230 FIELD SHOOTING. 



under cover, and the other go three or four miles 

 up, and drive the wood down to it. If there are 

 any turkeys in the upper part of the timber, the 

 man at the crossing will be certain to have a 

 good shot or two. 



When I first lived in Illinois, I used to hunt 

 turkeys a good deal on the Sangamon, in the 

 right kind of weather, generally preferring soft 

 snow or a fast-falling snow-storm. I generally 

 killed some turkeys some days only two, on 

 others three, four, five, and six, and a few times 

 as many as seven. One day I was tracking 

 turkeys in only about three inches of snow. 

 They did not tire, but travelled fast, and some- 

 times took flight, so that following them was a 

 weary business. I had been after them nearly 

 all day, and was nearly " tuckered out." I had 

 often been in sight of them, but never near 

 enough for a shot. But as evening drew on 

 apace, and roosting-time approached, the turkeys 

 began to call. They had travelled all day, and 

 were glad to halt where they were. By wait- 

 ing and stalking between calls I shot four. 

 They weighed from twelve to eighteen pounds 

 each, and I had to carry them and my gun 

 three miles to get to a house. It was a very 



