Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-04-10
7IRING OUT THE STAG
A Deer Take" In EngIand'S Old
est Deer Park.
HoUNDED UNTIL HE Clasps,
The Game Animal Is Mereilessly
Driven Hither and Non, Through
Lake and Wood, Until He Falls EX-
hauSted, Though Undaunted

Parts OF certain great parks In Eng
land. such as Fridge park, the Oldest
deer park IN the kingdom are kept
practically wild IN their original forest
state, while near to the castle Is the
cultivated home park Fridge park
contains 1900 acres and Is the only
estate in England, with one exception,
where deer taking with hounds Is still
carried on. Fridge park once formed
part OF the royal chase, II still retains
the wild beauty It then had, although
there are more than seventy miles or
lovely drives in It, not counting those
Of the home park.
Deer taking Is entirely different from
deer hunting. The object Is to take
the animals alive so that they may be
transferred to the home park to be fat
tened and eventually turned into ven
isOn.
The sport is by no means rs tame as
1t sounds. \ seven to nine year old
red deer is an awkward customer to
tackle. He is powerful, agile and well
armed with antlers and huofs,
When there is to be deer taking at
Fridge park the meet is planned for II
o'clock at the park keepers house.
The underkeepers, with fresh hounds,
are scattered through the park to head
off the stag should he come their way.
The underkeepers having spread
themselves over the park, the park
keeper, with the field" (those follow
ing mounted and on foot set off to
find a deer which looks ready for fat
tening purposes. Having selected one,
It Is the work of the keeper to get him
separated from the rest and then to
slip his hound and set after him as
hard as we can gallop. The pace, OF
course, Is tremendous, and as rabbit
holes abound the risk Of fall Is even
betting or rather, tritle OF odds on
the certainty Of our taking toss"
AS our deer bounds away with his
wonderfully easy. elastic movements
he makes for the widest part Of the
park, expecting to escape his purSuers.
In one place after another he Is met
with hidden keepers and fresh hounds,
till with the instinct Of his species be
turns to what he thinks Is his sane
tuary-the lakes. With open mouth
and tongue outhanginG he plunges a
good fifteen feet into the water and
swims for the opposite bank. Gasp
ing and firing, he lands on what he
hopes Is freedom from his purSuers
But alas, no! Yet another fresh hound
is after him. What can he do? He IS
too pumped with his already hard
burst to face the hill before him.
He turns around and tears down
through the bTacken with hound on
each side Of him. ready to pull him
down If they get but half chance.
1t is a dingdOng race under trees.
through Dogs and braCken, up and
down dells and breaks, smashing head
long through everything, anything, to
reach the shelter Of the friendly
water once again. With mighty
spring he IS In again. For n moment
there is breathing space, for now the
keepers and hounds, yet some way OF,
are making for the poor beast, which
Is In the middle of the lake. Away he
swims with graceful movement Of his
noble head, glanclng all around at his
pursuers, but with his mind fixed on
his line Of retreat. He reaches the
shore, and. with dripping sides, he Is
out upon the bank
Again he makes an effort to battle
and leave behind those clinging hounds
that would bear him down. And now
two great hounds are stretching them
selves out to their utmost pace. Side
by side they race after their firing
quarry: in another minute they Will
have him. The stag, however, man
ages to make a squirt, though he Is
now stiffening rapidly, and just
reaches some park palings surrounding
the big lake.
In an instant he has turned on his
pursuers, and with head down and up
raised fore leg he is prepared to hgh1
to the death. A hound PUSHES in, but
In twnkling he is on his back
hurled away like piece of wood
This checks the other hound. which
uOuSpS anu DuSS ulOullh 'llS 81" >
Seeing that things are now getting
bit too warm for him, the stag sudden
" turns round and, smashing the pal
ings like match wood, finds himself
again in the icy water Of the big lake
Away and away he swims, up this
long stretch, the water seeming to re
vive him, for he swims the eastern
length, three-quarters Of mile, ant
then lands at the far end while W.
follow on the shore. He swims till hi
feet touch the ground and stands fac
ing us.
All we can do now is to end the Stu
alton as speedily as possible. A keepe
deity throws a rope with loos
knot over the stays antlers. In
moment four burly keepers are haul
ing him out by the ropes. 1t is now
slow march to his feeding ground II
, the home park. Slowly the procession
moves never a slackening Of the rop
or the hold on the antlers. Through
the gate dividing the parks he l
, brought. an unwilling prisoner, thong
undaunted This ends the deer taking
Town and Country.