FOREST AND 
STREAM 
205 
The Grandest Game Bird in America 
Mysteries of Wild Turkey Hunting Told by an Expert for the Benefit of a Younger Generation 
T may be of no interest to the 
old-timer, but it will attract the 
attention of the younger genera¬ 
tion of sportsmen if I speak 
briefly of the habits of the 
wild turkey and how to find 
and bag him. The wild turkey 
is the largest of all our 
gallinaceous game. In years past it could be 
found in most all the states east of the Rocky 
Mountains. Now it is found in the southern 
parts of the country. They are plentiful in Texas 
and to be found in fair numbers in all the south¬ 
ern states. The abundance in any locality, how¬ 
ever, depends on the supply of their favorite 
food, such as mast, small nuts, acorns and seeds. 
They are very fond of all kinds of grain; and 
in searching for it will at times approach very 
near houses and outbuildings, and can be seen at 
rare times running and feeding near fences in 
fields containing grain crops. They are decidedly 
the shyest and sharpest of game birds and most 
difficult to approach, and yet they are accredited 
: with doing fool Itihings. Two hunters were 
sleeping under a tall pine tree. One awoke and 
lay there musing. Presently he noticed a bunch 
on a limb; he reached for his gun and shot at 
the bunch and brought down a good sized 
gobbler. A man on horseback, riding within thirty 
feet of a rail fence near the woods, counted 
fourteen turkeys coming through a break in the 
fence. Possibly they mistook the man as part 
of the horse. It is needless to say that the man 
did not have a gun, and that if he went to the 
hole in the fence with a gun and watched, he 
could do so for years and never have another 
such chance to bag a turkey. The writer, one 
morning when quail shooting, in South Carolina, 
had his pointer dog point a turkey in the heavy 
broomsedge grass near a fence. The bird flushed 
as I stepped forward expecting a quail to flush. 
I was so surprised I almost forgot to shoot. The 
report of the gun sent half a dozen or more 
turkeys into the air, all out of range. Now those 
birds must have heard the dog and myself 
approach, as they lay covered with the thick dry 
grass; one of the “fool things’’ a turkey will 
do. The wild turkey pairs off in the Spring. This 
is a time they are successfully hunted, the 
gobblers only being killed, though many of the 
young birds are shot in early Fall. The weight 
of a full grown wild gobbler is from sixteen to 
twenty-five pounds; the weight of a hen turkey, 
full grown, runs from ten to fourteen pounds. 
I Instances are on record of the capture of thirty 
to thirty-five-pound gobblers. The writer once 
saw a gobbler alleged to have weighed thirty- 
seven pounds undressed. The writer shot one 
that weighed twenty-two and a half pounds, un¬ 
dressed. 
In October, in states as far north as Pennsyl- 
By Dick Swiveller. 
vania, and in November in southern latitudes, 
the turkey is in fair condition, and the young¬ 
sters able to care for themselves. At this time 
the gobblers may be “called’’ within range of 
the gun. Experienced turkey hunters can imi¬ 
tate the call of the turkey that brings the birds 
together. The little instrument, the “caller” is 
made of wood or metal. Some call with the 
mouth alone. An old turkey hunter I used to 
hunt with could make a gobbler believe to the 
depths of his tender gizzard that some fair in¬ 
amorata of a hen turkey was languishing to have 
him call around. He would bring that gobbler 
right out of his concealment and fairly up to the 
blind, all by a peculiar puckering of the lips, 
assisted by the tongue. It is very difficult to 
learn to call correctly either with a caller or 
with the mouth alone. One false note, no matter 
how slight, will send the birds in the air or run 
them to cover. It is very exciting sport to lay 
concealed in the thick woods and get an answer 
from a gobbler who thinks a hen turkey is call¬ 
ing for him. The call is repeated and answered, 
and after an interval of fifteen or twenty 
minutes the wooing, soothing call. Again the 
answer from the wooer; and this is repeated by 
the hunter if all has worked well, until the 
gobbler makes his appearance. His position may 
be too far away. In this event the caller must 
have the skill to make the call of the supposed 
hen turkey appear still far away and thus draw 
the gobbler up to the distance required to bag 
him. Sometimes two or more gobblers will 
answer. The chances then are that two or more 
will be bagged. They are very keen, always on 
the alert. The slightest alarming sound can be 
detected. I have thought they can see the wink 
of a human eye at fifty yards. It is a splendid 
sight to see a full grown gobbler step into view 
after being called up. To see his wary look, his 
stately and noiseless tread, head erect, his black 
and greenish plumage spreading into bronze, 
the whole giving a metallic luster. When alarm¬ 
ed these birds, though so large, can get on wing 
about as quick as a quail, and shooting them 
under such circumstances requires speedy hand¬ 
ling of the gun. They are very tenacious of life 
and require large shot, No. 4 or even No. 2, 
propelled by 28 grains of bulk smokeless powder 
and a hard-hittine 12-gauge gun. 
