The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-03
WILD BOAR HUNTING
FRANCE.

Partridge shooting having been
brought to an early close on account of
the scarcity of game, and it having
been ascertained that wild boars were
in great abundance in the Bots de Bou-
logne, the inhabitants OF Bouogne and
the neighboring districts made prepara-
ton for a grand battue. A big reward
has been Offered by the government for
every boar shot, on account of the raw
ages made by them on the crops, and
this, together with the desire to take
part in an emotional hunt, induced the
huntsmen to give up one of the week
days to hunting. In order to have
great success, the twenty sportsmen,
including the sub-prefect and the at
torney-general who Joined in this bat
tue, did not, as is usual meet at GER
tain spot in the forest and then all
march together to the place of action,
but they all had their positions as
signed to them beforehand, and then
went one by one to the inclosure which
was to be beaten. Thanks to this,
successfulday and some good sport
We're had. The gamekeepers came on
the track Of a band OF fifteen boars in
the early morning, and tracked them
up to their lair, which was situated in
a "futaie,' one of the densest parts of
the wood, which is only cut down and
trimmed once every thirty years.
Nothing daunted by the apparent inn
penetrability of the inclosure as soon
as the huntsmen had got into their
places, the gamekeepers entered the
bush with their dogs and commenced
beating it thoroughly. All the boars
We're driven out, and, although most of
them got away, some scot free, others
with little souvenir in the shape of a
bullet or so somewhere in their bodies.
the net result OF the battue was four
boars shot.
One amusing incident occurred to-
ward dusk. Scores of horses and dom
keys are daily put out to grass in the
Bots de Boulogne. Now about two
years ago q huntsman shot one by ac-
cldent, and found himself mulcted in a
very heavy fine as we'll as damages, for
the French law Furnishes very heavily
an act of this kind. AS there was a
young huntsman in the party who was
not os these parts, and who had never
before taken part in battile, let alone
seen wild boar, the older huntsmen
solemnly warned him against shooting
at anything unless he could plainly see
1t. All went well until the last beat for
the wounded boars was undertaken,
when one of the latter emerged from a
thicket and coolly limped past the
young hunter at about a dozen yards
from where he WIS standing He, how
ever, refrained from shooting it. and
when the other huntsmen came up and
abused him for having lost his oppor-
tunity he calmly declared that it was
a donkey, and that he had plainly seen
its ears Tapping. Now, as a matter of
fact, boar's ears are scarcely visible
at distance of three yards, so this
was either wild flight of imagination
or the result of an attack of nervous
ness. Up till last year it was thought
that the wild boars were becoming ex-
tlnct in this part of the country; now,
therefore, that the contrary has been
proved battue will take place at least
once IN every week in order to thin the
boars out as quickly as possible. Pail
Mall Gazette.