A TURKEY HUNT IN VIRGINIA. 



E. D. CHRISTIAN, JR. 



By an Act of the State legislature, the 

 quail season in Virginia had been closed 

 for 2 years; so my cousin and I decided 

 to camp out for 2 weeks, hunting turkeys. 

 After all arrangements had been made I 

 left home November 7, with tents, provi- 

 sions, 2 setters and 2 pointers, for Caroline 

 county, Va. My cousin, whom I shall call 

 " Pat," met me at the station. After see- 

 ing everything loaded on the wagon we 

 started on the 2-mile drive to Pat's farm. 



I arose early on Monday and was told 

 one of the negro hands had, the evening 

 before, flushed a flock of turkeys in the 

 pine woods behind the house. I sent for 

 the " cullud gentleman " and asked if such 

 was the case. Receiving an affirmative re- 

 ply, I jokingly accused him of lying. 



" Boss," said he, " I was settin' down 

 thar by a stump, tendin' to my business, 

 when I hear a pow'ful scratchin' back of 

 me. Den I look and see an ole gobl'r rite 

 at my side, an' I was jus' fixin' to cotch 

 him by de legs, when I hear a ' put, put,' 

 an' I look 'roun' an' seed de whole gang; 

 and fo' God! I los' my chance, caze wen 

 I look 'roun' at de odder turkeys, dat ole 

 gobl'r took out and run, an' de res' of de 

 gang took arter 'im." 



I decided to saddle up and go over for 

 " Sandy," who lived about 2 miles from 

 Pat's house. He was to act as guide and 

 " yelper " for us, during our camping ex- 

 pedition. After telling him where the 

 negro had seen the game, he got his gun 

 and pointer, and off we started, on foot. 



We had not gone into the woods more 

 than a mile when we heard the dog bark, 

 which meant he had flushed the turkeys. 

 He then returned and we cut pine boughs 

 and made 2 blinds, one of which Pat and 

 Sandy occupied, while I, with Bang, used 

 the other. 



In about 30 minutes Sandy took out his 

 " yelper," made from the wing bone of a 

 wild turkey, and commenced to yelp. He 

 had not made more than 2 calls when we 

 heard an answer. It was not long before 

 we saw the turkey coming. After another 

 yelp, he was within range. I let him have 

 my left barrel and he was my turkey. 



We killed 4 more after this. On our 

 way back to Sandy's house, " Bang " 

 flushed a turkey that lit in the top of a 

 pine tree, right over me. Pat and I both 

 shot at once, bringing him down with a 

 thud. 



The next morning we started early for - 

 our camping-ground. As we passed by 



Sandy's, we stopped long enough to get 

 him and his pointer. We arrived at camp 

 about 2 p.m., and after unloading the 

 wagon set to work to put up the tents. 

 Having finished, we left our negro cook in 

 charge, while Pat, Sandy, and I started for 

 a near-by pond, where, Sandy said, a good 

 many ducks stayed. 



We had only reached there when we saw 

 6 wood-ducks swimming around leisurely. 

 I got one and Sandy 2. 



We got some brush and made a blind, 

 Sandy and I on one side of the pond, and 

 Pat on the other. Just before sunset the 

 ducks commenced to return, in flocks of 5 

 or 6, and we had good shooting for half 

 an hour, killing 9 mallards and 5 wood- 

 ducks. 



We could sleep little the first night in 

 camp, thinking of the numerous turkeys 

 we anticipated killing. The next morning, 

 after breakfast, we started for the turkeys. 

 We covered considerable ground but did 

 not succeed in finding any game, though 

 plenty of signs were found, where they had 

 been scratching. We reached camp about 

 6 o'clock. 



The next day we took a different route, 

 but had the same luck; plenty of signs, but 

 no turkeys. On our way back to camp, 

 " Pic " came to a point at the side of the 

 road, backed by the other dogs. Pat 

 walked in and flushed 2 grouse, getting 

 one with each barrel. A little farther on 

 Dick and Bang each found 2 woodcock, in 

 a small slash. Sandy got 2 and Pat and I 

 one each. 



We went over the same ground the fol- 

 lowing day and succeeded in flushing a 

 flock of turkeys, about noon. After mak- 

 ing 3 blinds, about 100 yards apart, we got 

 to work and by dark, when we started for 

 camp, had " yelped up " and killed 4 birds. 



The next 2 days we did not find any 

 turkeys, so decided to try the ducks once 

 more, and then move our camp to a better 

 locality. 



The following evening we killed 8 ducks, 

 as they came in to roost. While waiting 

 for them, we noticed a great many wood- 

 cock coming out of a " slash " of bushes, 

 at the head of the pond. They appeared to 

 light on the top of a hill, in a broom-straw 

 field. The next day, after packing, we 

 started for the head of the pond, where we 

 had seen the woodcock. Thirteen were 

 flushed, of which we bagged 11. We re- 

 turned home that afternoon, having killed 

 all the game we wanted. 



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