The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-06-25
Abinger OF Inverlochy House OBJ

Abinger OF Inverlochy House OBJ
tanned an interdict against him. He
Immediately secured its removal for
els, part only of the proceeds of two
days shooting in Lord Abinger's pre-
rves, since which time his operations
have not been interfered with. His
greatest revenues are, however, Sc
cured by night sweeping" by seines
of the pools of the river Lochv, hun
dreds of grilse or young salmon and
some sea trout always being secured.
'Drousy Mogins" is more of poacher
angler and less of pirate. He wan
ders at will among the Grampan trout
streams supplying the tables OF the
nobility with the choicest trout from
their own streams; and has been of
fered fabulous sums for a glimpse of
his marvellous flies" But a year since
Lord Morton sent young poacher
resident on his Ardgour estate to Cam
eron of Loeb Eli, begging him to en-
ploy him as a gillie in order to sup
press his genius for poachng An en-
tire volume might be filed with siu-
liar incidents and illustrations.
Poaching is carried on among the
vast deer forests and in stream and
pool sweeping" by net in most law
less and defiant manner. 1t is simply
impossible to provide sufficient game
keepers and gillies to protect the for.
es's from the inroads of poacher
"stalkers;" aud the poachers of fish
are so thoroughly organized, and in
sudden conflicts with water bailiffs,
handle the latter so mercilessly that
the bailitfs usually seek seclusion
rather than the marauders.
GENUINE cunning, patience with
marvellous moor and WOO icraft are
therefore more often found in those
poachers who hang about the out
skirts of we'll stocked "shootings' and
preserves, alert as sparrow hawks or
moor buzzards for poults of every de-
scription which have market value.
Pheasant and grouse poaching bring
the most profitable returns. Aside
from the night raids described above,
the Ingenious devise is resorted to of
fitting a game cock with artificial
spurs, aad stealthily placing him
alongside the pheasant covert. The
pugnacious pheasant cocks instantly
respond to the game cocks growing
challenge, and often three or four
brace of pheasants are thus taken.
Again in the highways near where
pheasants are bred they may often be
seen scratching and roliug ia the dust
of the road. The poachtr provides
himself with corn kernels into which
short bristles have been inserted.
These are greedily devoured, and the
birds, choking to death in the hedges,
are quickly and quietly dispatched.
Grouse are taken by being shot from
behind stone walls, an entire brood
often being picked off at a time, if the
poacher keep himself out of sight; with
fine hair spares set ON the moor Lii.
locks, in the runs" around them, and
between the rests" among the
heather; and just before day break, by
silk drag nets with glazed bottoms, on
mo0rs which are systematically burnt,
an entire covey often being bagged at
one sweep.
But the most detestable of all British
poacbers is that wholesale thief who
has no soul for nature love, whose ar
tifices are never marvelously ingenious
for the sake of the art in them, and
WHO never possesses even the slight at.
tractiveness of sunny and genial vaga
bondism. This is that boucher or
moucher who rents for some 90 or so
shillings from some moorland farmer
or yeoman tiny hill shooting" He
will see that it has tiny moorland
stream and patches of sweet heather
and that it is sunny and sheltered.
This is all that is required to comprise
q tavorte resort for moor game. It.
will also furnish a few hargs and per-
haps some black game among the
bracken. To this spot covey after
covey of moor birds will cone for
heather and wafer. They come in
well defined flights and alight in the
very same place every morning The |
moucher simply notes all these flights,
dips" of flight and alighting
grounds and sets his fynets before
lay. They are heavy birds, fly straight
and swift, aud on striking the net be-
come hope; essly entangied or drop
stunned into the bag beneath. A
noucher renting a hillside shooting"
1t 40 shillings will TINS, often without
lischarging gun, take more game
han can be shown as bagged at the
End of shooting season on the largest
md best conducted game preserves of
Britain. EDGAR l.. WAKEMAN.
The Best of Farmers.
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