° 1915 J Kennard, On the Trail of the Ivory-bill. 5 



I do not think that throughout the entire trip there was ever a 

 morning in which we could not hear at least two or three gobblers, 

 apparently vying with each other, and everybody else for that 

 matter, as to which could make the most noise. If we had heard a 

 gobbler in the distance and wanted to locate him, all we had to do 

 was to let out a few unearthly hoots, like a very large Barred Owl, 

 and he would invariably reply; and once I remember when Tom, 

 at dusk, had shot a small turkey from the top of a cypress tree, the 

 old gobbler that was sitting unobserved on a nearby pine, let out a 

 series of record breaking gobbles in an apparent effort to outdo 

 the shotgun. 



Right here perhaps a brief description of our methods of hunting 

 turkeys may be of interest to those unfamiliar with this much 

 written up subject. Briefly, we either "called," "roosted" or 

 "still hunted" them. 



For " calling " or " yelping " we got up in the morning before day- 

 light, and after making our way to a comparatively open space near 

 which we knew some gobbler roosted, we would hide in the brush or 

 behind a tree, and then imitating the call of a hen, coax him down 

 from his perch and up within gun shot. Usually the smaller hollow 

 wing-bone of a turkey hen is used asa" yelper " for this purpose; 

 but Tom could conjure the most coaxing calls out of a piece of 

 grass, a leaf or any thing. At this season of the year very little 

 coaxing is really necessary, and the old gobblers would come in on 

 the run at the slightest provocation. 



The hens usually roost in a tall cypress near the edge of the 

 swamp, while the old gobblers, at this season seem exclusive, and 

 prefer to roost alone; usually in some tall pine on the nearby 

 hammock. Then when morning comes, after a few preliminary 

 gobbles when the hens have flown down and begun to feed, the old 

 gobbler comes down and is supposed to pay his respects to each of 

 his consorts, or for that matter any other consort that happens to 

 be near. 



When the birds are to be "roosted," if it is a gobbler you are 

 after, it is comparatively easy to locate him by his gobbling. If 

 there is any uncertainty as to his exact direction, gobble, or hoot like 

 an owl, and unless he sees you he will invariably reply. Then 

 work your way carefully in his general direction until you have him 



