New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-04
THERURALLIFE OF ENGLAND
BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID
THE POACHER.

There is no parish in England WITHOUT us
Poacher and in some two three. OF more may W.
found. | do not speak of occasional transgtesSoIs
- Tho Game Laws. as Idle fellows out upon Sun
DAYS or holidays who spend them IN the capture
~ game partly for the pot. Int as much by way OF
rsstime, These are poachers too, punishable and
nunished all the same; but they are not accounted
in the category of the regular, OF as he is often
STYLED professional" 10 lcheI. True, he does not
STYLE himself So only by his deeds having earned
the designation instead he generally pretends 10
have some trade or other industry, and oslensioIy
practses it during tho DAY. When night comes
on. down 90 his trade tools, and in their place
arming himself with nets wresnareS' guns an"
gun he is OIL to the game preserves. bu' tnoio
also the pOacher pur sang, who dlsdahs an
subtcrfuge regardless of reputation as Oh Jaw, w
for his livelihood depends solely on INC s'''0 u '"o
game he mas capture Not such poor uclon"'"00
ia ir either: considering that hares sell lor over
dollar each pheasants the same parlridges uoii"i
and half the brace and wooucockS TWO uoll"is 'n0
oornIe Truc. these are the retail prices; but the
licensed game dealer himsef-he must he licensed
has to give figures close up TO them, whether nc
purchases from the owners of preserves or other
wise He IS rot supposed TO negotiate with the
noacher at all. though he often undoubtedly does
and as the traffic is illegal, with as much danger u
the buyer as the seller the reduction i'll price Is not
an great as might be supposed. In any case INC
noacher receives far remuneration; and the moro
when his dealings are direct with the consumer as
they generally are He can almost always dispose
of hare or pheasant, sub rosa, to the semi-gen''y
residing in villas, and the shopkeepers OF inc
towns: besides there is never wanting i'll any
neirhborhood a publican who makes sur1eptltiouS
pame-dealing speciality. and is ready to act as MS
.fence" and receiver 1t will thus be seen that nc
has no difficulty in finding market for MS com
modities: and supposing him TO take only single
hare OF pheasant in the night greater are MS gains
,bap those of the poor laborer who tolls all day for
n scant two-shilling wage. From night poach-
ing however, there will frequently accrue many
heads of game; hence the temptation to follow 1t as
a profession.
I'm the pursuit of his unlawful calling, the regular
poacher displays remarkable skill; having an IN
innate acquaintance with all the ways of the game
birds and animals. and the modes OF capturing
them. He will lind the tree on which pheasants
roost AT night by the accumulation of their drop
pipps underneath; the hare he catches IN wire
snares set in the breaks or gratis" of hedges,
where "puss" is in the habit of passing through;
while the partridge he takes in the stubble' by
means of long nets; confrere or two assisting MN
to extend them. Sometimes whole covey Will De
thus captured az a single draw. Passing through
district of country where game is ZeaOusy pre-
served, one often a stubbe-feld with branches
of hawthorn sticking up here and there over 1t; the
object being TO obstruct night-neting by poachers
True these might pluck the thOrns up ana clear
them ont of their way but in doing so the BIRDS
would he flushed and cleared oil also. In most
neichborhoods. the rabbit Is the poachor's best
source of supply and emolument; its capture pay
ing him better than even that of the nobler sorts of
AMI of lata mi
rabbits having risen in a remarkable degree But
few years ago. the indigenous wild species could
have been purchased in any part OF England Tor SIX
pence or II cents; now it is three times as mucn.
This is partly due to the increased scale OF prices
for butchers meat, the use of rabbits hesh being
found an economy. But there is also greater aI-
preciation of it IN modern days as a decacy, many
people esteeming it so, and WHEN properly cooked It
is OF conrse the poacher does not get eighteen
pence for q rabbit Dut he has no difficulty In OBJ
tanning tenpence or a shilling. He had needs how
ever be cautious in his dealings with this as with
other game, and so also they who buy from him
for although rabbits are not strictly regarded as
game, they are equally under protection of the
Game Statutes as property. recent Act has
somewhat relaxed the law relating to them. as also
to hares, giving tenant farmers a limited leave TO
kill them on their own land. Agricultural depIes-
sion with the cutlery raised at the damage done 10
crops by the ground game" as these are called led
TO the passing of this Act: which, however, has
no beneficial bearing on the poor man. against whom
game and sport are alike tabooed. AS TO the
poacher il affects him for the worse making every
farmer Jealous watcher and aid to the gamekeeper
still poaching is not put down. but goes on as ever
gang of three or four pOachers working tc-
gether will capture two or three score rabbits in
nights excursion. They take them in various
rhi 10 bV Nyirp &
hares in the hedge-breaks or on the beaten runs,
when the rabbits are abroad feeding; then the
poacher's deg trained TO do his part, chases the
animals into them. Sometimes the snaIcs are left
set day to be revisited on the following night
but this is rather risky, leaving traces that may be
discovered and utilized by the keeper and his
watchers. When the warren itself is attacked, the
poacher goes about his work in different way,
calling the ferret TO his aid The mode Of procedure
is 10 fix nets over the months Of the burrows then
send the ferre;s in when the rabbits boiling out
enmeshed and get their necks instantly broken by
wrench from the poachcrs wrist. There is no
poacher without pair or more OF these tame and
trained weasels his most efficient assistants; and
for rcason-inparted TO me in confidence 10y one
OF the fratcTnIty-the white pink eyed variety IS
preferred 10 the brown or iitchct fcrret' the
former from its color being easier seen IN the dark
ness and so better for poachin2 mostly done by
night In addition to his fcrres the poacher keeps
q dog and sometimes two, in which case one will
be a halfbrcd greyhound or lurcher for coursing"
haros when the opportunity offers at early morn or
on q moonlig ht night. He carries n gun. too,
though not always; and even when thus armed
uses it sparingly. dreadlng betrayal by It's report
The gun Itself is peculiar and known as
poacher'S gun" being shor-barrclled and easily
taken to pieces for deposit in the inside pockets of
b;oc n whole SklIit
is pocket round and round capable of containing
quite hampcrful of hares and pheasants
In the personal appearance OF the out and out
ronnhnr thnrn il n ilinsuncrasN ho1h To 1ress