Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-02-09
ENGLISH POACHERS.
Who They Are and How They Ply Thei
Unlawful Avocation.


Who They Are and How They Ply Their
Unlawful Avocation.
Just as liar may be something else
besides liar, so poacher may be, and
usually is, something else besides a
poacher. Very commonly he calls
himself farm laborer. Short and in
termittent "jobs'' are what he likes
best, and he often changes his master.
He will engage himself to farmer in
order to gain the right of going upon
certain land, and then, after a careful
survey, he VIII set gins where he
thinks proper.
To be ordered to work in field next
to covert is what he likes best, and
when his masters back is turned he
notices the hare's runs in the fence
that divides the field from the wood.
At night he returns to the scene of his
observations and sets loose purse-net
over each run. He then goes into the
covert and walks through the side of it
next to the fence, when the chances
are that at least a hare or two will be-
come entangled in his nets. The ''in-
nocent laborer" type of poacher some
times carries ferret and a rabbit-net
in his dinner basket. and seats himself
on hedge bank honeycombed with
burrows to take his midday meal,
with result which may be easily
imagined.
Cattle-drovers and butchers men
often do great deal of poaching.
They are fond of keeping greyhounds,
and they train one dog to range
while the other sneaks about in readi-
ness to run into any hare or rabbit
that may be turned to him. Some
times they carry their greyhounds in a
light spring cart, and when they see
hares feeding in field by the roadside
they stop and send their dogs over the
fence. These greyhounds are taught
to hunt by scent as well as by sight.
A still more favorable dog among
poachers of this sort is the lurcher,
although many fear to keep one, be-
cause his very existence is enough
to stamp his owner as man
of more than doubtful character.
Properly speaking, lurcher is the
result of cross between greyhound
and a colley, but he is not always a
first cross, and he frequently inherits a
strain of some other breed. He is a
desperate and deadly enemy to hares
and rabbits, and he generally unites an
excellent nose and great speed with
surprising sagacity and cunning. OF
all things it is most important in a
poacher's dog that he should never
give tongue. We can remember the
time when lurchers' tails used to be
cut to give their owners an excuse for
pretending that they were sheep dogs,
In these days, however, sheep dogs are
usually allowed to keep their tails, SC
there is no object in docking lurcher.
Golfers are much given to poaching in
some districts. Their favorite dog is
produced by crossing very small
greyhound with bull-terrier OF
spaniel. Sunday is their great day fol
poaching. During the hours of divine
service they go for walks in little par
ties of three or four, along the public
footpaths, and allow their dogs Il
range in the fields and to draw tn,
hedgerows. As every magistrate ha'
good reason for knowing, large mum
Der of petty poaching cases depend
upon tho question whether the culpri
was or was not upon what he calls tn,
"futtpath" at the time the offens
was committed. A rat-catcher an(
mole-catcher have many opportu
mites of poaching, and owners o
shootings and game-keepers would d.
well to keep sharp eye upon all per
sons following those callings. Perhap
the worst of all kinds of poachings ar
poaching game-keepers. A keeper VIII
even hints at any thing like sharl
practice with regard to neighbor'
boundaries is never to be trusted abou
his own masters interests. We re
member a keeper who was employees
on an outlying shooting some mile
from home. The man had always
good show of birds and sent a regula
supply for the table, but it turned GU
that he was one of the greatest poach
ers in the county, and that he ha
killed and sold the neighbours game
if not his masters, in considerabl
ouantities -S1furfl1u Reiiesp