THE INDIFFERENT YOUNG GOBBLER 215 



of hens to pass beneath the tree on which he is 

 perched, he would regard them with no more 

 interest than he would a flock of crows; hence 

 neither the hen nor her yelp would be a decoy to 

 him, but the call of another young gobbler will 

 enlist his attention. The call of the young gob- 

 bler, like that of the average boy as he is develop- 

 ing into manhood, is changeable and erratic; at 

 times it is ridiculous from its awkwardness, and 

 hard to imitate or even to identify. It consists of 

 an irregular hoarse and discordant croak and a 

 coarse muffled cluck that sounds like an acorn 

 falling into a pool of water, or the gentle tap of a 

 stick on a log. If this yelp or cluck is properly 

 and timely made, it will bring the young gobbler 

 to the hunter, but usually he is in no haste to 

 come even then. They have ample time to spare 

 for all their movements, and it requires the great- 

 est patience and dogged determination of which 

 a sportsman is capable to sit and wait their pleas- 

 ure; but if the hunter has a band of young gob- 

 blers well scattered, if he has a good caller and is 

 expert in its use, and will make up his mind to 

 sit quiet and talk turkey, he will usually be re- 



