The Ely miner., 1914-01-09

WY for fortnight of Prince
GolitZine, the Master of the
Russian Imperial Hunt, l
knew that l had an interesting time
before me. Leaving the Warsaw sta
tion in st. Petersburg, three-Quarters
of an hours run sufficed to cover the
distance to Gatchina. some thirty odd
miles, where are situated the imperial
kennels. Gatchina, it may be men
toned, is a garrison town. adjoining
which is the magnificent park IN
which are situated the princes hunt
Ing box, the kennels and fine set
of buildings housing the hunt staH'
Without doubt the most interesting
feature of the kennels is the magnln-
cent pack of wolfhounds, more COM
monty known in England as Borzols
writes a correspondent of Country
Life. 1t is doubtful If anywhere in the
world so large and fine a collection
exists, there being all told some sixty
couple; in addition also are twenty
couple of English foxhounds, not USED
in their normal capacity, but In con-
nection with the hunting of the wolf.
Besides these are to be found eight
couple of very handsome bearhounds,
massive animals of breed which is
rapidly becoming extinct. Within
few hundred yards of the kennels are
to be found the stables, in which are
kept about one hundred horses used
both for riding purposes and for the
troika.
Big Bison Preserves.
One of the most interesting and
unique features, however, in connec-
ton with the hunt is the bison pre-
serves, one of the very few in exist
ence and probably the finest, since the
animals thrive SO much in their nat
ural surroundings that they breed
freely, and thus maintain their num-
.bers and high standard. The preserve
contains over a hundred Of these hne
animals.
What strikes the visitor to Russia
in the hugeness of everything. The
statues, the streets and the spaces all
are vast. Then most other undertak-
ings are carried out in big way, and
a pheasant shoot is no exception to
this. 1t is nothing out of the ordinary
for forty to fifty sleighs to be In COM
mission to convey guns and beaters
from point to point. 1t should be men,
toned that the distances from one
beat to another on the royal preserves
are often very great. The average
bag on royal shoot may number any
where between fifteen hundred and
two thousand cocks. the hens are
never shot. The imperial pheasant
shoot is most picturesque, the cos
tunes and cries of the beaters max
ing it particularly unique.
The Wolf Hunt.
The royal estate is well stocked
with hares, mostly imported from Ire
land. At the same time, they assume
a white coat in the winter. as do their
native brethren. Both foxes and lynx
are to be occasionally found in these
parts, and are much priced when
,bagged. but they are gradually becom-
ing scarcer, and to hunt them with
any certainty of sport means travel
ing into wilder and more rugged por-
tions of the country. The same also
may be said of the wolf, and to hunt
him now means considerable journey
from the kennels. Some years ago
these hunts were carried out on
magnificent scale, special trains being
chartered for the convenience of the
huge army Of guests, heaters and keep
ers Most of these big trips have,
however. been dropped since the revo.
luton in 1905. The method adopted
to hunt the wolf is interesting. The
hunt takes place only in the winter
months. After the place where the
animal is lying up has been located
by his tracks that part of the forest
is "ringed" off and preparations made.
The field remain mounted in the viciI-