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WILD TURKEY HUNTING. 1M . H-Wll 
y.lxj 
O F the numerous articles under this head, appearing ‘at 
intervals in the Forhst and Stkkam, one published, 
a short rime ago, over the noin cle plume of “Splasher,” 
accu 1 ately detailed the method of successful turkey hunting, 
so far at least as the South is concerned. It was interesting 
to all who are fond of the pursuit of this noble bird ; and as 
I arrogate to myself the title of an adept in the art, I will 
venture a few suggestions and incidents of my sporting ad- 
ventures when wild turkey hunting, which will probably in- 
terest “ Splasher,” et id omne genus. 
In the part of the South in which I reside the flocks are 
few and far between, seldom containing more than twenty 
individuals ; but within the last few years there has been a 
manifest increase, partly owing to salutary game laws, and 
partly to the growing up of old field pines in the worn-out 
fields. These pine forests are favorite resorts of the turkey, 
and afford" them, at all seasons of the year, more secure 
roosting and hiding places than forests of oak and other de- 
ciduous trees. The rapidity of growth of the old field pine 
here is something wonderful, and has undoubtedly been of 
great advantage to many parts of the country. Districts are 
frequently seen densely covered with this growth, the trees 
in many instances averaging a foot or eighteen inches in 
diameter at the stump, which forty years ago were in 
cultivation. 
When flushed in open fields or oak woods, in the hunting 
season, the turkeys go straight to the pines, and have a way 
of settling themselves in the lofty tree tops, so as to be per- 
fectly screened from observation. In this part of the coun- 
try the open season extends from October 15th to the 1st of 
February, and after November the birds become exceedingly 
wary, and it requires all the arts of an experienced huntsman 
to bag them where tneyhave been hunted. But one turkey, 
in the latter part of November and in December, is worth 
more than two or three in October, and to kill them, as a 
rule, requires ten times the practice and skill requisite when 
they are young. It is considered as decidedly unsportsmanlike 
to “bait” or trap turkeys, and no one but “cuffee” or a 
white pot-hunter ever does anything of the kind. Turkey 
hunting here requires such skill, patience and knowledge of 
the habits of the bird that few sportsmen indulge in it ; but 
this sport possesses such attractions that, when once initiated 
into the mysteries thereof, it discovers a fascination un- 
equaled by any other sport to be had in the old Southern 
States. It is gratifying, too, to those sportsmen who, like 
the writer, dwell in a sparsely settled region, where the negro 
has a numerical superiority of two to one over the whites, to 
perceive that Sambo seldom develops any taste for this 
sport. He is expert at hare and squirrel hunting, and it is 
his especial prerogative to hunt “de ’possum andde ’coon 
but partridge and turkey hunting are not in his line. Hence 
about all the harm he does to turkeys is his propensity to 
build a log cabin in the pines, and squat in the midst of the 
old turkey ranges, which has the effect of driving the game 
from their accustomed haunts. 
4 flock of turkeys will frequently have a range, the ter, 
mini of which may be ten or more miles apart, and conse- j 
quently they are hunted most frequently on horseback. A 
well-trained dog is a sine qua, non of the sport. In October, 
when the turkeys are young, they are easily killed ; but later 
on, when they have become fully matured and have been 
hunted, is the time when skill, patience and caution are re- 
quired. The best method of hunting and calling turkeys 
may be most satisfactorily described by relating a little of my 
experience, and I have hunted them in company with some 
of the most skillful and successful sportsmen in the South, 
and have killed within the last ten years not less than an 
average of ten a season. 
The call which is superior to all others, when in experienced 
hands, is the larger bone of the second joint of a turkey’s 
wing. This bone is first trimmed at each end, and then 
cleaned of all particles of flesh and marrow. One end is 
then inserted into a tube of cedar or elder, about as long and 
but litlle larger than a man’s middle finger. The other end, 
to make the call, is placed between the lips and the air 
drawn in. 
About the first of December your corn spondentl and a 
companion started at early dawn on a turkey hunt. After 
proceeding a few miles from home we entered upon an old 
and extensive turkey range, and for several hours rode 
through oak woods and dense pine forests, over rugged hills 
and through swamps. Our dog, a well-trained Irish setter, 
knew as well as we did what we were after, and he paid no 
attention to smaller game, but all the while ranged in our 
lront and to the right and left, frequently a half-mile away. 
It was mid-day before we saw any fresh signs of turkeys. 
Soon after earing our lunch, however, we saw tracks, evi- 
dentlv made verv recently. Carefully noting the direction 
in which the flock had gone, we pushed forward, cautiously 
scanning every opening and listening for the bark of out- 
dog, which had disappeared in our front. At length we 
heard him bark, and soon saw above the tree tops several 
turkeys flying in different directions. The dog continued to 
bark, and we saw at intervals several other turkeys flying off. 
