WILD TURKEY. 
347 
immediately announced to the whole party by a chuck ; thus 
alarmed, they rise on their legs, and watch the motions of the 
owl, who, darting like an arrow, would inevitably secure the 
individual at which he aimed, did not the latter suddenly drop 
his head, squat, and spread his tail over his back ; the owl then 
glances over without inflicting any injury, at the very instant 
that the turkey suffers himself to fall headlong towards the 
earth, where he is secure from his dreaded enemy. 
On hearing the slightest noise, wild turkeys conceal them- 
selves in the grass, or among shrubs, and thus frequently 
escape the hunter, or the sharp-sighted birds of prey. The 
sportsman is unable to find them during the day, unless he has 
a dog trained for the purpose ; it is necessary to shoot them at 
a very short distance, since, when only wounded, they quickly 
disappear, and, accelerating their motion by a sort of half 
flight, run with so much speed, that the swiftest hunter can- 
not overtake them. The traveller, driving rapidly down the 
declivity of one of the Alleghanies, may sometimes see several 
of them before him, that evince no urgent desire to get out of 
the road ; but on alighting, in hopes of shooting them, he soon 
finds that all pursuit is vain. 
In the spring, when the males are much emaciated by their 
attendance on the females, it sometimes may happen that, in 
cleared countries, they can be overtaken by a swift cur-dog, 
when they will squat, and suffer themselves to be caught by the 
dog, or hunter, who follow^s on horseback. But from the know- 
ledge w’e have gained of this bird, we do not hesitate to affirm, 
that the manner of running down turkeys, like hares or foxes, 
so much talked of, is a mere fable, as such a sport would be 
attended with very trifling success. A turkey hound will 
sometimes lead his master several miles, before he can a second 
time flush the same individual from his concealment ; and even 
on a fleet horse, after following one for hours, it is often found 
impossible to put it up. During a fall of melting snow, tur- 
keys will travel extraordinary distances, and are often pursued 
in vain by any description of hunters ; they have then a long, 
