Washington sentinel., 1898-03-12
Shooting SYndlcates.
"a MNles GaKeile.

For a number OF years past the
values ofgrouse shooting and deer
stalking have undergone no great
change, They are clearly enough
defined. Men expect to obtain
good grouse shooting at an aver
age price OF { to & S.. per brace,
although it may cCme rather more
expensive on the heavily stocked
driving moors of England, The
lessee of deer forest will find, at
the end Of the season, that his stalk.
ing has cost about $40 for each
stag that has fallen to the rifles.
Where other attractions exist, such
as salmon hshing. first rate trout
fishing, or fine residential place,
rentals will, OF course, rule higher,
but not to any considerable extent
unless in the case of good salmon
fishing. The letting value of covert
shooting is not so we'll established.
In former years this class Of shoot
ing was very often IN the market.
Agricultural depression had not
yet reduced the income of land
owners, and they were accustomed
TO reserve their coVerts for their
own enjoyment and that of their
friends. AT the period we refer to
pheasants we're not reared artiiic-
tally on any considerable scale.
The process was not properly un
derstood, and many county squires
considered it unsportsmanlike. All
this has been changed in the course
81 the last ive-and- twenty years.
Tenants are not always forth
coming for large residential places
where the expenses OF keeping
up" are heavy; neither is it always
possible to let a large extent OF
shooting to one person, The game,
however, must be killed, and this
state of affairs has gwen rise to the
modern custom of letting covert
shooting to syndicates. AS a rule
they are composed ofbusiness men
from the large tow ms, who have no
interests whatever in the neighbor-
hood and are determined, to use
common phrase, to get their
moneys worth. The results are
by no means satisfactory so far as |
iox hunting is concerned. Syndi-
Gates pay tor shooting, and if foxes
interfere with their sport the foxes
must be got rid of. Such men are
perfectly Indifferent to local opin.
ION, as they merely run down for
few days shooting and do not
mix in society, We know for a
act that in certain counties these
have wrought much in
ury to fox hunting. The owner
u the shooting doubtless regrets
heir unsportsmanlike action; but
le cannot afford to forego his rent.
We would suggest that when
covert shooting is let in a hunting
country a clause in the lease
hould provide for the preservation
u foxes, and also Tor coverts being
irawn by hounds subject to certain
The value Of the days covert
hooting in fairly we'll stocked |
woods is now pretty well defined.
We fancy readers ofthe 81. Tames's
IaSeFte will be surprised to learn
7hat high prices are sometimes
sked and paid. AS much as 6so
er gun has been paid for a day
'hcn from ], 900 to 1900 pheasants
,ere killed, and as there were eight
hooters, and the game went to the
lndlord, the latter did not come
fl badly. These figures, however,
re exceptional. 1t frequently
appens hat each man OF a syndi-
ate cannot be present at every
boot. Substitutes are readily OBJ
lined, and usually have to pay
10 to 6T5 for their days sport
hen game is plentiful. Low
round shooting entails more ex.
ense on the lessee than other
ranches Of sport with the gun.
ggs have to be bought and pleas
ITS fed. A strong staff Of keepers
required when pheasants are =
'ared in considerable numbers,
I'd beaters must be hired when
footing begins. II will be found,
a rule, that the expenses con-
.cted with low ground shooting
i'll amount to fully as much as
e rent at the end oil twelve
onths, although the lessee may
IT have been on the ground for
ore than few weeks altogether.