74 



HUNTING AND FISHING IN FLORIDA. 



a well-watered countiy, roosting in a swamp or on the borders of 

 some stream or pond. When a nati\-e hunter discovers a roost he 

 conceals himself near it at night and often kills nearly the entire 

 flock, shooting the under ones first, so that the dead bird in falling 

 will not alarm the others. 



In the springtime the gobblers ma}' be " called" by imitating the 

 plaintive piping of the hen, and this is a common method of shoot- 

 ing them. Usually a quill is used to imitate the call, but some 

 hunters can produce it with their fingers and lips. The hunter con- 

 ceals himself and calls softly until the gobbler approaches near 

 enough to be seen and killed. Occasionallv a flock of turkeys will 

 be found feeding in the open ground, and they usually fly to some 

 heavy timber and perch themselves high up among the top branches, 

 affording a good chance for rifle practise. In following a turkey's 

 trail the hunter must keep up with the dog and go as fast as the 

 nature of the ground will permit. A turkey will usually run for 

 some distance ahead of a dog before attempting to fly, and if the 

 hunter follows fast enough he will stand a good chance of getting 

 within shooting distance before he "jumps." I have seen many a 

 fine gobbler go soaring away two or three hundred yards ahead of 

 me which I probably could have killed had I keptwathin easy shoot- 

 ing distance of the hounds. 



When the dog shows by his actions that the turkey is only a short 

 distance ahead that is the time that the hunter must use good 

 judgment. 



Now the turkey must be " flushed" or made to fly, but not until 

 within shooting distance. If not pushed the turkey will often run a 

 long distance ahead of the dog and perhaps escape in some impen- 

 etrable swamp. When the scent gets very warm let the dog hurry 

 a little, but not go so fast that the hunter cannot keep close to him. 

 The turkey, hearing the dog close behind and finding he cannot 

 escape bv running, goes into the air with much heavy flapping of 

 wings, and if the hunter is sixty or sevent}' yards behind his dog he 

 is probably a hundred or more away from the turkey, and his 

 chances of bagging that gobbler are extremely slim. 



