The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1892-03-25

as undoubtedly these most necessary
precautions prove very remunsrative,
latterly especially, when aboQuss
sportsmen, who have more money
thar brains visits those "game herd
ers."
The British landed proprietor
would, if it were possible, prove that
the birds of the air, the beasts Of tho
fields and fish 81 the sea were I'll,
with few exceptions, created for his
own benefit and that of his kind.
The Highland poacher- will never
admit that his vocation is illegal, al.
though he may have doubts as to
whether it is in harmony with scrip
tural teachings. The Highlander has
long since forfeited the lawful right
OF shooting over the strains and
glens of his native soil, in fact freed
ON even to stroll over certain parts
is strictly forbidden as great plac.
ards are placed on these holy grounds
stating that "Trespassing will be
prosecuted with the utmost ricor Of
the law" These forbidden parts are
generally useless rabbit warrens or
molehills, fenced in by the proprie-
tors preserved and sanctiied as .
specimen of his noble policies to be
Of course referred to in due time to
his noble American and cockney
patrons. Is it to be wondered at,
then, that the Highlander of today
~envies the most unjus, right Of his
landlord to shoot over these fine
moors and deer forests, where for ger.
tur les his stalwart and killed fore.
fathers followed the chase with all
the cunning and skill of the Indian?
The game markets of Edinburgh
and Glasgow are often glutted with
the fruits of the chase. The harvest
Of the poacher is as a general rule 4
most remunerative one, a. he always
finds a ready market and good prices
for his game. Good hares, and
black game bring from two to five
shillings a brace. Venison brings
from n shilling and sixpence to
two shilIings a pound and as a rule
it pays the game dealer on certain
occasions to retail at a cheaper rate.
BY this it will be seen that the
consumer also shares in the harvested
the poacher and all it must be re-
membered, at the expense of those
philanthropic ~lessees of the moors
and forests. ats an ill wind that
blows nobody good" Ten poachers
can, by working cunnigly and har-
moniously together, make on an av-
erage f4O a week from the beginning
of September till the end Of March.
Many will have doubts as to the
truth of this statement, but if nec-
essary it could be proved. The
deeper snow the better able the
poacher is to pursue his vocation, as
it enables him to dispense with his
usual method of destruction. Ac-
companied by his dog and armed only
with a stick he tracks the hares and
rabbits in the snow to their lair in
the juniper or heather bushes.
Rabbits rarely enter burrows
when snow is on the ground. In
this manner by using great caution
he generally dispatches as many as
, fifty a day. When the snow gets
hard the poacher falls back upon his
ferrets: snares and nets, as a precau-
ton against a sudden appearance Of
the game-keeper he lines and muz.
zles his ferret, when it remains too
e long in the burrow he pulls it out BY
o means of the line when ever h
chooses. The deer comes dow
{ from the hills to feed on the turnip
and potatoes of the farmer at nights
in the early mornings the poache
digs a hole in the field sufficient,
large to conceal himself; he the
covers it with a board surmounte,
with snow and when darkness sets i
he takes up his place in this pit
d He often has to wait for hours, blu
patience is often rewarded by hi
n getting a shot at the monarch Of tn
forest. The carcass is seldom dis
I posed of but the head is VALUABLE
t and if it has twelve points it will
bring f5. The splendid head
which adorn many of the aristocrati
mansions are mostly supplied by tn
Highland poacher. Black grouse ar
n obtained by mimicking the calls o
n both sexes. They are lured in thi
manner within easy shot. Hares ar
h also generally taken in this manner
There is another class of people ir
Z the Highlands whom the census emu
merator takes no notice of. TIL,
e party alluded to are travelling tin
n smiths or "tinkers." Summer ant
q winter they live in canvas tent
pitched on the verge of a forest or a
Is anywhere where fuel can be OBJ
a tanned and mendicacy carried on Il
d advantage. These strange peopl
resemble the Indians so much in hab
s it-are all poachers, men, womel
and children. Some ingenuity is re
is quired in setting snares and nets ant
l. all may an easy matter to tn
N amateur, but if he try, he would soo1
i find out that if a wire or net is Sc
too high or too low the rabbit or har