Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-06-25
GAME IN GERMANY.
SYSTEMATIC WAY IN WHICH HUNT
ING is MANAGED THERE.

SYSTEMATIC WAY IN WHICH HUM
ING is MANAGED THERE.
p..s... which Furnish Sport In Album
a.,.. and Bring q Large Revenue to the
.-,.ultural Classes-An Hunters Must
Purchase Licenses.
Tn Prussia the game law allows the own
or of every piece of land that is inclosed by
a fence or wall the right to shoot birds or
animals on it or to rent the privilege out
to those from the towns and cities. All
Of the land less than 200 acres in extent
which is not inclosed may belong to one
according to law, but the shooting privi-
lege is owned by the commune in which
the land is located. The result Is that
there is not free and indiscriminate hunt
ing. The sportsmen from the towns or
cities. however, for mere nominal rent
can find excellent hunting by hiring from
any of the farmers along the line OF the
railroads. The game is generally preserved
and fed by the farmer until the shooting
season, for the abundance of the game de-
terinines largely the price he can obtain
for the shooting privilege. great deal OF
the shooting land is owned by the farmers,
who do not inclose it, and the communal
authorities usually have the renting of the
shooting privileges. These renting privl-
leaes amount to many millions of marks
every year, and they constitute very i'm
portant revenue of the agricultural class.
The communal authorities credit to each
farmer his due share of the aggregate rent
al in proportion to the area of his land.
The leases of the shooting privileges are
usually from to or IL years, and by
furnishing proper financial guarantee that
the rent will be paid the privilege goes to
the highest bidder at public auction.
The club or individual leasing the land
then assumes all responsibility, both as to
the rearing and preservation of the game
and to the damage done to growing crops.
Two communal assessors determine the
amount of damage done to farm crops by
the hares, birds or deer, and they levy the
tax to be paid to tho farmers. Generally
local gamekeeper watches over the small
preserve to see that the game is not mo-
Tested.
The great principle which has been in
culcatcd by this system is that the game
birds are just as much private property as
the poultry or cattle of the farmer and that
it is just as punishable an offense to kill
them without power from the authorities
as it is to roo henroost or kill Il farmers
cow or pig. A long course of public edu
cation would be required in this country
before people could be induced to look upon
wild game in this light. Naturally there
is poaching in Germany the same as there
is chicken stealing in America, but it is
f,,1 ba i, fypr,
eral than the latter. Moreover by this
system the farmers crops are protected
from all injury by irresponsible deprcda
tors in search of game The law forbids
hunting on the farms when the crops are
growing The field shooting begins late
in the fall when the crops are all harvested
No one is allowed to wander over the
fields with shotgun and hunters accou
terments without n license from the local
authorities In order to secure license
the applicant must be man in good stand
ing and not under Is years of age. These
licenses to shoot on certain fields cost from
rs cents to So year. Any infraction o.
these rules is punishable by fines, confsca
ton of the gun and accouterments and by
imprisonment Poaching is thus kept
down, and the professional bird and ami
NAL killer is abolished.
Sportsmen who pay for shooting priv
leges are not governed by any unwrittei
code such as prevails in America that it is
not good form to sell their game in the
open market. In Germany they kill the
game for the sport, and then sell it to hell
pay for the expenses of the preserves. Or
some of the best preserves the returns from
the farms more than pay all the expenses
Men of limited means can in this way en-
joy shooting to their hearts content by
using u little business shrcwdncss in con
Quoting preserve. Without this system
many lovers of the sport could not AFFORD
to indulge in the chase at all. The game
is plentiful and very gentle when the shoot
ing season begins, and every owner feels
assured THAI the multiplication of the birds
and animals will go on without interior
eIlce from poachcrS.
" Tho principal wild game in Germany
are the stag, the deer, harcs and rabbits,
pheasants, cartridges, snipe, woodcock,
wild ducks, swans, foxes, badgers, fish OF
tiers and many others. The hare is the
great national game animal, hunted alike
in every part of the empire by tho plain,
average German sportsman. 1t is su-
perior animal both in size and quality, to
the common brown American rabbit Il
does not burrow, but seeks shelter in
cold weather behind stones and roots of
trees. The small animal is in great abund
ance, and it forms a staple article of food
for the lower classes They are very pro
life, one mother often bringing out from
Is to "a young ones in one season. They
are preycd upon by hawks, foxes and other
enemies besides man, but they multiply SO
rapidly under the fostering care of the
laws that in December, when the shooting
begins, the hunters find plenty of game
Paris is a great market for haros, and it is
not unusual for gamekecpcrs in one place
to order special car each day during the
shooting season to send straight through
to the French capital In Prussia alone as
many as 2, 500 900 hares have been killed
in one season, representing an income to
1t,,pa nj q