THE WILD TURKEY. 51 
A good turkey-dog is almost a necessity where birds 
are scarce, and he, like the successful caller and the poet, 
must be born so, though training will do much for him; 
in fact, he must be trained specially for his work. No 
matter how good he may be, however, unless his master 
is acquainted with the habits of the birds the number 
brought to bag will be exceedingly small, for the best of 
marksmen is not always sure of his turkey at a distance 
of twenty paces, even though it be standing still, and 
broadside on. Men may wait for hours in a blind, and 
not get a shot, although the birds may be numerous in 
the vicinity, and as for stalking them with any positive 
assurance of success—well, let any person try it. He 
may ambush them or kill them on their roosts, but 
these methods do not equal the pleasure of shooting 
them over dogs, or even of chasing them on horseback. 
I have heard adepts with the gun say that they missed 
turkeys more frequently than any other members of the 
feathered tribe, and that they were by far the most diffi- 
cult birds they knew to be caught off their guard. In 
portions of Florida, Texas, Arizona, the Indian Terri- 
tory, and contiguous regions, where the birds know little 
or nothing of man, flocks of them may be met with sud- 
denly, and if they flush they will either sail over the 
sportsman’s head or fly into the first convenient trees. 
I have even known them, when shot at from blinds, to 
fly forward at such a low altitude as to afford good wing- 
shooting. It would be better in such cases to allow them 
to pass by a few yards before firing than to shoot 
when they are coming, as the mass of feathers on the 
breast may turn the shot; whereas it is sure to take ef- 
fect from the rear. The instances in which turkeys fly 
towards one are exceptional, for, as a rule, they only come 
close enough to set persons to speculating about their age 
and weight,and how nice they would look when roasted and 
stuffed with fois gras, oysters, waluuts, or bread and sage. 
