New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-01
JACK IN DEMAND.
THE KANSAS VARIETY AND ITS ADVAN-
TAGES FOR COURSING.
HOW JACKS" ARE CAUGHT ALIvE-A RABBIT
DRIVE KANSAS

DRIVE IN KANSAS.
Wichita. Kan. Nov. 25.-Tne sport OF rabbit cours-
ing is receiving a impetus since the Kansas
back-tailed jack-rabbit has entered the arena Not
Until quite recently has the coursng fraternity been
aware Of the great superiority of the Jack rabbit
over the cotton-t rabbit the English hare. for
this purpose. Kansas jack-rabbits are now greatly
in demand, both in this country and In England
and live command good price. The difnculty
in catching them alive is great and only one man
In Kansas far as known has given his undivided
attention to the work Charles Payne, familiarly
known throughout the West a hunter and plains
man. has been d jack-rabbit enthusiast for years.
and it is largely through his efforts that the merits
OF the animal for coursing purposes have become so
generally recognized.
The capture of i've Jacks involves the purchase Of
a great deal OF expensive paraphernalia. Mr.
PAYNE has two made OF seine twne, hve feet
In height and which, when extended. reach almost
across a section of land. which were made ex-
pressv for catching live Jacks. His method Of en-
trapping the willy animals is peculiar. 1t Is his
usual custom when preparing for the raid upon the
rabbits TO advertise among the farmer boys the day
upon which the jack-rabbit drive is to take place
At the appointed time hundreds Of country boys
mounted on ponies flock to the rendezvous, armed
with fox horns, drums bells and anything else that
will make dscordant noise They are deployed In a
semi-crcular line about two miles in front Of the
net and at a given signal from the marshal of the
making all the noise possible. II the hunting
grounds have been well selected the horsemen will
have no trouble in bouncing rabbits innumera5le
and they scamper away toward the net, fol-
lowed pell-mell by the farmer boys the scene
is one of the greatest animation. The rabbits II
they do not become confused by the noise and OK
element bound away toward the net with almost
lightning speed and usually many of them strike
the net so hard that they break their necks. Those
that survive the shock scamper Into the pockets
which are ingeniously arranged for their reception
and for them 1.-The Jig is up Rabbits sometimes
die with fright not having sufficient strength to
make the for life
These rabbit drives among the most popular
sports in which the prairie farmers indulge and II Is
customary for the organizer Of the drive to provide
a bounteous spread for his gratuious helpers. The
American jack-rabbit has met with warm well
come in England, among his most enthusiastic
champions there being the Earl Of Seton. owner of
the Atcar Plains, over which the Waterloo cup
race Is run yearly. The Earl has stocked his game
preserves with American b.ack-tailed jacks and has
interested many English coursing enthusiasts in
them. The English hares fall prey to the dogs
too easily. The Kansas jack-rabbit is capable of
much greater speed and its use in the coursing
parks furnishes exciting could be de-
sired. BY the employment of an ingenious shipping
crate which has recently been perfected, the jack
rabbits weather the ocean voyage which has
hitherto been fatal to them In most instances.
Jackrabbits have value aside from that at
tached to them for their coursing qualities. The
half grown rabbits much in demand food
during the winter season In many districts in the
Eastern States they supplantng the cotton
tai. rabbits, which are wel-nigh eXterminated by
the market hunters who use ferrets in their capt
ure Gamekeepers need have fears from the
depreciation OF market hunters II their preserves
are stocked with the Kansas variety The jack
rabbits do not burrow, but take to the open when
pursued by the dogs and It is almost impossible to
capture them without the use Of a net. They
multiply rapidly during the summer The
female brings forth litter of from two to six at
intervals OF about month during the summer.
The male will XIII the young rabbits If he can find
them For this reason the female Invariably hides
them in isolated spot; Jack-rabbits have
eie heS ske with her ore feet
with their sharp claws the blows have telling effect
gS e % m Su When Tanns T the
he viii hardly jump over an obstruction three feet
afraid of water and will rarely cross stream
". Fl. Force. Of New-York. who recently bought
a lot OF jack-rabbits which he turned loose on his
as released started for the water. plunged in and
pSs GS or the or T wou
hardly be credited BY Mr. Payne could he not voueh
has recently begun investigation as to the num-
ber habits and general characteristics OF the Kansas
tion thus obtained in the form of special report
Nothing could be exciting than TO course
lack rabbits on the open prairie man ma, living at
long ago and accepted the invitation OF friend
10 join a party In a jack-rabbit chase with grey
hounds The guest went along In an open
buggy simply to watch the sport. He became 80
interested in the chase. however, that he drove a.,
the vehicle following greyhound and tack-rabbit
until they were lost in the distance. When he gave
up the chase he found himself alone on the vast
prairie with little idea as 10 where he was. NO
more idea than rabbit" he expressed IT,.
Luckily the horse found the way back to the start
ing-poiht. and the ,man from brentwood de-
clared tina, he would never more yie.d TO the Sc
ductfve sport OF rabbit coursng.
MTSTICEFS IN OFFICE UOVRS