The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1896-09-03
HAWKS TRAINED TO HUNT DEER.
The Birds Pursue and Worry the Came
Until the Spotsmen Arrive.

native chiefs tram the hawks LOT VdI-
ious species of game. The hawk can
not be trained for more than one sort
of sport, and those which are taught
to attack deer will not fly after other
game.
In deer hawking the aim Is to let the
hawk worry the prey until hounds can
catch it. A couple of hawks will make
such q vigorous assault on deer that
further running is impossible and 1t
will easily fall a victim to the hounds,
which would be unable to catch it by
themselves.
The training of the hawk is a slow
matter. The bird must be caught
when exceedingly young. 1t is brought
up on a deerskin and in company with
the hounds. The lure is made of the
ears and skin of the head of deer,
and the bird is taught that its life is
intimately connected with that animal.
When the hawk has attained its
growth it is taken out with an old bird
for a trial. If possible the first flight
of the bird is at a fawn or wounded
deer. where escape is impossible. I'M
bird is fed some of its meat, and then
the training is over, and the hawk
will never fly at any other animal.
Colonel Fl. Ward writes Interestingly
of the sport in a recent issue of the
Badminton Magazine. He gives the
following account of a days sport:
AT the head of the party rides the
Bashi Bazuk, two hawks on his hand,
or carried by an assistant on foot, who
leads the two long haired Persian grey
hounds in leash. Just behind them
follow a brace of handsome English
greyhounds. looking like thoroughbred
race horses beside cart horses. The
country. to all appearance, is nat
plain, stretching away northward
some twelve or fifteen miles to the
range of mountains from 5000 to 5000
feet high. one of the passes of which,
the Malakund, has lately become IA
nous as the scene of Gen. Lows nrst
battle on his march to Chitral.
"Afterrding some few miles, looking
over the top of one of these low hills,
the Bashi Bazuk signals that deer are
in sight. They are very wary, ana al
though some 500 yards off, are MOVING
about in a restless state of alarm ~
it is decided to fly the two hawks enu
send with them The Tie Ii LIZ ssifaISs sflgISS lAhce Ane
hounds. while the party keeps perfect
ly still until the birds have singled out
their deer.
There is always an element of un-
certainty is to which deer will be Sc
lected; this time. as luck will have 1t,
out of the small group of five the
hawks chose the only buck. From
where we stand we watch he birds
taking a bee line for the deer, flying
low enough for the greyhounds to see
them easily. The deer are not at all
disturbed about the hawks, they are
only anxious about the horsemen;
while the hounds. favored by the un-
evenness of the ground, run unseen,
with their heads in the air, watching
the hawks until they run into sight OF
the deer, about POO yards off.
"Then the race begins in earnest.
| and we follow at our best speed. The
buck had not gone a quarter of mile
when one of the hawks swooped down
on him from "a considerable height,
| striking him on the side. and rolling
| him over like a shot hare AS the
hounds were too far off to take advan-
tage of this opportunity, the buck was
up and off in an instant. The hawks
seemed TO realize the futility of strlk-
ing until the dogs were nearer, for
they changed their tactics: one perched
on the deer's back, and was carried
along with his wings stretched out,
after the deer had tried in vain to
shake the bird off with a succession
of bounds, the other buffeted the CHI
kara about the head until he wa COM
plately bewildered, and ran first one
way and then another, finally rushing
almost into the mouths of the grey
hounds. who pulled him down just as
we got I'D. The Bashi Bazuk gave the
coup de grace and fed his hawks; they
were hooded up, and the deer was
strapped on to a saddle.
Occasionally the deer escape through
the intervention of another of their
enemies-the eagle. That bird, OF
which there are several species in In
dia. often wait until the hawks have
the game caught. and then seize 1t. II
an eagle appears while the hawks are
flying after deer the hawks will i'm
mediately desert the chase and hlde
under any available object.
So long as the eagle remains in sight
it will be impossible to induce the
hawks to fly. "A days sport will often
be spoiled in this way unless it is pos
sible to kill the eagle. and that is
sometimes hard to do, as the eagle is
wary, and will not come within gun
shot.
Hawks are also trained to hunt va
rious birds, the bustard, which Is
about as large as Il turkey, being often
caught in that way. The hawk can fly
much faster than the bustard, and
when the larger bird discovers this
fact. he alights and prepares to tight.
He is no match for his agile and