^"'igif"^^] Wright, Early Records of the Wild Turkey. 467 



and voices of the turkeys around me, and have attempted to alhire 

 them to me by an imitation of their notes. I never succeeded in a 

 single instance. I set up, for example, a weak, amorous, senti- 

 mental piping like the female, it was in vain! no broad backed, 

 round-tailed, burly turkey-cock made his appearance. I gobbled 

 in the most seducing fashion, throwing as much devotion into my 

 tones as I could contrive; I essayed to compass a thousand blan- 

 dishments into a few guttural sounds that were permissible, but 

 these, far from eliciting any sympathetic response, seemed to put 

 the whole gang to instant though cautious flight; for I invariably 

 observed that very briefly, after an attempt of the latter kind, every 

 sound became hushed, but the beating of my own impatient and 

 disappointed heart. It was evident that there was no mistaking 

 me for a turkey, and all the birds that I ever brought to the mess, 

 were the fruits of a less guileful, more straight-forward and sum- 

 mary mode of proceeding." 



Tibbits, in 1874, in 'Reminiscences of Early Days in Michigan' 

 gives a variation of the turkey calling method. '^ "The wild turkey 

 was very common, and vast flocks of several hundred were fre- 

 quently to be met with. The usual method of hunting them, was 

 for two or three persons to proceed cautiously through the woods 

 till they came upon a flock, then suddenly fire at random amongst 

 them, the object being to scatter them in all directions. When 

 thus scattered they will invariably return to the same spot to get 

 together again, the old ones coming first to call their young to- 

 gether. The hunters, hid in some secluded place with their 

 'turkey calls' ready for use, would wait patiently for the return of 

 the old birds. These turkey-calls consist of the hollow bone of the 

 turkey's wing, and, in the mouth of an experienced hunter can be 

 made to exactly imitate the piping sound of the mother bird when 

 calling her brood together. Soon the maternal notes of the old 

 birds are heard, and the hunters respond with their 'calls,' luring 

 them on to certain destruction. After the old birds are killed, the 

 young ones fall an easy prey to the unerring aim of the skilful marks- 

 man. The flesh of the turkey is esteemed a great luxury, and one 

 of the most delicious meals I think I ever ate was made from steak 



1 Mich. Pioneer and Hist. Soc. Colls. Vol. I, 1874-76. Wild Animals of Wayne 

 County, Michigan. By .J. S. Tibbits, p. 404. 



