Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-01-26
ENGLISH poAcnERs.

wAe 1ssy Are, cad New meg ny 1hsar
Unlawful Av0easiea.
Just as q liar may b something else
besides liar, 20 a poachsr may be. and
usually is something else besides
poacher. Very commonly he calls
himself farm laborer. Shsst 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 careful
survey. he will set gins where he
thinks proper.
To be ordered to work in field next
to a 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 tho 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 hare or two will be-
come entangled in his nets The ''in-
nocent laborcr" type of poacher some
times carries ferret and rabbit-net
iu 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 a 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 =
light spring cart, and when they see
hares feeding in a 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 rs \ man
of more than doubtful character
Properly speaking, u lurcher is the
result of cross between greyhound
and a colley. but he is not always a
first cross, and he frequently inherits q
strain of some other breed. He is
desperate and deadly enemy to hares
and rabbits. and he generally unites IN
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. so
there is no object in. docking a lurcher.
Celliers are much given,tO poaching in
some districts. Their f:lyorite dog is
produced by crossing: p very small
greyhound with T. buE-terrier or
spaniel. Sunday is their great day for
poaching. During the hoars of divine
service they 90 for walks in little par
ties of three or FOUR. along the public
footpaths. and allow their dogs to
raage in the fields and to draw the
hedgerows. As every magistrate has
good reason for knowing. large num-
ber' of petty poaching. cases depend
upon the question whether the culprit
was or was not upon, whah he calls the
'-fnttpath" ut the time. the offense
was committed. Al rat-eatcher and
. mole-catcher haze many opportu-
mites of poaching. and owners of
shootings and game-keep<rs would do
we'll to keep . sharp eye upon all per-
SOFAS following those oallings. Perhaps
the worst of I'll kinds. of poachiags are
poaching game-keepers. 4 keeper who
even hints at any thing like sharp
practice with regard IN. neighbor's
boundaries is never tobe trusted about
his own masters interests We re-
member keeper.who' was employed
on an outlying shooting some miles
from home. The man had always u
good show of binds and sent a regular
supply for the table, but it turned out
that he was onc.ot the greatest poach-
ers in the county, and that he had
killed and sold the. neighbor's game.
II not his masters in considerable.