8 THE WILD TURKEY AND ITS HUNTING 



avoid this, but the sportsman who understands 

 turkeys can exercise care and judgment and kill 

 his bird, where others unacquainted with the 

 bird fail. I believe I can take any man or boy 

 who possesses a good eye and fair sense, and in 

 one season make a good turkey hunter of him. 

 I know of many nefarious tricks by which tur- 

 keys could be easily secured, but I shall not tell 

 of any method of hunting and capturing turkeys 

 but those I consider sportsmanlike. Although 

 an ardent turkey hunter, I have too much respect 

 for this glorious bird to see it killed in any but 

 an honorable way. The turkey's fate is hard 

 enough as it is. The work of destruction goes 

 on from year to year, and the birds are being 

 greatly reduced in numbers in many localities. 

 The extinction of them in some states has 

 already been accomplished, and in others it is 

 only a matter of time; but there are many 

 localities in the South and West, especially in 

 the Gulf-bordering states, where they are still 

 plentiful, and with any sort of protection will 

 remain so. Some of these localities are so 

 situated that they will for generations remain 



