UPLAND SHOOTING. 



more interesting to me than killing half a dozen that know 

 nothing of the hunter' s wiles and arts. No gobbler ever 

 gets too sharp for a good hunter, and sooner or later falls 

 to his gun, if he persist in pursuit. I have never failed to 

 bag the wiliest, best-educated gobbler, when I have had 

 time to spend on him; and I am sure this is the general 

 experience of good turkey-hunters. 



I have known men to use domestic gobblers, trained 

 for hunting, but I never tried them myself. From what 

 they say, it must be a very successful method. I can not 

 gobble very well, yet I have brought both gobblers and 

 hens to me repeatedly by gobbling in my poor way. 



As to hiding when calling gobblers, men differ; but 

 my preference always is for a blind, hastily constructed 

 of green bushes, if possible to obtain them. Generally, 

 some can be found standing to suit my purpose, and 

 these I cut so as to leave them about as high as my head 

 while sitting on the ground. I add to them as may be 

 necessary, taking care to protect myself on every side, 

 especially behind. The bushes can be stuck in the 

 ground, as though they grew there. On the inside, there 

 should be space enough to allow the hunter to turn about 

 if necessary, and so it is well to brush away dead leaves. 

 I have tried getting behind trees and before them, behind 

 logs and lying dow^n in brush-piles in fact, almost every 

 way, but the one for which I here express preference 

 has given best results. The hunter ought to be well liid, 

 and keep hid, w^hen he is calling. He ought to get his 

 gun to his face as soon as a turkey is in sight, for the 

 slightest movement is almost sure to be seen after he 

 gets near. I have lost many a gobbler by not adhering 

 strictly to this rule. I remember, once, calling up an old 

 gobbler for a friend, and, when about thirty yards from 

 us, he tried to shoot; but the gobbler stepped behind a 

 tree, and did not show himself plainly until he had 



