296 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 
there were no turkeys found on the Missouri or its 
tributaries as far north as the then location of those 
tribes—Knife River. 
I suspect that in the Rocky Mountains turkeys sel- 
dom or never crossed the divide between the north 
and south forks of the Platte, and that they never got 
as far west as the Black Hills. 
No bird is more gentle and unsuspicious than the 
turkey until it has learned that man is an enemy, and 
after that no bird is more wary and alert. Mr. Hen- 
shaw speaks of the lack of suspicion on the part of these 
birds, and Captain Carpenter tells how—when his com- 
mand was preparing to establish Fort Niobrara—a wild 
turkey came to the camp and ventured out of the under- 
brush to feed on the grain spilled by the animals. 
When Florida first began to be a resort for northern 
tourists, turkeys were very abundant and not at all 
shy or suspicious. They often associated with the 
domestic turkeys, and one wild gobbler became so tame 
that he would feed unconcernedly within a few feet 
of a man. On this point Dr. Ralph, writing about 
1890, said to Captain Bendire: 
“One can hardly believe that the wild turkeys of 
to-day are of the same species as those of fifteen or 
twenty years ago [that is, 1872 to 1875]. Then they 
were rather stupid birds which it did not require much 
skill to shoot, but now I do not know of a game bird 
or mammal more alert or more difficult to approach. 
Formerly I have often, as they were sitting in trees 
on the banks of some stream, passed very near them, 
