Evening star., 1898-04-22
NETTING STAGS.
The Annual Hunt That Takes Place
In Richmond Park.

From the London Spectator.
Perhaps the nearest approach to the ideal
OF hunting without hunting" is the annual
| deer hunt at the opening of spring, when
the largest stays in Richmond Park are
netted and transferred to Windsor. Two
brace was the number proposed to be
caught this year but in long days work,
with mounted riders. deerhounds and nets,
only three stays were taken.
The means used are the most ancient of
the fixed engines" OF sport, The deer are
literally taken in the tolls" These are
long lines of netting which are, and have
been for centuries, part of the equipment
of all the royal deer parks. These nets are
made Of thin rope, with eight-inch mesh
The height is nearly twelve feet but part
of this lies upon the ground, the nets being
hung loosely on ash poles so that when a
stag does charge them he catches himself
like a gigantic rabbit. Quite 200 yards of
TINS netting, forming heavy load for
larm morse and cart. are used in one of
these hunts, and even with this equipment
IL Is no easy matter to catch the largest
and most cunning stays in so wide a park
Ihe long line of nets set at right
angles to the Penn ponds, on the Richmond
side OF the water stretching up a gentle
hollow toward the wood on the hilton
The deer were lying on the fern-coyered
hilis1des half Il mile from the nets to the
south of White Lodge. and as they need
to be driven down wind, and the breeze
WAS from the southeast, the conditions
were exactly those required for success
The line of nets did not cover the whole of
the space between the Penn ponds and the
wood, but the interval was guarded by
stops with white flags to prevent the
deer breaking through the gap. Half way
between the deer and the nets a couple of
deerhounds were held in leash behind a
screen of hurdles, to hurry the stag If it
h. ,.ts. too Lot,
main duties of the day lay with half a
dozen riders. one lady, who had to cut
out the big stag from the herd and drive
him in the right direction. Mr.. Sawyer,
the head keeper, directed the forces SO en-
gagged. Like Bruce before Bannockburn.
he was mounted on white pony the other
riders being on big hunters; but the pony.
delightful old-fashioned animal, win a
suspicion OF turned-up nose. and gen.
eral look of being a family friend, was eyi-
IDENTITY, like his master, an old hand at the
business, and uncommonly Workma Mike
both OF them looked as they rode through
the grove OF giant oaks. and then with
whips cracking rounded up the deer. r.
was not till after some hard riding that the
big stag was cut OFF from the herd. and
when this was done he showed the utmost
disinciination to hurry himself or go where
he was wanted. Its those BICYCLES ruin
them," an old forester grumbled. S.Now
those wheels are grinding round the park
all day. the stays have got so as they are
afraid of nothing; they'll hardly move IL
you asked them with your hat off,"
This stag trotted into the oak grove and
lodged round the big trees. When he did
break he came straight down wind buf
only at a trot until the hounds were sim
ped after him. Then he broke into a gal
lop, and. making straight down the valley
charged the net and rolled over like a
rabbit. 1t was astonishing to see how
completely this big deer was entangIed
In the eight-iuch mesh. Both horns. his
nose and all four feet were meshed: and
It was not without considerable difficulty
that the body of keepers and watchers who
rounced ON him and held him fast could