Charles Deas (American, 1818–1867), Turkey Shooting, 1838, oil on canvas, 24 1/4 x 29 1/2 in. Paul Mellon Collection, 85.632.
- Type: Art Audio File
- Collection: American Art
- Culture/Region: America
- Subject Area: Visual Arts
- Grade Level: 9-12, College, Adult
In Chapter 17 of James Fenimore Cooper’s novel The Pioneers, a traditional Christmas Day turkey shoot takes place according to these rules:
The turkey was already fastened at the “mark,” [the stump of a large pine] its body was entirely hid by the surrounding snow, nothing being visible but its red swelling head and its long neck. If the bird was injured by any bullet that struck below the snow, it was to continue the property of its present owner; but if a feather was touched in a visible part, the animal became the prize of the successful adventurer.