Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-23
HUNTING IN GERMANY
To Pursue the Sport a License
is Necessary.
CONFINED TO RICH
DESCRIPTION OF A SLAUGHTER
OF HARES.
Over Eleven Hundred Killed in One
Days Shooting, Consisting
Of Four Drives.
CONFINED TO RICH


Every one who hunts in Germany must
have regular hunting license. procured
from the police authorities, and must either
own land himself upon which he can hunt.
or else be invited to hunt with some one
who does own a preserve. There Is no land
in Germany upon which the poor man can
hunt on equal terms with the rich. Indeed.
hunting in this country is confined as strict
ly to the upper, wealthy classes, auto
MODELLING and yachting are in America.
1t was my very good fortune a short
time ago to receive an invitation to attend
a drive hunt. This style of hunting was
so interesting to me that perhaps even the
poor description of 1t which I can give
may be of interest to some, although have
no doubt that my assertions will be ques-
toned by all.
A drive hunt is hunt that is given
rather late in the fall after the owner OF a
piece of land has had about all the shoot
ing that he desires. Drive hunts are real
ly harvests where game is gathered instead
of grain.
The owner invites all Of his friends to
join the hunting party, and rule most
of them are only too willing to accept the
chance for such fine days shooting.
The Meet.
We were invited to meet at crossroads,
on very large preserve, at half-past eight.
Some time before that hour, however. the
hunters, or perhaps, more strictly speaking.
the shooters. began to arrive from all di-
rections, some in elegant carriages, some
on horseback and few, who were not too
proud, on foot. When all was ready there
were siXty-two hunters, seventy drivers and
sixty peasant women, with large wicker
baskets upon their backs, in which to carry
the game. The drivers simply men
whose duty it is to prevent the hares from
escaping without passing hunter 1t may
be well, at this point, to say that the Ger
man hare, or "haze," is really the Belgian
hare. 1 always had the idea that the
American rabbit or "cottontaiT' was not
very slow-running animal, when properly
aroused but when I first saw German
hare under full Roadway 1 was really
ashamed of the product Of my native land.
The field selected for the first drive"
was, I should say, about $50 or 200 acres
in area. portion of which was pfoughed
land and the remainder short wheat stub
BILE.
AT a word from our host we began,
under the directions of a manager. to en-
to the right and the others to the left.
First driver would start, and after he
had gone perhaps sixty yards woman
with a basket would follow. and then
a hunter. In this order the field was
gradually surrounded after a wait of per-
haps half an hour. Finally, after the field
had been entirely surrounded horn was
blown and this enormous ring of hunters,
drivers and game carriers began to con-
| tract. a. r-t .sfIz u. ~ -
At first there was no sign of life within
the Enclosure, but soon toward the center
small objects could be seen moving leis-
urely about After we had proceeded for
some distance the objects took the forms
Of hares. which ran hither and thither,
seeking means of escape.
The Hunt Begun.
Soon from the further side of the ring
came the report of a gun, and the hunt
was on in earnest. The hares INN ediately
began to run wildly around the Enclosure,
seeming not to fear to run along the line
of people, but fearing to break through
1t. 1t really seemed as though the place
was alive with hares. Everybody fired al
most continuously, stopping only long
enough to reload. Often a hare would run
past five or six of the hunters before it
was finally laid low or else escaped for
the time being.
When the ring had contracted to a d.
ameter of a few hundred yards / could
readily imagine that was taking part
In a battle rather than in a hunt. 1 guess
| it seemed rather like battle to the poor
hareS within the incloSure We soon came
SO close together that 1T would have been
dangerous to have shot into the ring so
a signal was given and the drivers ran
into the circle. whereupon the hares be-
gan to break through the line in all d.
>rections AS we could not shoot into the
circle, we waited until the hares ran out
and then shot. A great many quail flew
noisily over our heads. but they did not
attract much notice, as every one was
very busy with the hares the greater part
of the time.
Although I never have taken. and never
will take. any prizes for good shooting I
could not refrain from laughing at the gen.
tleman on my left 1t was evidently his
first hunt FVarv time hor
through the line near him he saluted 1t
with both barrels with no other results, so
IA as l saw, than to increase, If such a
thing were possible, the speed Of the hare.
/ must admit that did a great deal more
saluting that day than I thought 1 would
when started on the hunt.
Luncheon.
After the last hare had disappeared from
the ring we were invited to nearby barn
to partake Of light luncheon. Here we
found hot sausages. sandwiches of all sorts
and sizes and. last, but by no means least,
hot wine. cold beer and fine cigars. When
all had eaten as much as they wished and
some had drank as much as they dared
we went to see the result of the first
drive" AS the women brought the hares
in they were all laid out in a long line, and
l counted two hundred and twenty-six.
We next took seats in large farm wagons
and were conveyed to the scene Of the sec
ond drive" The field selected for this
drive" was much larger than that hunted
over on the first. 1t was perhaps two hum
dred and fifty acres in area. We surround
ed this as we had the first field. 1t was
nearly all wheat stubble, so that the hares
could be seen very plainly for q long ways.
When not too busy shooting or loading
you could look across to the further side
o. the circle and see puff Of blue, flash
of white, as the hare rolled over, and after
second or two would come the report OF
the gun. After this drive I counted three
hundred and f1fty-one hares.
The third drive was the smallest but
at the same time the most exciting, as the
ground was rather billy, so that often the
hares would be nearly upon you and then
out of sight again before you had time to
shoot This field yielded one hundred and
ninety-fye hares.
Over Eleven Hundred Killed.
The fourth and last drive" was the larg-
est of all. The ground that we covered
must have been at least 400 acres In size
The shooting was just the same as on the