Evening star., 1960-12-02
Want Christmas Turkey? Bog YourOwn
Hunters Report
Virginio's Crop
Best in Years
BY CHARLES COVELL
Outdoor Editor

BY CHARLES COvELL
outdoor Editor
Want to grace the
Christmas table with a
thoroughly American n
bird? Then grab your
truSty IL gauge, load it
with Magnum No. Is and
60 bag a wild turkey.
One shouldn't jump at con-
clusions from limited personal
observation and talks with
other hunters, but pending Of
fetal word the crop in neigh
boring Virginia coud be the
best in years. Turkeys are in
season until January II.
Down in Bath County we
and other deer hunters never
saw so many. A hunter in
Fauquier banged at one
roosting in a tree only 500
yards from his house. Even
nearby Fairfax County seems
to have a large number.
Once Nearly Gone
It was only a short while ago
that this was just the opposite.
At one time the wild turkey
had disappeared from all but
"a per cent of its original range
in Virginia. An intelligent pro-
gram Of releasing wild-trapped
as well as game farm-reared
birds has restored them to at
least 66 Of the States 90
counties and between 5000 and
1000 are killed by hunters
each year.
Ask any old hunter and he'll
tell you the wild turkey is the
shiest. wariest and most elusive
of forest game. A streamlined
critter With dark feathers and
tail tipped with cinnamon
instead of the white Of the
domestic turkey. it is also much
smarter. The wild turkey has
a keen and highly sensitive
nervous system and large brain
while the domestic bird has Q
relatively dull nervous system
and q smaller brain.
Our first encounter with wild
turkey this fall was in q hol-
low near Bath Alum. the Bath
County estate of Clinton M.
Hester. Washington attorney.
Deer hunters driving q ridge
flushed a big tom that flew
noisily over the treetops. pre-
senting an impossible target
for our rifles.
See Whole Flock
Late next afternoon we had
a sight that few hunters are
ever privileged to sea whole
flock Of wild turkeys.
The sun had departed and
dusk was gathering swiftly in
the thick forest at the foot
OF Old Piney mountain. We
had gone q few hundred yards
into the woods to sit quietly
on q log and listen for q deer
that might possibly come down
the mountain.
There was little wind but
every now and then o faint
breeze would stir the dry
leaves and start our blood
racing.
Pretty soon there was a faint
swish, swish" on the ridge
above us and we sat transfixed.
The sound was puzzling be-
cause it was like nothing made
by another hunter or a deer.
Suddenly q turkey appeared.
then another and another, all
marching in single file as If
in each others footsteps down
the side Of the ridge. At a
range of 100 yards or more
(as measured later they
looked small and black.
Clad in bright clothing, we
were afraid they might see US
but they marched on, oblivious.
Many trees were between US
and the turkeys and we picked
two saplings between which we
could get a clear shot when the
leader reached that point.
Feathers All Over
BY the time this occurred, q
dozen turkeys were in line Of
march and as far as we could
tell they still were coming over
the ridge.
We had sighted carefully with
the Winchester "a and as the
leading bird passed the first
sapling we fired. The turkey
swerved. running wide, and the
others turned in their tracks
and ran back over the ridge.
Hurrying to the spot, we
found turkey feathers all over
Che ground. breast feathers ap-
parently from their softness.
Obviously we had only grazed
&he bird and a painting dash up
NE ridge failed to produce a
thing.
Subsequently this big flock
was separated by deer hunters
Ind only an occasional bird was
seen. One was bagged by Dick
Owen of Oxon Hill.
This week we went hunting
in Fairfax County with Bob
Bowman Of Herndon. Bob's big
love is to go after turkeys and
already this season he has
bagged a young tom. Last year
BOATME EMS SHOP
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