Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1909-11-18

turkeys bred and reared on farms-a mat.
Ter OF no great difficulty to accomplish, say the
'eNperts-they would be docie enough, and, with
proper protection. would multiply rapidly.
The fact that wild turkeys nave maintained
their foothod to some extent in ong.settled parts
OF their old territory-as for example in Vir
ginia and acknowledgements to indicate that it
would be entirely practicable to resock portions
roi their former ranges. But inasmuch as the
country ancicntly occupied by them is now for
the most part populated by human beings, 1t is
necessary, in order to accomplish the object sug-
gested, that their multiplication shall be
aged under conditions of at least partial domes-
Aication-that is to say by farming the birds for
pleasure and profit.
II is believed that If proper protection were
given to such enterprises by the law, sporting
club and wealthy individuals owning or leasing
large tracts would gladly go into the business of
breeding wild turkeys-not for market of course,
but for the pleasure derivabe from such enter
prise. At the present time not few such organi-
cations and propretors of great private estates
maintain similar preserves for the quail bob
white" holding field trials in competition, to test
the ability OF dogs to find and point the birds.
These field trials are In reality dog races, and
shooting of the quail is allowed.
Where wild turkeys concerned, however,
there is no reason why such extensive preserves,
covering in some instances many thousands of
acres, should not afford admirable sport under
suitable restrictions. There is no form of outdoor
amusement more delightful than turkey hunting
But, If farmers could be persuaded to take up the
idea and to breed the birds they might sell shoot
ing privileges to sporsmen at rate which would
put much more money into their pockets than
they could gain by sending the fowls to market
II the business were suitably managed farms of
500 to 1000 would yield a larger revenue
from wild turkeys than from poultry, sportsmen
being usually willing to pay several times more
for the fun OF shooting birds than the latter would
fetch as marketable game. For such purposes of
course It would be neither necessary nor desir-
able that the fowls should be too tame On the
other hand experience has shown that wild tur.
keys are not disposed to go far away from &C.
customed source OF food supply.
The wild turkey is prolific, and takes kindly to
civilization. Like its tame congener, it is great
of injurious insects, particularly grass
hoppers, and as such would be useful to the farm
er. The female lays from Is to 20 eggs for a
clutch" but raises only brood in a year
Foxes, hawks and owls deadly enemies but Il
would be the business OF the farmer to protect
the birds from these foes he does in the case
OF his farm-yard poultry. AS for human poach-
ers, adequate laws for protection against them
would have to be passed; but the sportsmen, If
once they became interested In the matter, could
be relied upon to exert in this direction power.
fui influence, which has never yet failed of sue
cess in affairs of the kind.
II seems difficult to realize that less than 100
years ago wild turkeys were so abundant that
they often sold for six cents apiece very large
one weighing 25 80 pounds occasionally fetch
ing as much as rs cents To-day a large speci
men gobbler preferred is worth So. The species
has been wiped out not by sportsmen, but by pot
hunters, who kill the birds the roosts. trap
them In pens, or lie in ambush for them attract
fog them within easy shooting distance by imita
ting the call OF the hen or the young "pout"
on Fishers island, in Long Island sound mos
Interesting experiment has already been made IL