The Amateur Poacher

Richard Jefferies (1848-1887) was a nature writer, noted for his depiction of English rural life in essays, books of natural history, and novels. His childhood growing up on a rural farm in England had a great influence on his fiction writings. Jefferies spent most of his life battling T B and poverty. Jeffries was fascinated with what nature could be if left alone. His love for the English rural areas is strong in his writing. The Amateur Poacher is an excellent example of Jefferies s awareness of the value of nature and the people within it. The preface reads The following pages are arranged somewhat in the order of time, beginning with the first gun, and attempts at shooting. Then come the fields, the first hills, and woods explored, often without a gun, or any thought of destruction: and next the poachers, and other odd characters observed at their work. Perhaps the idea of shooting with a matchlock, or wheel-lock, might, if put in practice, at least afford some little novelty. The table of contents includes The first gun, The old punt: a curious 'turnpike', Tree-shooting: a fishing expedition, Egg-time: a 'gip'-trap, Woodland twilight: traitors on the gibbet, Lurcher-land: 'the park', Oby, and his system: the moucher's calendar, Churchyard pheasants: before the bench, Luke, the rabbit-contractor: the brook path. Farmer Willum's place: snipe-shooting, Ferreting: a rabbit-hunter, and A winter night: old tricks: pheasant-stalking: matchlock versus breech-loader: conclusion.