AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 



CHAPTER I. 

 THE WILD TURKEY. 



The Turkey — Its early history — DiflFerent species — The Mexican turkey — 

 Size, weight, and color, of the American species — Opening of the 

 love season — How the males woo — Severe combats— Characteris- 

 tics of barren hens — Bachelor parties — Nests — Calling for mates 

 — Vigilant mothers— The young broods — Haunts of the birds— Mi- 

 gratory tours — Jealousy of the males — How flocks cross a river — 

 Franklin's opinion of the turkey — Its habits — Calling turkeys — 

 Various kinds of callers — Methods of shooting turkeys — Captur- 

 ing them alive — Pens— Baiting the grounds — Taming wild tur- 

 keys—Change produced by domestication — Blinds— How to find 

 a turkey roost — The use of dogs — The best months for shooting 

 — The brands of shot used — The secret of successful shooting- 

 Wholesale slaughter— Turkey hunters— A colored sportsman — 

 How to build a blind — An " enchanted gobbler," and the manner 

 in which he was bagged — Deceiving a human caller — A turkey dog 

 — A bet and its result — A day's shooting — Turkeys in the Indian 

 Territory — I kill seven in Southern Colorado — A forest feast — How 

 to cook turkeys — June gobblers. 



The wild turkey is, undoubtedly, the finest game-bird 

 on the American Continent, and possesses many of those 

 qualities which are so much appreciated by lovers of the 

 gun, for it is difficult to find any feathered creature that 

 can excel it in cautiousness, vigilance, acuteness of vis- 

 ion and hearing, and foresight, and when to these are add- 

 ed fleetness of foot and strength of wing, it is easy to 

 understand why old hunters say that "it is harder to 

 kill a turkey than a deer." 



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