Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-04-17
RARE SPORT IN AUSTRALIA.
Hzating Rabbits and kangaroos At
f0rds an Interesting and Ex-
citing Pastime.

"If you want an exciting occupa-
ton, one that will give you plenty of
exercise and will keep you busy all
the time you are at it," said the ex-
Australian, who is now a resident of
Detroit, to a Free Press man, Just
20 to South Australia and hunt rab-
bits. They are the greatest pests
with which a country was ever az
ficted, and many fine farms have
been ruined by their depredations.
For years the rabbit has been one of
the most serious problems with
which the British government has
had to deal. They breed so rapidly
that determination seems to be out
of the question. The government
pays a bounty of three pence tail
and six pence a scalp for rabbits, and
regular parties ara formed to hunt
for them. These parties, or COM
panies, pay Ga week salary to good
Imarksmen, but usually a man can
make more by working independent
". All sorts of schemes are resort
ed to to do the government. For
instance, IL a man is onto his job he
can secure as many as 20 tails from
one rabbit, simply by cutting the
hide into strips and palming the
strips off as tails. The government
employees who have the handling of
the tails are not experts and are
easily deceived. Then you can hire
boy for a pound to smuggle bag
full of rabbit tails back to you and
sell 'em over again. The regulation
bag contains IA rabbit tails.
"As many as 600 rabbits have been
found in one burrow. You can have
cartridges to shoot all day from the
same spot in some localities, and the
rabbits will seemingly be as thick as
ever at nightfal. They hatch every
four weeks, and there are from -
to 16 in a Matching. The young ones
are ready to hatch in two months
time.
"The popular way Of hunting the
rabbits is to herd them into netting
and then twist their necks. From
1000 10 1000 are rounded up in these
expeditions.
Another interesting phase OF life
in Australia is the hunting Of the
kangaroo. Staghounds are used for
this purpose. The kangaroos cover
good deal of ground when pursued,
but they are no judge Of distance.
often when leaping they will land
right in the middle of a wire fence,
and their capture is easy. They viii
fight like fends when cornered, and
| nave seen a fierce battle between
them and the hounds. Their fayorite
method of disposing Of an enemy
they can handle is to pick him up,
carry him to the nearest body of
water and there drown him. ! know
of one instance where one of the
strange beasts carried a boy over a
mile. He was trailed down by the
hounds, and the boy was rescued
with no more serious injury than
couple of broken ribs. The kangaroo
Is not regarded as much of nuis-
| ance, as he win eat produce only
when il is ripe The hides bring only
80 shillings a dozen from the dealers.
They breed once a year. the two
Youngsters Zone male and one fe-
male) that annually appear, being
carried in a pouch by the mother.
Kangaroos weigh as high as $40
pounds. Under ordinary eircum-
stances they are docile, and many
families in Australia use them as
pets. the same as Americans like TO
have dogs and cats around the prem
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