In line with turkey hunting in general & the first post's turkey dog remark ..
I have been reading a copy of a treatise by Zachariah N. Morrell, published 1872. It covers his years in Texas from 1835 forward. In it he tells of a turkey hunt near Huntsville, Tx in March of 1846 using turkey dogs that belonged to a Mr. Sanders. The dogs were loosed in the woods much as one would use ranging dogs for hunting quail on horseback. The dogs were used to flush & tree the feeding turkeys and the hunters kept up with or got to the dogs as soon as possible listening for the flutter of turkey wings rather than looking for a point or listening for the dogs to bark as a hound might. They dismounted to dispatch the treed turkey or turkeys. That partcular hunt he was utilizing a flintlock rifle & he had some reservations about pulling the trigger as the flushed & treed bird was near overhead & he was afraid holding the gun in perpendicular position that when the pan flew open that the powder would go into his eyes rather than taking fire. His solution was to take careful aim and close both eyes just as he pulled the trigger. As he was a preacher by profession, I expect there may have been a prayer as well. Had the powder not taken fire it would have been a miss and he could not have been able to reload in time for another opportunity at that tom. They had strong coffee and turkey for dinner, the flavor of the latter being described as "beyond description". He said it was cooked "hung before the fire in the regular backwoods style". His host had only "a good fire, a little log cabin covered, no floor, cracks not lined and no chimney."
edit: He makes no mention of the dogs type.
Last edited by tw; 01/19/08 03:31 PM.