There are several ways of hunting and captur¬ 
ing the wild turkey, being governed by locality 
and surroundings. They are called as mentioned 
above, while another way is in the use of trained 
dogs to follow the scent, discover and scatter 
the flock. The hunter, then guided by the bark¬ 
ing of the dog, goes to the spot where the birds 
scattered, builds a blind and calling is begun to 
bring the flock together, for it is their habit to 
want to go to the place where they scattered. 
By this means two or three birds are secured to 
two guns. Again a spot is found in the woods, 
usually near a swampy place with tall trees and 
heavy brush in proximity. The turkeys roost 
in the trees, on the upper branches generally. The 
hunter builds a good blind and goes to it just 
before sunset and waits for the big birds to 
come in to roost, then shoots them from the 
trees. Another plan is to discover where a gang 
of turkeys “uses.” This is found where the feed 
is good. Corn should be scattered around in 
various places, and those places visited every 
day to see if the bait has been taken. Having 
become assured that the gang is coming every 
morning (they begin -feeding at day-break) for 
the bait, then construct a blind, which is made 
simply of brush and limbs, but bear in mind it 
must not have a new or made-up appearance; no 
bright green wood or butts should show. Use 
dead brush, brown and old branches and sticks, 
and so constructed as to be closed on all sides, 
and roomy enough to accommodate one or more 
shooters in a sitting position. It should be open 
at the top, and open places enough on all sides 
to push the gun through. As soon as the blind 
is built, scatter the corn in front of it fifteen or 
twenty yards away. The turkeys will soon take 
this trail. Bait again in the afternoon and be in 
the blind long before daylight next morning, still 
as an owl, and await the coming of the grand 
turkeys. Just as the mantle of night is lifting 
and the rosy hue in the east.is more pronounced, 
you will probably see them coming, two, three, 
four, seven, ten or you may count a dozen or 
more. An exciting moment- On they come, 
feeding, and at last reaching the place where the 
corn is thickest, which brings them within range. 
Now if you have not an attack of “buck-ague,” 
select a bird, kill him and instantly put your 
second barrel to a bird on the wing without wait¬ 
ing to see if the first shot was effective. This 
method of taking the wild turkey is probably as 
fair and satisfactory as any. 
I must confess, that in my experience in shoot¬ 
ing most all varieties of our game birds, the 
question of “meat” has little to do with the 
sport, but when turkey shooting, the thought of 
this fine game bird on the table is a prominent 
factor in the desire to bring him to bag. I don’t 
know but we may as well take him in any way 
we can get him which includes a slice from his 
tender bosom that has been browned by proper 
cooking—or a second joint if you please. The 
individual who has yet to taste for the first time 
wild turkey will experience a sensation of rap¬ 
ture beside which his first canvasback duck- 
celery fed is a mere everyday affair at table, 
provided always that the turkey is properly 
treated in the kitchen and served with all the 
honors to which he is entitled. 
