The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-10-15
WILD TURKEYS.
Have Many Enemies Who Prey 0nl
Them and Practice Great Cum
ming in EIuding Danger.

The turkey is a curious bird in one
particular, that it can never be thor
oughly domesticated. No matter how
long in captivity it is shy and fearful
and prefers to roost on the branches
of tree instead of in the best barn
ever built
In it's wild state the turkey is even
more wary, and it may be said with
truth that it needs all it's wariness as
a precaution against it's numerous enc
mics, says Golden Days.
Among the chief foes of the wild
turkey is the wildcat. AS soon as a
brood of young turkeys are big enough
to be turned adrift by their mother
to earn their own living the wildcats
mouth begins to water for them, and
he brings his cunning in play to cap
ture them.
He needs his cunning, too, Tor the
young turkeys, although they cannot
fly yet, can run faster than a deer.
on the faintest suspicion of danger
and they are always on the sharp
lookout for danger-equals the we'll
known disappearing ability of the
young grouse and quail.
A wildcat stands but little chance OF
catching young wild turkey by
crouching on a limb and bouncing
down upon it, as the suspicious fowl
surveys its surroundings on every
side, and above and below, with every
eats. 1t has to be a more than wary
beast that takes it by surprise.
But the wildcat has tactics. Discov-
ering a brood of young turkeys, he
knows that there is no use trying to
keep his proximity secret, SO he
takes pains to let the turkeys see him
stealing along in their rear. That hur-
ries the flock onward, but the birds
presently stop and look back to see
If the enemy is still in pursuit.
The wildcat keeps himself in sight
but always comes into view of the
turkeys as sneaking out of hiding
place. He does this three or four
times, and then disappears in the for
est
He has satisfied himself as to the
exact direction the flock will keep
and left on their suspicious nature the
impression that he is on their trail.
Believing that the foe is creeping in
the rear, the turkeys are on the alert
in that direction particularly.
The wildcat knows his business,
and, making circuit in the woods,
he comes out far ahead of the turkeys,
right in the path they are feeding
along, and hides himself behind a log.
a rock or any obstacle near which
the turkeys will presently pass, still
guarding cautiously their rear.
The flock feed on their way. They
reach the spot where their unsuspect-
ed foe is lying in wait. Suddenly
there is spring, scuff1e, faint COB
BILE and scattering of the brood, and
away bounds the wildcat with one of
the number for his dinner.
During the callow PERIOD of the tur-
key hens brood the mother turkey
constantly watches for and in
stantly warns her chicks against an
other ruthless foe. This is the chicken
hawk.
1t is wonderful how quickly the hen
turkey detects the coming of the
hawk. She discovers it nearly as soon
as the hawk, in his soaring place
among the clouds, has got his eye on
her and her brood. While the hawk
is dropping down upon them the old
turkey utters sharp and peculiar
cry, and instantly every chick either
scampers to hiding place or falls
over on the ground and Stimulates
death as perfectly as the 'possum ever
did.
The preying chicken hawk will dine
on nothing but what he captures alive
and kills. How the young turkeys
know that is more than anyone can
say, but it is evident that they do
know it. II they are true to their in
stinct. and remain as they fall until
the mother gives them the signal that
the danger is over, the hawk, seeing
nothing but dead game on the ground,
rs he supposes, will sail away again.
The mother will not give the signal
to her brood that all is well until the
hawk is out of sight, and then, at her
CALL up will jump every 'possum-play-
ing chick.
1t sometimes happens that a chick
Is impatient, and attempts to run
things itself, coming to life before it
gets the word from its mother The
chick that does so is lost, for the how
ering hawk will have it's talons on it
instantly, although the imprudent
chick has quickly obeyed second or
der from it's mother in the bushes,
and pretended to be dead again.
MarkH.