XIV. 



THE WILD TURKEY. 



To become expert in hunting the wild turkey 

 one must be almost raised upon its range. On 

 nearly all other game one can have some success 

 with limited experience if he be a natural hunter 

 and a good shot, and can keep cool. But these 

 qualities are not enough for success with the 

 turkey. One may indeed catch him napping at 

 long intervals. But this is too unreliable. One 

 may also get a shot by putting one's self abso- 

 lutely under some backwoods guide who calls 

 the turkey to him. But this is like shooting a 

 moose that an Indian has called to you, or a deer 

 that some guide rows you to in the water. This 

 is doing the dirty work while some one else does 

 the noble part of the business. Something in 

 my nature always made me rebel against pulling 

 the trigger for any one else. It was probably 



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