The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-10-18
SPORT IN RUSSIA.

OF Ohl LIN hUOSlAs
Exciting Scenes Enacted in Hunt
ing Wolf and Bear.
Three Ways Of Bringing the willy Wolf to
Esrth-Squealing Pig as Bait-Buyjng
the Boar before Shooting Him.
When, last winter, paid my third visit
to the Holy Russian Empire, was enabled,
in accordance with my long entertained and
ardent desire, to get rid, for few days, of
business which chained me to either Peters
burg or Moscow, and thoroughly Indulge my
passion for the chase. The days, or what is
more exact, the nights of pleasurable sport
1enjoyed owe chiefly to my friend, Alex
ander p, whose possessions, situated at the
very foot OF the Waldai Mountains, which,
with their profusely wooded slopes and
deep, ravine-like valleys, their marshy
plains, etc., are the haunts of wild animals
Of every kind. In these mountains are to
be killed every species Of game to be found
in European Russia, from the wolf and bear
to the rebtchik, akind of partridge, but with
the game taste more pronounced. Notwith-
standing the SOLDERING effect of wolf hunt
three years ago hard on the Russo Polish
frontier, the real winter wolf hunting still
had an irresistible charm for me.
As rule the wolf is brought to bay in
three different ways. When there is no
snow the game is driven to certain places
and there killed by the hunters. This sport
is comparatively tame and never had more
interest for me than hare hunting in Ger
many. Tho landlord fixes one or several
hunting days, invites great number of
hunters, and the peasants, who, by a sur
vival Of serfdom, are compelled to Join in a
wolf hunt at any time aud without remun-
GRAFTON, assemble in families, men, women
aud children. The part of the forest where
wolves have been seen is surrounded, a
chain OF shooters is formed aud then the
signal for driving is given. From 100 to $50
peasants enter the woods and raise an in
fernal noise by clapping pieces of fiat wood
together, striking the trees and beating q
certain kind of drum. The wolf likes tho
odds with him, not against him, and as he
has no stomach for this clatter, sneaks out
of the woods and dashes through the cor
don of hunters, who try their craftsmanship
on him. Those who believe that the wolf at
tacks man under such circumstances NAV
disabuse themselves. The frightened ami
NAL runs away where it can, and he who
would hit the rascal as he dashes through
the brush must be quick and sure shot.
But, as said before, this kind of sport has
no charm for me. What a safe kind of
hunting it Is. is best illustrated by the fact
that one day three ladies of our hosts
household accompanied US, and we killed
that day no less than twenty wolves. have
never heard that at one Of these hunts q
wolf ever attacked a human being.
The second way Of hunting the wolf is to
lie in ambush, to decoy the wolf by means
of living or dead bait. and then send ball
into him from your hiding place. But this,
too, Is not very exciting. Many nights have
thus sat in the bitterest cold to return
home finally without having fired single
shot. But the third way furnishes the kind
of sport that puts heavier strain on your
nerves. This is hunting in sled. II one
sees Russian winter scene illustrated with
a sled flying swiftly over the snow-covered
space he is instantly reminded of wolves.
So, recently, q child at an exposition of
pictures where everybody admired Rus
sian winter landscape with a ''Troika' fly
ing over the snow is said to have remarked
to its mother: "But, mamma, this is not
finished; where are the wolves!"
Apparently sled has more attractive
power for q wolf than the bait offered him
in the wood. It almost seems that the ogre
supposes the occupants of a sled will prove
especially tickling to the palate. On GER
tain moonlit night of January we were as
sembled aror1hd the vaporing samovar 1.-THE
Russian teakettle) after having had a very
substantial supper. At intervals we drank
the aromatic Caravan-tea, or slipped At
chishtchina "a popular Russian cordially,
when, at about 1880, Ivan. my friends
huntsman, announced that the sled was
ready and that it was time to start. Owing
to the continuous snowfall of the preceding
days, which formed q snow and ice cover
over foot in thickness, a great many hun
cry wolves had made their appearance in
the neighborhood. This was my first ex-
perience of wolf hunting in sled, and I
confess that my heart beat fast when pict-
ured to myself q host of famished wolves,
bloodthirsty assailants which we could keep
back only by quick and deadly discharges
while our sled, drawn by horses mad with
fright, was flying over the snow like q
phantom.
Quickly we EXCHANGED our hOuse-dresses
for furred coats and boots, examined for the
last time Cur shot-guns and heavy revolvers,
the sharp hunting-knives fastened to Our
belts, and soon we were out in the mo0nlit
night. While l was accustomed to see an
elegant sled of St. Petersburg make await
Ing US under the porch of the manor, the
long-bearded driver, weighing seven pud
(about $50 pounds), his head covered with
the orthodox three-cornered Chapka of
violet velvet, now, on the contrary, beheld
. miserable rustic sled, worse even than q
common 1svostchik; indeed, just about the
kind Of sled the Finlanders use when visit
ing Petersburg during the butter week.
Before the wretched vehicle stood two mis-
cradle, rugged, sorry jades, one in the
curved shafts, the other on the sideas q
gallop horse, Ivan, the huntsman, himself
holding the reins, clad as Russian cattle
cattle dealer. The entire outfit had the as
pect Of a cattle-dealers' conveyance. The
seats were half on the side and half on the
back, and we arranged ourselves as warm
and snug a. possible; but as discovered
late ono never should wrap his legs too
closely as he may find sudden and unex.
pected uso for them. After we had taken
our seats a youngster came struggling with
. sack containing q wriggling pig, the
medium designed to call the rascally
wolves to our heels. As missed the bells
was informed that the wolf, on account of
HE innate cowardice, is scared away by too
much noise and would not dare to come
within the reach Of firearms, When we
left the courtyard we struck quicker pace
than ever would have thought those
rugged, shaggy horses capable Of We had
driven about three versts (less than two
miles) when suddenly our trot horse sanl,
into the snow and. in his endeavors to Ret
out of the trap, upset tho sled. We con-
graduated ourselves than this accident 90
CURED then instead Of later when we heard
the bowls Of the famished beasts around 10,
o. IN attack on their part would have in.
0yitahly proved fatal to %. II The soml