Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-08-26
ENGLISH POACHERS.
They and Game Keepers at Never
Ceasing Contest Of Wits.

Though private game preserves in
the United States are rapidly increas-
ing in number and game brings high
price in the markets, it will probably
be some time before poachers become
such a serious problem as they are in
England, where poaching is a very an
cient if not honorable occupation, and
where n constant warfare. more or less
serious in results, is maintained be-
tween these gentry and the gamekeep-
ers.
The signs sometimes seen on the
fringe of English woods, Beware of
mantraps and spring guns" may fri Sht-
en- the harmless cockney out on Sun
day, but the professional poacher
knows that mantraps and spring guns
are prohibited by law. He has to be
on the watch, however, for traps which
will at least give him a lad fall or a
ducking. A fence which he is climb
ing and has climbed many times before
may give way with crash, or plank
laid conveniently across a ditch or
stream may have been sawed almost
through. A fine but strong wire
stretched across a path about eighteen
inches from the ground is serious
danger for the poacher, as he may
stumble over it and get bad fall, or,
worse still, his dog may encounter IT
when running at full speed and be
cut almost in two. Without his dog,
the poacher is practically harmless,
and the most effective way of putting
an end to poaching is to kill or injure
the faithful and intelligent beast.
Sometimes a trap is set for the dog
which is not intended to injure him but
gun is put in a field where hares feed,
and number of strings fastened to the
trigger are led in various directions
and secured to pegs. In driving the
hares the dog is almost certain to en-
counter one Of the strings, discharge
the gun and put the keepers on the
alert.
When a keeper finds number of
snares set he will put a dead hare or
rabbit in one. scratch up the ground
and leaves to make it appear that the
animal had struggled in a natural
manner, conceal himself near by and
take the prowler ''in the act" when he
next comes to his snares.
The usual way of collecting pheas-
ants is for the poacher to provide him.
self with a light gun,' using very
small charge, so that the report VIII be
slight, with which he kills the birds in
the trees in which they roost. Keep
ers. therefore, make wooden decoys and
place them in trees located from the
poacher's point of view most conven-
ent and conceal themselves near by.
When the night prowler begins to blaze
away at the decoys the keepers rush
out and make capture. The stealing
Of pheasants' eggs is regarded in Eng
land as the most heinous form OF
poaching, and eggers are sometimes
caught by means of a decoy nest IN
which eggs have been placed. When
all else has failed poachers are occa-
sionally bagged by means OF marked
hares or rabbits-when such marked
animal is found in a game shop it is an
easy matter to trace it back to the man
who originally offered it for sale.
On more than one occasion 1t mas
been proved that London game dealers
were operating as the confederates OF
the professional poachers, who operat-
ed boldly in gangs so large as to make
the efforts of the keepers futile.-Har-
per's Weekly.