140 THE WILD TURKEY AND ITS HUNTING 



Mr. John Hamilton, who has had great experi- 

 ence as a turkey hunter, tells me of seeing horned 

 owls catch turkeys in the Brazos Bottoms in 

 Texas, a number of times, as follows: 



On going into the woods before daylight, and, 

 taking a stand near some known turkey roost, 

 to be ready to call them on their leaving the 

 roost, he has, a number of times, been led directly 

 to the tree in which the turkeys were roosting 

 by a horned owl who was after a turkey for 

 breakfast. By walking quietly under the tree, 

 and getting the birds outlined against the sky, 

 he could see what was going on. Turkeys pre- 

 fer to roost on limbs parallel to the ground, and 

 the owl, selecting a hen perched on a suitable 

 limb, would alight on the same limb between 

 her and the trunk of the tree, moving sedately 

 along the limb toward the victim, and when very 

 near her would voice a low "who, who.' 9 The 

 turkey, not liking the nearness of such a neighbor, 

 who spoke in such sepulchral tones, would reply, 

 "Quit, quit," and move farther out on the limb. 

 After a few moments the owl would again sidle 

 up to the hen, repeating his first question, "Who, 



