Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-09-03


ionship, though themselves wonderfully
seoretive and sly.
And here tho element OF poacliing ~
ridioulously observable From April TO
June pheasants' eggs are worth from four
20 five ponnds pet 100, or from twenty TO
twenty-five cents each. a regular scram-
bic for them is begun, aud this season pro-
yidea one Of the richest Of the poachcr's
hnrves,s. IL isawell known fact that one
half OF the phonsants' eggs exposed for
sale Mt the shopkeepers' are stolen. Expert
poachers know every haunt Of thaphoas-
ants upon the dcmcsnes ~ well ne the
lcepcra. They are often ahoed Of the lat
Ter nj the nests Of the uniLprisoncd birds.
Not only this, but keepers themselves do
not scruplc to surrcptirlously dispose u
inllords' supply, or help Themselves from
the nests on nesyhhurlng dencsues.
Last spring rode TO Stourbridgc with
Sir Oficy ----. Our mission was to secure
ifty dozen phea1ants' eggs. which we nc
compll,hed.
"Probably one.half Of them" he said,
"camo from my grounds The other hale
are doubtless from several adjoining prop
critics. But lac added fryly. 1.-THE poach-
ing keeps The breed well crossedW
But tho pheasant hen Is not good
Domestic Sitting hens" are therefore
bought up from the pcasantry roundabout
IN scores at from eighteen pence 10 two
shillings each The hatchery. always exc
ccllcntly walled and protected from ycrfnin
often still more oNponsiyoly than the nvl-
aries whore the nesting IL going on, CON
sistA OF long series Of nrched c0mpart-
mcnts, with sliding doors which descend
aud close the hen in tightly, leaving sew
cral nperturcs Tor Hight and air. The hen
IL removed from the nest daily, fed and
watcrcd, often given run In the wet
grass or her breast feathers otherwise
dampcncd, to inlurc greater heat 10 the
eggs, and carefully put back on her own
nest, great caro- being taken that II Is not
foulcd or the eggs misplaced, and that nll
the vormln be cradicntcd. At the end "
three weeks the ph,n.ant chicks have
hsichcd. TIL. hen Is now placed In u con
icnl handmade rush or willow coop, with
free ingrcss and ogrcss for the brood, which
Is closed Ia nj night and let out ~ o'clock
every morning. They aru fed hard boiled
chopped eggs mixed with ont and corn.
meal. a sort Of food The chief material OF
which Il boiled and dried horscilcsh and
ground biscuit and oyster shells. Several
men nru now required for their care, and
for three months the cntlrc collection OF
coops Is changed daily like camp TO now
ground, and each day triho nearer tho
coycrts or forest. The food l. gradually
changed to oats and cracked raw corn; the
moment the young birds show signs Of
skulklng they arr removed from the do
nestle hen mothers and coops to the uyl-
aries. aud In JUS they arc set Mt liberty
within the grounda and forest OF the do
mcsne
However great may be tho care In tho
breeding Of phoHsants, not over one-hhlf Of
the chicks come safely 90 maturity. Then
the preserves nre ready for depletion by
poachlng IN its various forms. Not only
do the birds snifer In diminution from the
| professional poachcr, but milorl's pheas-
ants prove m irresistible temptation to
every tenant and cottcr living roundabout
| tho demcsnes,
on great estatcs from twenty TO fifty
men nre regularly employed There ARE
| the agent" aud his clerks. Tho bailin,
who looks after the home, farm and cattle,
has his helpers, There are the head for
ester and perhaps dozen under forcstera,
all OF whose bid and wood craft are quito
equal TO thosc Of the ramckueper and his
several under keepers. There are q master
sawyer and three or four men engaged In
cutting timber and posts from forest trees
and repairing gates walls and fences. The
head gardener has several assistants.
There arc painters, glaciers, carpenters,
etc. all Of whom are familiar with tho
castle and thu surrounding grounds. And
on some demesnos you will find half
dozen lodgckCcpers and their families. All
Of these poorly paid folk love pheasant
after It has come from the oven, pot OF
N Il. A..
all know how to get them without bother
Ing the village martctman.
Professional ponchins Is a far less dan
gerous pursuit than IL is usually consid
cred. During the shooting season all sort,
u village hangers ON are pressed into
service ~ "bcgtenin and TO curry md til
the gnmcbags. II IL an easy thing during
the excitement 10 hide u generous portion
Of the game at convenient points from
which IL " taken under cover OF night
Clnmur and fright also break up the rlcki
or Conveys into detached nlcs Of phcasants
which retreat as high ~ possible amour
the branches Of larch aud fir, whence III,
poachors can easily take them from thei
roosts at night by hand. Other method
are smudglng or smoking them into hal
insensibility and knocking them from
their perches with clubs Corn kernels
into which short brlstlus are Inserted, ur
I grcedily deyourcd, and the birds run ohok
ing to the hedges TO be easily taken ~
, hand, while an ingenious and succcssfu
device Is to III gamecoclS with artificial
spurs and stealthily place him alongside
covert, when the pngnnclous phcasan
cock instantly responds to the gnmccock'
Growing challenge, when three or fou
brace Of the valuable birds are easily taken
Pheasant shooting usually begins th
latter part Of October and closes with III
I final Christmas "battue.n
Notwithstanding high walls, Rcntlene'
Of keepers and all possible preventive
many plsasanta leave the demesnes, seel
ing tho outer hedges and bog grussc
where they fall a prey 20 the suares OF tci
7 ants and the guns of the poachera. Thcr
= fore few days before the pheasant shoe
7 ing bcgins all the outside help Mt the cast
starts In a circle miles from tho denesI
r, and, concentrating toward the same, shot
{, and beat with terrific hullnhuluo, tn
driving many hack within the prc1eryo
: Then MILFORD and his friends, dressed as I,
: snipe shooting On the moors and provide
y each with two double barrelcd, breech loa
u ing, center firing fowling pieces OF No
-, bore, u man for roloading and another 4
y carrying cartridges, begin the slnughte
:, The sportsmen nre stationed In advance
:, the edges OF open places. The gamokcepc
!, who ia sort OF master Of ceremoaig
: brings his assistants or "beatcrs' into III