Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-03-04
T|IR|||'||N|C OUT THE STAG
A "Deer Take" In EngIand's DID,
est Deer Park.
BOUNDED UNTIL HE. Clasps.

1
The Game Animal 10 Msreiiess1y
Driven Hithsr and Won, Through
laks. and Wood, Until Hs Falls Ex-
haustsd, Though Undauntsd.
Parts Of certain great parks in Eng
land. such as Fridge park, the Oldest
leer 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 5000 acres and is the only
estate In England, with one exception.
where deer taking with hounds is still
Darried on. Fridge park once formed
part of the royal chase. It still retains
the wild beauty it then had, although
there are more than seventy miles Of
lovely drives in 1t, 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
, lson.
The sport is by no means as tame as
It sounds. A seven to nine year old
red deer Is an awkward customer to
tackle. He is powerful, agile and well
armed with antlers and hoofs.
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
, of the stag should he come their way.
The underkeepers having spread
themselves over the park, the park
keeper. with the "field'' Chose follow
ing mounted and on FOOT set of 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, a 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-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
hopessis 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 bracken with hound on
each side Of him, ready to pull him
down If they get but half chance.
| It Is a dingdong race. under trees,
through boys 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 moment
there is breathing space, for now the
keepers and hounds. yet some way Oh,
are making for the poor beast. which
Is In the middle Of the lake. Away he
swims with graceful movement Of his
noble head, glancing 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 cltnging 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 stinening 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 light
to the death. A hound rushes In, but
In a twinkling he is on his back,
hurled away like piece Of wood.
i This checks the other hound, which
lodges and bays around the stag.
| Seeing that things are now getting a
bit too warm for him, the stag sudden
IL turns round and, smashing the pal
inss 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. and
/; then lands at the far end while we
: follow on the shore. he swims till bis
: feet touch the ground and stands fac
s. ing US.
j All we can do now Is to end the situ-
alton rs speedily as possible. A keeper
deity throws a rope with loose
knot over the stays antlers. In q
moment four burly keepers are haul
!; ing him out BY the ropes. 1t Is now q
I -.