190 THE WILD TURKEY AND ITS HUNTING 



Do not make this mistake, but keep still, wait, 

 and watch. Let the gobbler do the gobbling 

 and strutting, and you do nothing but keep your 

 eye on your rifle sights and watch for his ap- 

 pearance. When he suddenly stops gobbling 

 and strutting look sharp and keep your gun 

 leveled in the direction from which he is ex- 

 pected, but by no means have your gun in such a 

 position that you will have to move it after the 

 turkey is in sight. Some men have a habit of 

 moving their guns about, although they have 

 their heads and bodies hidden and quiet. They 

 might as well get up and say " hello." 



If a gobbler stops, and gobbles and struts in 

 one place some time, while you are calling him, 

 this is good evidence that he will come to you, 

 if you have but patience and keep quiet; nine 

 hunters out of ten, however, take the opposite 

 view of it, and for the lack of good understanding 

 of the turkey, and of patience, get up and go 

 home at the very time when success would have 

 crowned their efforts. Now, if a hen has gone to 

 the gobbler, as will often occur, and they are out 

 of your sight in the brush, you will know this to 



