Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1909-05-13
T|R|NG OUT The STAG
A Deer Take" In England's Old
est Deer Park.

est Deer Park.
HouNDsD UNTIL ne GssPs
The Game Animal Is Meraile7sl,
Driven tiisher ard Ven, -Th.ousf
Lsse and Mood, uiati! He Fills E&.
.,:.ussea, Though Undsan.oa.
Parts Nf certain great Parks in Eng
ls.id, s;le Il IS Eridga E:iri. ,ie Oldest
deer par. IL the Kingdom arc lsc,;,
practically Wild i'll their original f,s.w;t
STATE. N.lic near to the castle is the
c,:l:Tatcl hpnc pack. l.ri.i@e park
co,l.si,.s $3.50 acres ard is 4. .c ,,siy
estate ill England. witt. exc exception,
where Gcer taking wish l,s..-,,s l.; It'll
carried en- Fridge park once formed
part of the royal chase. 1t still retains
the Wild beauty it ,hen had, although
there are more than seventy miles OF
lovely drives in it. not counting those
OF the home park
Deer taking l.; 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
ion
The sport is by no means as tame as
ii rounds. \ seven ~ nine year old
red deer is an awkward customer to
t;'e,.le. lie is powerful, agile and we'll
armed With antlcrs and hoofs.
Wi,cA there is to be i, deer taking mt
Fridge park the meet is planned for IL
O'clock al he park keepers house.
The Enderllecpcrs, with fresh hounds,
arc scattered through the park TO head
of, the stag should he come their way.
The undcrkeepers having spread
themselves over the park. the park
Keeper with the ''field' Chose follow
ing mounted and on FOOT set off to
find deer which looks ready for fat
tcning purposes. Having selected one.
1t Is the Wcrk 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 trc",cndous, and as rabbit
holes abound the risk of Il fall is even
betting CT, rather Il trifle of odds on
the certainty Of our taking a 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 he
turns to what he thinks is his sane
tuary-tlle lakes. With open mouth
and tongue outlanging he plunges a
coed fifteen feet into the wafer and
sN'ins for the opposite bank Gasp
Ing ard firing. he lands on what lie
hopes is freedom from his pllrsuers.
But. alas, no! Yet another fresh hound
is after him. What can he do? He is
too pumEcd with his already hard
burst to face the hill before him.
He turns around and tears down
through the bracken With hound Oh
each side of him, ready to pull him
down If they get but half II chance.
1t is a dillGdong race, under trees,
through Dogs and brackcn. up and
down dclls 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 a moment
there is breathing space, for now the
keepers and hounds. yet some way off.
are making for the poor beast, which
is in the middle of the lake Away he
swims Will! graceful movement of his
noble head, glancing all around at his
pursucrs. but with his mind fixed on
his line of retreat He reaches the
shcre. and. with dripping sides. he Is
out upon he bank
A:-ai!, he makes IN effort to battle
ard leave bel!ilil the cliaging hounds
that wcGid bear HIN down. Ard now
two great hounds are stretcliin. them
selves out 10 l!lcir utmost pace. Side
by side they race after their ti.iag
quarry; in another miantc they viii
have him. ihe stag. however, man
age; ID Ei:,ke IL spa.t, though he is
row siifIcnii.g rapidly. and iust
reaches some park paings surrounding
the biz lake.
In an Instant he has ttilncd on his
pGrsu,.s, and with head down and up
raised fore leg lie is prepared to fight
f,,
IN twinliling he is On bis bacll.
hurled away like piece Of wood
This checks the other hound Which
dodgns and bays around The sting
Seeing that things are NOW getting Il
bit too warm for him. the stag sudden
~ turns round and. smashing the pail
ings like match wood. finds himself
again in the icy water Of the biz 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 a mile. and
then Lands at the far end while we
follow OH lc shore. He swiins tin his
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 keeper
dcftly throws Il rope with n loose
knot over the stays antlers. In a
moment four burly keepers are haul
lug him ont by the ropes. 1t is now d
SLOW march to his feeding ground in
the home park. Slowly the procession
moves. never a slackening Of the rope
or the hold on the antlers. Through
the gate dividing the parks lie is
brought. an unwilling prisoner thol1pI,