds hrst
The little rife, shHotiH
less powder cartridge, does not NJ
more noise than an old-fashioned cap
popping and the turkeys, unable to
locate it at first, will show much un-
easiness, but stay in the tree. The
fall of the big gobbler below them
does not disturb them particularly,
because turkeys, being unwieldy,
often slip from the limbs at night and
make good deal of fuss getting back.
In this way man may get in half a
dozen shots before the birds fly, and
at that distance, with marks of that
size, he ought to get bird with each
cartridge.
The turkeys, if fred at with shot
gun will not return to the roost on
the succeeding night. Three or four
of them may show up, but the others
will stay away. They will permit
the rifle to be worked against them,
however, for three or four nights. If
these nights are judiciously separated
they will stay even longer Some
time they will permit five or six visits
before dispensing finally. .-Me70 York
Sun.