If you get a chance, pick up "John James Audubon: Writings & Drawings" (The Library of America, 1999). Selected by Christoph Irmscher, Audubon’s wild turkey writing presented here provides a historical glimpse into the nineteenth century world of the wild turkey, including hunting strategies prevalent at the time. It's great stuff, and undervalued in my opinion.
I'm still not certain as to why his painted gobbler head and feathering are so far off colorwise, but hey . . .
--S.H.
