Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1888-05-26
PoAcheRs oE ENGLAND.
VINO They Are and How They Ply Their
Nefarious AyOcation.

VINO They Are and How They Ply Their
Nefarious AyocatiOn.
Just as liar may be something else
besides a liar, so a poacher may be. and
usually Is, something else besides a
poacher. Very commonly he calls him
self a farm laborer. Short and inter-
mittent Jobs are what he likes best,
and he often changes his master. He
will engage himself TO farmer in order
10 gain the right Of going upon certain
land, and then, after a careful survey,
he will set gins where he thinks proper.
To be ordered TO work in a field next TO
a covert is what he likes best and when
his masters back is turned he notices the
hares' runs in the fence that al ides the
field from the wood. AT night he re-
turns 10 the scene Of his otseryi ons and
sets loose purse net over each IN. He
then goes into the covert and walks
through the side Of it next 10 o. fence,
when the chances are that at least hare
or two will become entangled in Iii nets.
The ''innocent laborer" type Of ICacher
sometimes carries ferret and rabbit
net in his dinner basket, and seat linn
self on hedge bank honeycombed with
burrows TO take his midday meal, with a
result which can easily be 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 readiness to run into any
hare or rabbit that may be turned to him.
Sometime they carry their greyhounds
in 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 bysight. \ still
more favorite dog among poachers Of this
sort is lGrcher, although many fear TO
keep oIe. because his very existence is
enough to stamp his owner as q man of
doubtful character. Properly Speaking,
a lurcher is the result of a cross between
a greyhound and a colly; but he is not
always Il lirst cross, and he frequently in
herilS strain OF some other breed. He
is a desperate and deadly enemy 10 haTes
and rabbits, and he generally unites an
excellent nose and great speed with sur
prising s..lcity and cunning. OF all
thing il IS most important in poacher's
dog th.t he should never give tongue.
We can remember the time when lurch-
ers' tails used to be cut 10 give their
owners an excuse for pretending that
they were sheep dogs. IL these days,
however, sheep dogs are usually allowed
10 keep their tails, so there is no object
in docking a lurcher.
Golfers are much given to poaching in
some districts Their favorite dog is
produced by crossing very small grey
hound with a bull terrier or spaniel
Sunday Is their great day for poaohMg.
During the hours Of divine service they
go for walks in little parties Of three or
four, along public foot paths. and allow
their dogs TO range in the fields and to
draw ~, Ag., crows. AS every magis-
trnte has god reason for Enowinga large
number OF Ictty polching cases depend
upon the question whether the culprit
was or was lot upon what he calls the
'.fu.toih' at the time the oifense was
committed. 4 rat catcher and a mole
catcher have many opportunities Of
polclling. and owners Of shootincs and
game. -opors would do well to keep
sharp eye upon persons following
those c4llings. Perhaps the worst Of all
kinds Of poachors are poaching game
keepers. 4 keeper who hints at any.
thing Ike sharp practice with regard 10
a ncic,lGoT's boundaries is never 70 be
trusted about his own masters interests.
We remember a keeper who was en-
ployed on an outlying shooting some
miles from home. The man had always
a good show Of birds and sent a regular
supply for the tallc, but I. turned out
that lie was one of the gr at'st pnachers
in the county, and that he had killed and
sold the neighbor's game, II not his
master's, in considerable quantities.
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