feeding, and from the many signs we 
surmised they were not gleaning close 
in by the river, but on the higher 
ground. We knew they would usually 
seek a resting place lower down and 
convenient to a flight across the stream 
in case of an alarm. If we could only 
hear them “fly up” the chances would 
be good for a shot. Once I felt sure I 
heard the dull beat of a rising bird, 
but it proved to be a gasoline launch 
away down the river and all again 
was still. A hermit thrush flew up on 
a near-by bush and gently swung his 
dark-brown tail in slow cadence; a 
pair of crows up the river were hold- 
ing a lengthy confab and seemed bent 
on argument quite emphatic; then we 
heard a squirrel chattering and scold- 
ing a little way up the woods, and Tom 
nodded his head in that direction to 
indicate his suspicion that there might 
be a cause behind such an alarm that 
would prove of interest to us, for we 
have found that the squirrels are active 
scouts for the presence of turkeys and 
frequently announce their movements 
in no uncertain terms. Sure enough, 
it was less than 
ten minutes 
after we had 
heard the com- 
motion until we 
heard one — two 
—three of the 
big fellows fly up 
into trees, but 
ther Cds not 
come within 
sight of us. We 
made out the di- 
rection to be up 
the river three 
or four hundred 
yards, and we 
separated, per- 
haps seventy-five 
Vrcdet (es apart, 
working up that 
way most cau- 
tiously. 
The wariness 
of these keen- 
eyed rangers is 
proverbial, and 
we well knew it 
behooved us_ to 
use our utmost 
skill in trying to gain the vantage 
point. I took the course in nearest to 
the river and perhaps fifty yards from 
the border of the low line of ash, gum 
and cypress of the wetter area. There 
were fewer pine trees in my beat and 
therefore the less chance to find one of 
the birds on the roost, but I had thus 
far not proven a great success at dis- 
covering their bulky forms while at 
rest in a tree, but once in a while I 
could knock one over as he catapulted 
Page 75 
from his haven, and so I counted on 
perhaps an equal chance with Tom for 
getting my share of the game. Pres- 
ently I had quite a shock thinking one 
of the birds had made off well ahead 
of me, but it proved to be a vulture 
sliding down wind just above the tree 
tops. 
COULD see Tom, at times, search- 
ing the pines and thick magnolias 
with greatest care. He meant to get 
in his work before the bird took wing. 
Once I saw him stop and circle about 
a big pine tree, peering up all the 
while, and he told me later he was 
sure he had a bird located there, but it 
proved a false alarm and he went for- 
ward again. Finally I lost sight of 
him as he passed beyond some tall 
scrub palmettos, and then in a little 
while I heard two shots in quick suc- 
cession and a turkey came out ahead of 
me, fifty to sixty yards, with quick 
wing-beats and a glide, and again the 
rapid strokes and glides. I had ample 
time to note the robust body, long, 
handsome tail and the bright red of 

CAN YOU PICTURE A FINER TROPHY THAN A LUSTY, FULL-BEARDED GOBBLER? 
head and upper neck, and then my 
right barrel spoke and—the bird went 
on! 
Just how anybody can miss a bird as 
big as a wild turkey when there has 
been plenty of time to consider the 
matter is one of the mysteries of hunt- 
ing. Tom says they “go like light- 
ning,” but they don’t, and then Tom 
is no judge of wing-shooting anyhow. 
Can’t kill a quail once in five shots fly- 
ing and rarely gets a turkey on the 
wing, but he gets them somehow all the 
same. I surmise the birds do make 
better time than appears at a hurried 
glance. I can testify to several bald 
misses at a fair range with some few 
of these chances in the open. Now 
there is nothing to be proud about in 
such an admission, but an honest con- 
fession is good for one’s self-respect, 
and it may as well go on record while 
the opportunity offers. Now I did not 
think out all this chaff while the tur- 
key was flying on towards the river 
after I had missed him. In fact, he 
didn’t go twenty yards further in direct 
flight, for having another charge ready 
for such an emergency, I quickly in- 
duced him to alter his course and down 
he came in a whirl, evidently with one 
broken wing, for off he went in high 
gear and full power, and old “past 
sixty” after him as he rounded a clump 
of palmettos before I could reload, 
which I did as soon as possible while 
making some headway through the 
timber and brush. As I circled the 
brush, I saw him skulk into another 
bunch eighty or ninety yards farther 
on, and halted 
for Tom to come 
up as he had seen 
a part of the 
chase and was 
doing his best to 
escape being dis- 
tanced. I gave 
him the points as 
we hurried on, 
and then we 
separated as we 
approached the 
palmettos, one 
going each side 
of the clump 
which was not 
over twenty 
yards in diam- 
eter and rather 
circular. I tried 
to beat the old 
fellow out by 
chunking | sticks, 
but finally had to 
walk him out and 
Tom laid him low 
as he made off. 
I was rather ex- 
ultant over Tom, 
telling him how I had got his bird 
after he had missed it twice, and he 
insisted that he reckoned I wouldn’t 
“*s had it anyhow” if he had not fi- 
nally shot it, which remark I passed 
off with much disdain and assured him 
I could have easily scared out such a 
cripple and killed it without any of 
his assistance. We looked around a 
little for the other birds, but as it was 
now almost too dark to see them we 
(Continued on page 121) 
