Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-02-22
HUNTING IN RUSSIA.
Now the Czar and His Companions Pars,
Lively Game.

Now the CEar and His Companions Parsu>
Lively Game.
A correspondent who has accompa-
nied the Gar on his visit to the eau.
casus, sends from Vladikavkas an in
teresting account of the sport to be had
In that part OF his Imperial Majesty's
aominions. The whole OF the southern
and eastern part OF Russia, he says,
consists OF great undulating steppes,
not unlike the South Downs in places.
The undulations yield many pleasant
surprises to the sportsman in the shape
of dense oak-coppices. which make ex-
cellent covert for wolves, foxes and
woodcock. The result is that good
sport may be had. The correspondent
gives the following description OF a
wolf-hunt
My host, Count Peter Schouvalofr.
keeps pack OF fox-hounds here, and
some forty or fifty gray-hounds and
wolf-hounds. For those who can not
or do not care to ride, the way Is to
stand at covert-corner and shoot the
game rs the fox-hounds drive it by.
The real sport, however, is TO ride
with three great wolf-hounds held by
thong. fastened across the shoulders,
passed through rings In their collars,
and the loose end wound around the
left hand. When the wolf breaks
covert, running carelessly enough be-
fore the noisy pack, which he knows
could never catch him, you slip your
dogs. who have been for moment or
two nearly dragging you out Of tho
saddle, between him and the covert
and then begins the race for life or
death. The other horsemen slip their
dogs In turn, and unless there Is good
covert near, the wolf Is doomed | do
not believe that single dog will
tackle full-grown wolf, but two will
Even then they would come off second
best unless the hunter, with his short.
loaded stick Chung TO the wrisD, came
to the rescue. The first man up mas
To jump down, Desirable the wolf.
and hold him by the ears till the next
arrives and gags him. The operation
is generally left to the huntsmen, and
IL Is not pleasant one, for though the
wolf can not bite once you have got
hold Of his ears, the dogs have nasty
habit OF swapping at his neck, and
often enough their sharp teeth meet
In the hunters hand.
One night, after an exciting days
work, during which we had shot three
wolves and captured four. we heard "a
fearful yelling. On ipquiring what
was the matter, we learned that one
OF the huntsmen had "funked" during
the day, and refused to gag wolf.
which another pluckier fellow was
valiantly bestriding and holding by
the ears, while the hardly less savage
dogs snapped all around. He had on
return been Immediately tried and
condemned, and was now undergoing
n severe thrashing at the hands of his
fellow-servants. We thought it no
case for interference. especially ms the
other mans hand had been severely
bitten, Another form OF the sport Is
to form in line about three hundred
yards apart, each man with his dog,
whether wolf or gray-hounds, and liz
this way sweep over twenty or thirty
miles of country, running down all
you see. The only danger in riding
lies in the numerous marmot-holes,
which also now and then afford ref.
ugc to some fox or hare just about to
be seized by the dogs. The state OF
things below, when first u hare and
then fox bolt into the midst OF the
marmot family-party. must be curl.
Gus, The woodcock alight in consid-
cradle numbers In their autumn pass
age south, and we shot many in the
very garden, including one completely
white. Other noble birds are the
greater and lesser bustard. OF which
large quantities roam the steppes.
The former are very wary, but you
can got within shot by driving an OK.
vain slowly to and fro or round and
round, each time coming a little nearer.
London Standard.