The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1909-11-17

turkeys were bred and reared farms-a mat
ter of no great difficulty to accomplish, say the
experts-they would be docile enough, and with
proper protection. would multiply rapidly.
The fact that wild turkeys maintained
their foothold to some extent in long-setted parts
of their old territory-as, for example, in Vir-
gin1a and Acknowledgements to indicate that it
would be entirely practicable to restock portions
OF their former ranges. But, inasmuch as the
country ancienty occupied by them is for
the most part populated by human beings, it is
necessary, in order to accomplish the object sug
gested, that their multiplication shall be encour-
aged under conditions of at least partial domes-
tication-that is to say, by farming the birds for
pleasure and profit.
1t is believed that, II proper protection
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 derivable from such an enter
prise. At the present time not few such organl-
cations and proprietors of great private estates
maintain similar preserves for the quail or 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, ana no
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 delightful than turkey hunting.
Hszt if farmers could be persuaded to take up the
idea and to breed the BIRDS they might sell shoot
ing privileges to sportsmen at rate which would
put much more money into their pockets than
they could gain by sending the fowls to market
III the business were suitably managed farms OF
500 to 1000 would yield 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 deslr
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 an &C.
cushioned source of food supply.
The wild turkey is prolific, and takes kindly to
civilization Like it's tame congener, it is great
consumer of injurious insects, particularly grass
hoppers and such would be useful to the farm
en- The female lays from Is to 20 eggs for a
clutch" but raises only brood in year.
Foxes, hawks and owls are deadly enemies, but it
would be the business of the farmer to protect
the birds from these foes, as he does in the case
of his farmyard poultry AS for human poach.
ere, 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.
1t seems difficult to realize that less than 100
years ago wild turkeys abundant that
they often gold for six cents apiece, very large
Que, weighing 25 or 80 pounds, occasionally fetch
ing as much as Is cents. To-day large speci
men, gobbler preferred is worth IS. The species
has been wiped out, not by sportsmen, but by pot
Hunters, who kill the birds the roosts, traI
them in pens, or lie in ambush for them, attract
ing them within easy shooting distance by imita
ting the call of the hen the young "poult.
On Fishers island in Long Island sound, a mos
Interesting experiment has already been made ir