BREAST SPONGE SHREWDNESS 105 



and at this time he eats almost nothing, being 

 kept alive largely by drawing on his reservoir of 

 fat. As the gobbler begins to grow lean, his 

 flesh becomes rank and wholly unfit for food, and 

 one should never be killed at this time. It is a 

 fact that the young male turkeys gobble but sel- 

 dom, if at all, the first year. Neither do these 

 young birds possess the breast sponge, or reser- 

 voir to hold fat, and consequently they are unfit 

 to mate with the hens. The hens visit the males 

 every day or alternate days; consequently, if 

 among the gobblers there are no mature birds, 

 the eggs laid are not fertile. I wish every hunter, 

 sportsman, and farmer could read these lines, 

 and recognize the importance of sparing at least 

 one of the adult male turkeys in each locality. 

 The benefit of such a policy would soon be ap- 

 parent in the increase of the turkeys. I dwell 

 at length on this point in order to make clear the 

 necessity of sparing some old gobblers in each 

 section. 



It has frequently been stated that the wild 

 turkey will not live and propagate within the 

 haunts of man. This depends upon how the 