All this showed that the flock was a good one, and that the 
dog had performed his duty well and had scattered the fl -ck 
so that they could not get together without yelping. Se- 
curely fastening our horses in a low dell, we cautiously ad- 
vanced on foot, and were met by the dog, who instinctively 
retraced his steps to the spot where he had flushed the flock. 
We then proceeded to hunt around, within a radius of a 
quarter of a mile, to see that the flock were well scattered. 
After proceeding a short distance a fine young gobbler flew 
out of a tree over our heads, and, both firing, we brought 
him down. We saw and heard several others fly, but beyond 
the range of our guns. We then called in our dog, and, 
selecting proper places, built our blinds. The location and 
construction of a blind requires as much skill and experi- 
ence, as well as knowledge of the habits of the game, as any 
other part of turkey hunting. Both depend so much upon 
the nai ure and features of the ground that it is almost im- 
possible to lay down any general rule. Other things being 
equal, the location must be near the spot where the flock 
was scattered, and the blind must be as like nature as possi- 
ble. An inexperienced hunter may place his blind near the 
spot where the flock was scattered but in such a position 
that he will not See a turkey, while an old hunter would 
place the blind fifty yards away aud bo eminently suc- 
cessful. 
We made our blinds of small cedars which were abundant, 
selecting such as were not over three feet in height, sticking 
them in the ground in a circle about five feet in diameter, so 
as to resemble some natural clumps near by, and on a slight 
elevation. Mine was near the spot where the dog first flushed 
the flock, and my companion’s some quarter of a mile away, 
in the direction we supposed most of the turkeys had gone. 
Having completed my blind, in which the dog had already 
curled up, I crept in and remained perfectly quiet for an 
hour. I then, with my yelp, gave three loud and distinct 
calls. For fully half an hour I waited, intently listening, 
only to be occasionally startled by some of the sylvan sounds 
With which woodsmen are familiar, but nothing fell upon 
my ear denoting the presence or approach of the game. I 
then gave another call — three notes as before— but in a low 
tone. The bone had scarcely been taken from my lips, when 
a slight sound caused me to turn my head cautiously, and 
there, within twenty steps of my blind, was a turkey, standing 
as straight as an arrow. Quickly throwing my gun to my 
shoulder I shot it through the head and neck. Restraining 
my dog I waited again for fully thirty or forty minutes, and 
then gave another low call. This time I received an answer 
from two directions. Knowing that both turkeys would 
come with unerring instinct to the place whence they had 
heard my call, I kept perfectly still. Again and again they 
yelped, each time nearer, those on one side nearer than those 
on the other, and soon two came up together, and as they 
were passing the blind I shot one, but was unable to get a shot 
at the other as it flew off. Fully another hour elapsed before 
I ventured another call, but in the interval I heard two shots 
from my friend in quick succession. I again yelped, and 
after listening for some time I heard a low cluck , the note 
frequently made by an old gobbler. He came up to a spot 
about one hundred yards from my blind, and stood for some 
time perfectly erect, with every feather of his beautiful plu- 
mage in place, and with a beard fully ten inches long. There 
I remained crouched and immovable, with one hand on the 
dog and the other on the gun for a long time, and there he 
stood, occasionally walking off a few paces and then coining 
back. As the sun was getting low and I saw he would come 
no nearer, I made a similar cluck to his own. He immediate- 
ly started toward me in a run, and I thought I had him, but be 
suddenly stopped about seventy-five yards away as if he bad 
discovered something wrong. I was in a state of breathless 
excitement, afraid to move hand or foot. I was debating 
whether I should fire and risk killing him with a chance shot 
when, as if struck by a sudden thought, he crouched down, 
and stealthily Crept away. I watched and waited sometime 
longer, but at length greatly chagrined, and thinking he had 
taken alarm at something about the blind, I drew a long I 
breath and' stretched out in the blind, making some little j 
stir. As I did so I was startled by the well-known put ! be- 
hind me; and, glancing around, I saw that he had come up 
behind the blind, and. when within ten steps had seen me 
without my discovering him. I sprang up with the gun to 
my shoulder, but as I did so he ran behind a tree, and kept 
the tree between himself and me, until beyond gunshot, 
when I heard him fly. Gathering up the dead, game I ihen 
repaired to our horses, where I was soon joined by my com- 
panion who had also secured two. 
Much has been said in regard to the number of notes to be 
made in calling. With aBy but young turkeys you should 
never rnake -more than three notes at a tirne^ anti at intervals 
