European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 29, 1953, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Or a l 2  h v by John t own to Earth Bird Hunters n t usually anticipate the flush of a4 of Partridge or Quail or the wild Gaggle of geese Una Al the first a of autumn. And there s Manyi scatter gunner ver Here who would 3y offended should he be invited away at a game Bird in april it the seasons Are closed and the morsels Are on their nests there s a tag in game Hird Overa is hunted Aidif in the Spring and it or not tradition demands that hold his Are Unta the mid  Blind. A. Lany s huge Blizek Mountain cock Werhahn is a strange and exciting that should attract even the most it ind Smoothbore fan. He is a introvert a flip the combined at _ of a wraith and a Comet he be to the family of  and is a of our Western Sage grouse. He is Ginal cock at the Woods and he inhabits the realm of the chair and hugs the Timber line he is never Hunter a to Rester except duri Nging season which lasts from mid mid May. A the Auerhahn is a ritual As old Jemshi Bones of he Bird. Scien Ive proven he has existed in europe10,000 years. Attempts to propagate the u5. Began in 2s93 in Rhode Michigan and Northern Maine but item Bird simply vaporized and Heas he always was solely an old trophy. To a i ?-"." in which the Auerhahn is hunted year round feeding and Breeding the Heights and terrain Are a to the stamina patience land of Man. And the Bird is Addi unique for the manner in which stalked and bagged. J Mountain trek begins shortly after Midnight so the grounds can be reached before 3 am. The Trail the tortuous and Ever upward. The rocks Are lined with Lichen and remnants of Winter s ice. There is no Moon and no sound save that of the rasp of the Rucksack and the Click of the Jaeger s stave. H there is no wind when the to twin grounds Are reached the first phase of the. This stuffed Averhahn was mounted by Kurt Walther Heidelberg 55oologtcai in St hit. The Bird is doing the Bode Balz. Corfe s mating Call carries More than 100 Yards. In the darkness the Hunter and misguide Inch Onward with ears straining to catch the snapping sound of the Bird s Eagle beak or the Rush of air from Bis Bellow  the Auerhahn is Busy stalk Hig too. Even m the darkness he is preening with Pride with his a invited vocabulary he is attempt tag to attract a harem of hens shy Crea Tures like himself Only halt As Large but10  numerous. The Hunters continue to move toward the sounds. The stars begin to fade and the darkness gets Darker. The Only things Man can see at that hour in the mountains Are the etched outlines of solitary Pines against the sky and More mountains. Ii the shooter is Lucky the great Bird will leap from the ground with a Roar of wings and Perch on a scraggly Pine Branch to make a perfect target. That s usually the now comes the strangest part of the Hunt guide and shooter freeze to  and dare not even breathe until the Bird Clicks again stretches its Long Neckband fans its Turkey Tail. Then  boldly Forward for several paces and  boldness is Only possible because when the Auerhahn is emitting his Dulcet ones of love he is Stone deaf and totally Blind.  the Hunter is within easy Range of the courting phantom and according to custom and tradition Waits for the Bird to perform once More before blasting him from the limb with an aimed charge of no 4s. To the darkness the Jaeger rushes nowhere the Bird has fallen and envelops him in his Loden Tuitele to halt the thrash ing and prevent spoiling the plumage. Then the stalkers Light up a smoke squat on their haunches and pay a few moments of silent tribute to a Noble trophy Bird that stuck his neck out and became a victim of his own vanity. A All Auerhahn Hunts Aren t that  conditions step into the High places  the act wind makes i impossible to hear the Birds arid a Blanket of fog prevents one from seeing them. The mating season is comparatively Short so the Hunter must take advantage of every Opportunity Good weather affords lest his ambition be thwarted for another year. The habitat of the Auerhahn is As Lon Elyas the Bird itself. He is found in All of the densely forested Alpine country throughout the Elack Forest in the Oden Wald North of Heidelberg and various Otherl mountainous regions in Western Germany. Once a Hunter is determined to take crack at this King of the mountains he should try to make arrangements and reservations through Revier owners in one of. The areas a mentioned above which include Choice grounds offered by Garmisch Mies Bach Rosenheim Berchtesgaden Hof Bay Reuth Nurnberg Aschaffenbur Suessen sont Hofen Amberg and Many other mountainous  Auerhahn May be hunted a the evening also when he flies from his feed ing grounds to Roost in a solitary Pine. But there s something about the Alps inthe ish Ostly hours after Midnight that enhances the Hunt of a Bird that s half wraith and until you be snapped a Cap at one yourself half fiction. Hunters Are allowed to bag Only on Auerhahn per year and not just everyone is granted the privilege. The value of the trophy is equal to that of the Chamois tinny Mountain Hunters. The great Bird can be prepared by taxidermists to Fiu Niche in a banquet Haltor cover a crack of the guest room. Wall the most popular method of mounting the Auerhahn is in the position it assume while giving the mating Call and strutting on the ground or the limb of a Pine  extended Tail leathers fanned out like a turkeys Eagle beak Gpe Thelitz offed results Are Ideal for gathering dust in the attic of the average Home. How Ever for a modest parlor Only the Bead neck and Tail Are mounted and the trophy occupies no More space than the portrait of aunt  the average German the meaning of Gaspe Are or Jvette and hell shrug in ignorance. But the Man. With a Hunting License will promptly Tell you it mean flock or group of Ceu Encill As with every facet of the european Hunt a Spe Cial vocabulary applies to the various game Birds and animals. A guide of the old school looks with disdain upon the guest Hunter who does t know that the Oner Henne is the female that Bol Stota is where the mating takes place Bof Baumis the tree from which the Call is Given hide plats the dusting grounds Boden ? Alz the calling and strutting and Fotois to suite or Bdl spech the Auerhahn droppings. Found beneath the  not Exa Cuy inedible the Auerhahn is not considered a table delicacy. His win Ter diet of Pine Needles bitter berries leaves and herbs give him a turpentine flavor. Countless americans have successfully stalked the feathered Comet and Jiva wearily descended from the Hills lugging 14 pounds of Tetra Uro Oakus and wearing smiles of rapture. Nearly everyone of the Hunters has exclaimed i would t have missed that experience for the  and As they flex their tired backs and leg Muscles they add but never again r n a. Or Ujj lib   Hii Iii if i Man i i Dewey Campber Gann sch with i Tetrad Auerhahn he bagged to Tow Elysee me. The Bird i in Plano Pete of � Hurfert swe Cess Eav Abl Trout to. Amsi Oboh