172 THE WILD TURKEY AND ITS HUNTING 



fidence and ability to call did not fail them, 

 their judgment would, and the opportunity would 

 be spoiled by some absurd act. 



It is not so much what one should do in call- 

 ing, but what one should not do, as it is better 

 to leave things undone unless done right. This 

 subject requires the most minute and careful 

 knowledge of turkey lore, and will require much 

 of your patience before you are proficient, and I 

 trust you will find in these lines more for your 

 contemplation than you might suspect. 



The conditions under which you call are daily 

 varied, while the methods to be employed each 

 time are quite complex. In spring the males 

 are gobbling, and the love-call of the hen is then 

 the one to use. In the fall and winter, when the 

 turkeys are in flocks and do not gobble, this not 

 being the love season, you do not then make 

 love-call, but such as suits the occasion and the 

 temper of the game. 



First, as to gobbling: We will analyze that 

 feature, as it involves great interest to the 

 hunter. As a matter of fact, more people hunt the 

 turkey during the gobbling season than at any 



