The ^Vild Turkey 157 



that is, when he didn't modify his rule the other 

 way and make it two hundred yards. 



The result to-day is, that when found near well- 

 settled districts, a wary old gobbler is harder to 

 still-hunt than a white-tailed buck. I am not sure 

 that, if either had to be hunted on a wager, the 

 choice would fall upon the gobbler. A good man 

 can run down either, or at least stick to the trail 

 until he gets a fair chance, when, of course, the 

 deer is the easier mark. The buck depends upon 

 his nose, ears, and legs — two of these can be put 

 out of commission by a careful observance of the 

 wind. The gobbler trusts to his wonderful sight, 

 keen ear, and sturdy legs, and to back these he 

 has a pair of wings which, when called upon, can 

 render amazing assistance. So, while at first 

 glance the buck assuredly would seem to be the 

 harder proposition, the reverse frequently is the 

 case. The power of the bird's eye, and the range 

 of vision which by reason of his height he is able 

 to command, form no poor protection, and in 

 regions where he has been much molested he 

 will be found " educated " in the fullest sense of 

 that term. The weakness of his present system 

 of defensive tactics lies in the fact that when 

 flushed, he almost invariably flies in a straight 

 line. An experienced hunter, knowing this, 

 studies the tracks, carefully notes the direction 

 of the quick rush before the bird took wing, then 



