Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-24
SHOOTING IN GERMANY
HUNTERS AFTER DEER.
All Game Killed Given to Owner OF
Preserve-Horns Reserved
as Trophy.


special Correspondence OF The Evening Star
| LEIPZIG. March 10, 1904
In order to shoot deer In Germany 1t IL
not necessary. as in America to get as far
from civilization as modern means OF trans
| portadon will take one, nor does one have
TO hunt for days to kill a single deer
| throughout Germany there are private
game preserves upon which deer are 50
| abundant that one does not have to hunt
| Tor them, but can simply wait and shoot
them as they appear.
The most popular form of hunting Is
the drive hunt" On a drive hunt the
game Is driven out into the open and
shot. The owner OF a preserve sends QUE
invitations to his hunts as to any enter
tainment. only he usually does not invite
more than twenty-five or thirty friends.
| ne hunting costumes are very attractive
as Wen as appropriate. A small felt hat
| WIN a brfght-colored feather for decora-
uon' heavy wooden jacket short trousers
ana pair of boots or high legeings is the
aSudi ou.nt strange to say every one uses
| shotgun. usually a sixteen BORE and
an VINO are not particularly partial to
| standing carry small stools which. when
not IN use, can be folded into the form
or rather clumsy walking stick 1t would
be exceedingly dangerous to use rifles on
tnese hunts on account of the large num-
per OF hunters and drivers. The drivers
are men who armed with all sorts of con-
trivances for making noises, go through
.ne woods and drive the deer into the
open Ihere are usually thirty or forty
OF these men, and no deer can be blamed
| Tor becoming terrified at the bedlam of
sounds they produce.
Every preserve is divided into districts OF
sections, which are separated from each
other by roads On most drive hunts about
elsnt OF these sections are hunted, four
IN the morning and four in the afternoon
Each section is hunted only once a year
| ana some of the preserves are so large
| that the sections are hunted only once in
two or three years. Many of the best and
| largest preserves are within a very few
| miles of the great cities. so that they are
very convenient for those who are too busy
| 10 spend large portion of the day travel
ing to and from the scene of action
Usually several hunts are given each year
| In order that the owner may not have to
overlook any of his friends.
Meet at Appointed Place.
1t is customary for the hunters to meet
at an appointed place from which they are
driven to the section of the preserve which
| Is to be hunted first. The section. al
ways woods. of course. is surrounded, half
OF the party of hunters going in one d.
rection; the Other half going in the other
until the two meet. game warden ac-
companies each group and assigns to each
hunter place or stand. AS thAse stands
are several hundred yards apart y takes
1T
Is during these waiting spells that the
folding stools come into service
When the woods have been surrounded
and all is ready a horn is blown by the
mead game warden and the hunt begins
The drivers, who have previously entered
the woods, commence their Internal noise
and immediately the deer begin to break
through the line of hunters. No one shoots
until the game has crossed the line and
for this reason many of the deer are miss
ed, as it does not take very long for them
to get out of range of the shotguns. When
all of the game has been driven from the
woods the hunters reassemble, the game
which has been killed is collected and
placed in wagons and the party proceeds
to the next section. great many hares
are always driven out and are shot or at
least shot at, when there are no deer in
sight.
Usually after three or four sections have
been hunted over a fine hot luncheon is
served In some attractive place in the
| woods The hunters in their gay costumes.
seated at long table, make a very pretty
scene. large fire is always burning
around which the hunters gather after they
have satisfied their appetites and. inciden-
tally, their thirsts. and smoke their cigars
of peace"
After the midday pause the hunt starts
again exactly as in the morning and a few
more sections are rendered gameless for the
time being. So numerous are the deer on
some occasions that many of them escape
without even> being shot at Many, of
course, MISSED altogether, and many
others are, on account Oh the using OF shot
guns. merely wounded. Men with great
deerhounds are hand, who follow up
those that are badly wounded and nearly
always capture them.
All but Horns Goes to Owner.
All of the game that is shot on one CT
these hunts belongs to the owner of the
preserve, and no one takes even a hare
away unless he pays the market value for
it. The hunters, however always take as
trophies the horns of the bucks they have
many are very small, few of them weigh
ing $50 pounds. The horns generally
not over seven eight inches in length.
Very often on good preserves thirty or
forty deer are killed in single day.
Hares as before stated by me, are very
numerous in Germany, and great many
are killed every hunt, and some of the
same rules prevail.
After the hunt Is over the hunters
driven to the home of the host. Every one
dons his full evening dress, and after all
have been presented to the lady of the
house dinner is served. The dinner after a
hunt is always grand affair, and no doubt
many enjoy it more than the shooting.
Everything imaginable, from venison killed
during the day to wine made many years
ago is found in extravagant quantities.
1t Is difficult to say from which one de-
riyes the most pleaSure-hunting all day in
America without doing any shooting or
shooting all day in Germany without doing
any hunting. -
SOUTHARD p. WARNER.