Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-06-27
GAME In GERMANY.
SYSTEMATIC WAY IN WHICH HUNT
ING Is MANAGED THERE.
Preserves Which Furnish Sport In Album
dance and Hiring Large Revenue TO tho
Agricultural Ciasscs--An Hunters Must
yurchAse Iiceusrs.

dance and Hiring u Large Revenue TO tho
Purchase Licenses.
In Prussia tho game law allows tho own
or Of every piece Of land that Is inolosed by
fence or wall tho right to shoot birds or
animals ON 1t or to rent tho privilege out
to those from tho towns and cities. All
of tho land less than 300 acres In extent
which is not Enclosed may belong to ono
according to law, but tho shooting privi-
lego Is owned by tho commune In which
tho land Is located, Tho result IL thnt
there Is not FREQ and indiscriminatc hunt
ing. Tho sportsmen from tho towns or
cities, however, for moro nominal rent
can find excellent hunting by hiring from
any Of tho farmers along the limo OF tho
railroads, Tho game Is generally preserved
and fcd by tho farmer until tho shooting
season, for tho abundance OF tho game de-
termines largely tho prico no can obtain
for tho shooting privilege, A great deal OF
tho shooting land Is owned by tho farmers,
who do not incloso 1t, and tho communal
authorities usually have tho renting Of the
shooting privileges. These renting privl-
ieacs amount to many millions of marks
every year, and they constitute u very Inn
portant revenue Of tho agricultural class.
Tho communal authorities credit TO zach
farmer his duo share Of tho aggregate rent
al In proportion to tho AREA OF his land.
Tho LEASES of tho shooting privileges arr
usually from q to o or II years. and by
furnishing proper financial guarantee that
tho rnt win no paid tho privilege goes 10
tho highest bidder at u public auction,
Tho club or individual leasing tho land
thon assumes all responsibility, both as To
tho rarinR and preservation of tho game
and 10 tho damage done to growing crops,
| Two communal asscssors determine tho
amount of damage done to farm crops by
tho hnrcs, birds or dcor, and they levy tho
tax TO be paid to tho farmers. Generally u
local gamekecper watches over tho small
preserve to see thnt tho game Ii not mo-
Tested,
Tho grcat principle which has been In
culoated by this system Is TINT tho game
birds nrc just rs much private property NJ
the poultry or cattle OF tho farmer and that
1t IL Just M punishable mn offonse to kill
them without power from tho authorities
IA 1t IL to rob n henroost or XIII u farmers
cow or pig A long course OF public edu
cation would be required In this country
before people could bo induced to look upon
wild game In this light. Naturally there
Is poaohing In Germany tho Same rs thcc
In chicken stealing In America, but 10 is
doubtful II tho former IL much moro gcn-
oral than tho latter Moreover, by thls
system tho farmers crops AFRO protected
from NIL injury by irresponsible dcproda.
| tors In search Of game Tho law forbids
hunting on tho farms whom tho crops nro
growing Tho field shooting begins lato
In tho fall when tho crops arc NIL harvested.
| No ono IL allowed to wander over tho
| folds with u shotgun aud hunters Acoou-
torments without n license from tho local
authorities. In order to secure a license
tho applicant must DO a man In good stand.
| Ing and not undor IL years Of ago. These
| licenses to shoot ON certain fields cost from
| 10 cents to % n year. Any infrnntion Of
these rules IL punishable by fines, ooniiHca-
| tion of the gun and aoooutermonts and by
imprisonment. poaohinR IL thus kept
down, and tho professional bird and ami
nal killer Ia abolished.
Sportsmen who pay for shooting priyi.
lcges AFRO not governed by any unwritton
code such M prevails In America that ID Ii
not good form to soil their game In tho
open market. In Germany they kill tho
pay for tho expenses of tho preserves, On
some OF thu best preserves tho returns from
tho farms more than pny all tho expenses,
Mon OF limited means can In this way on
Joy shooting TO thoir hearts content by
using little business shrowdness In con-
Quoting u preserve. without this system
many lovers Of tho sport could not afford
TO indulge In tho chase at oil. Tho game
Ia plentiful and very gentle when tho shoot
Ing season begins, and every owner foois
assured that tho multiplication Of tho birds
and animals will 20 ON without interfar
enec from ponchors.
The principal wild game In Germany
arc the stag, tho deer, haros and rabbits,
phoasants, cartridges, snipe, woodoook.
/ wild ducks, swans, foxes, badgers, fish CT
tors and many others. Tho hnro Ia tho
great national game animal, hunted alike
In every pnrt Of tho empire by tho plain,
average German sportsman. IL Ia SUI.
pcrior animal, both In sizo and quality, to
/ tho common brown American rabbit 1t
does not burrow but seeks n shelter In
| cold weather behind stones and roots OF
trees. Tho small animal IL In great abund.
apoe, and IL forms staple article Of food
| for the lower classes. They nro very pro-
| iific one mother often bringing out from
10 TO "a young ones In ono season. They
arc proyod upon by hawks, foxes and other
enemies besides man, but they multiply 10
rapidly under tho fostering care Of the
laws that In December, when tho shooting
begins, tho hunters find plenty Of game.
Paris is great market for hares, and II Is
not unusual for gnmokeepers In ono place
TO order special cur each day during tho
shooting soason TO sond straight through
TO the French capital In Prussia alone as
many as 1900, 900 harcs have been killed
In ono season, representing an income TO
tho agricultural classes Of nearly i,b0o,-
| 00O
Tho gray partridge Of northern Europe,
found In considerable abundance In Ger
many, greatly resembles our quail, only IL
IL larger. II Ia ono Of the most gamy field
birds, and It's flesh IL highly priced BY the
epicures. So carefully arc they protected
that they live upon tho open fields and
meadows close To tho farmhouses. Tho
birds bring forth two broods In ono season,
and tho hunting begins In September. On