Morning journal and courier., 1884-11-05
HUNTING THE ELK IN GERMANY
The Rare Game Reserved by the Elm peror for Favored Guests.

The Rare Game Reserved Dy the 1SA-
 peror for Favored Guests.
 From the London Daily News.l
 VIENNA, Oct. 14-The crown prince of Austria is having some very rare sport-elk hunting in eastern Prussia. In the Memel delta, between the mouths of the rivers Russ and Gilge, is situated the royal domain and hunting station of Ibenhorst. It is low country, the plain interrupted in some parts by broad wooded hills, which were formerly artificial dykes. In winter, when the river Memel is frozen and the waters rise, only the sandy hills and the great moor of lben- horst are visible above the vast plain ot water This district is the socalled 'water steppe,'' with it's rich vegetation of water and moor plants, wEere the postman at certain seasons makes his rounds in boat, and where in mild winters, when the waters ot the flood are not turned into ice, and the soft ground does not bear either hoof oI wheel no communication between the isolated farms and villages is possible. The peasants of the Litthau call this period of the year the ''Schalktarp."
 The hunting districts of Ibenhorst consists of extensive woods, the moor. and large meadows. The woods contain frs in the higher parts, willows and alder trees in the lower parts, with birch trees 1ntersperseo everywhere. The forests do not pay in tp1s part of the country, and the government therefore, devoted them to the elk, which is fast dying out in Europe, and is interesting enough to the sportsman to be entitled to a place of refuge. In olden times, when Ger, many was almost exclusively forest and moor, the elk abounded everywhere, and Siegfried killed large numbers ot what the s'Nibelungen Lied" calls the 'Grlm Schalk. " But it's deficient ear and eye, it's tameness, and it's clumsiness in the chase, especially on frozen moors soon caused it to become es"2rce, and it is at present found nowhere e. Set ID eastern Prussia on the coasts of the Baltic Ill Russia, in some parts of Sweden apS Nor way in northern Siberia in Canada, A4aska, and New Brunswick.
 A century and a half ago the woods o1 eastern Prussia still contained great numbers of the elk for manuscript chronicles tell us that in 171S no less than forty, and in l75l more than fifty were killed in one single day The extirpation of this rare animal has pro gressed rapidly since then, and Ill lS4S th' number of elk deer in the forests or 1pen horst was reduced to eleven. King Freder ick William W. of Prussia happily published special law protecting this kind of game and it has gradually increased again, so tha in 1882 there were no less than 149 deer II the woods of Ibenhorst and Tawellnlngken Of course, the limited number of the deel enable very few sportsmen to take part II this kind of chase, and the imperial family of Germany reserve them for their mos cherished guests Ibenhorst cannot b' psaehed d-SEitheut some difficulty ty,ss The rail way takes the emperor's guests as far as Til sit. The rest of the road, leading througl water, forest field, and moor, must be tray eled in carriages. The woods are in very bat condition, because the elk is very fond O. eating the young buds and leaves, and breaki ! all the branches within it's reach. The moutl | of the elk reminds us of the camel; it's neck | covered with thick mane, is short and clos set, like that of the bull, and it's movement ! resemble those of half-bred horse. It i not shy, and does not fly very fast before tn | hunter so that it is not difficult to aim at | Its powerful antlers are, however, splendl' I trophy, to be valued by every true sports man.
 There is one original figure on the domail ! of Ibenhorst-Ramouat, the "father of tn | elk, 5 as the people call him. The only Ian | guaee he speaks is ''Litthauisch;" the onl | planes he has seen are the vast forests, I which he provides for the elk as if it wer | his family He is fond of showing plac 1 where he helped the German crown princes ! out of a ditch into which she had fallen iron ! her pony carriage, overturned by her horse ! who had shied at the sudden appearance of | herd of elks Ramouat is very proud o \ having been able to help the princess in he | dilemma: but he makes no difference betwee1 ! the sportsmen intrusted to his care, and treat them all with equal frankness. Thus he sal' | to Prince Frederick Charles of Pruss1a, tn ! great soldier and sportsman, to whom h { showed the way through the forests of Iben I horst: ''Oh, yes, you may smoke as long a ! YOU like; but if you want to see elks thel your Royal Highness, for Gods sake, hol | your tongue"