THE MASTER OF GAME

CAPITULUM V“—OF THE ROO AND
OF HIS NATURE

THE Roo buk is a commen beest ynowe and
perfore me nedep not to telle of his makyng for
per bene fewe men pat ne han seye some of hem.
It is a good litel beest and a goodly for to hunte
to who so can do it, as I shalle deuyse here after,
for per bene fewe hunters pe whiche can devyse
wel his nature. They goon in hur loue pat is
called bokeyng in Octobre’ and pe bokyng of hem
durethe but xv. dayes or therabount for be bokeng
of pe Roo buck ne hap at doo but wip oo Emel
of alle pe Seson a masche (sic) and an Emel
abiden togydere as hyndes* in to pe tyme pat pe
Emel shul haue here kyddes, and pan pe Emel
parteth from pe male and gop to kyde hir kyddes
fer pennes, for pe male shuld slee pe yonge if he
myght hem fynde. And whan pei bene myche
pat pei may ete by hem silf of pe herbes and of
pe leeues and ronne away pan pe emel commep
a3ein to pe male and euer shal pei be togidere to
they be slayn, and he partep hem or huntep asonder
pe oon fro that othur pe shul come ajein as sone
as pei may, and shul seche eiper other, vnto pe
tyme pat oon of hem hap founde pat oper. The
cause why be male and pe emelle bene euyr more
togyder and noon opere beest in this world but
they is for comonly pe emel hap ii kiddes at onys at
onys (sic) pat oon male and that opere female and
for pei by kydded togidere pei holde hem evir
more togidre. And 3it 3if pei were not kidded
togydere of on emelle 3it is pe nature of hem
suche, pat pei shuld alway holde togydere as y
haue seide bifore. Whan pei wipdrawe from pe
bokeyng pei mwethe her hedes for men shuld
fynde but fewe Roo buckes whan pei bene passed
ii yere that pe ne haue mwed her heedes by
alhalowtide. And aftir her hedes commen ageyn
rough as an hertes hede and comonly pei
burnysshen her hornes in March. The Roo buk
hap no seson to be hunted for pei bere no venyson®
but men shuld leue hem pe Emels for here kydes
pat shuld be lost vnto pe tyme pat pei haue kyded,
and pat pe kyddes can fede hem self and lif by
hem self wip owte here dame. It is a good
huntyng for it lastep al pe yere and pei renne wel
and lenger pan dothe a grete hert in pe hie seson
tyme. The Roo bukkes haue no jugement by
hure fumes ne but litel by hure foote as of hertes

CHAP. 5.—OF THE ROE AND OF
HIS NATURE

THE roebuck is a common beast enough, and there-
fore I need not to tell of his making, for there be
few men that have not seen some of them. It is
a good little beast and goodly to hunt to whoso
can do it as I shall devise hereafter. There be
few hunters that can well describe his nature.
They go in their love that is called bokeyng in
October,’ and the bucking of them lasteth but
fifteen days or there about. At the bucking of
the roebuck he hath to do but with one female
for all the season, and a male and a female abide
together as the hinds” till the time that the female
shall have her kids; and then the female parteth
from the male and goeth to kid her kids far from
thence, for the male would slay the young if he
could find them. And when they be so big that
they can eat by themselves of the herbs and of the
leaves and can run away, then the female cometh
again to the male, and they shall ever be together
unless they be slain, and if one hunt them and
part them asunder one from another, they will
come together again as soon as they can and will
seek each other until the time that one of them
have found the other. And the cause why the
male and the female be evermore together as no
other beast in this world, is that commonly the
female hath two kids at once one male and the
other female, and because they are kidded together
they hold evermore together. And yet if they were
not kidded together of one female, yet is the nature
of them such that they will always hold together
as I have said before. When they withdraw from
the bucking, they mew their heads, for men will
find but few roebucks that have passed two years
that have not mewed their heads by All Hallow-
tide. And after the heads come again rough as
a hart’s head, and commonly they burnish their
horns in March. The roebuck hath no season to
be hunted, for they bear no venison ® but men should
leave them the females for their kids that would
be lost unto the time that they have kidded, and
that the kids can feed themselves and live by them-
selves without their dame. It is good hunting for
it lasteth all the year and they run well, and longer
than does a great hart in high season. Roebucks
cannot be judged by their fumes, and but little by
their footing as one can of harts, for a man cannot

1 This is wrong; they rut in the beginning of August. See Appendix: Roe.
2 A clerical error. G. d. F. (p. 36) says, “as do birds,” which makes good sense.

3 See Appendix; Grease.

 

 

 

 

 

ROE “BUCK HUNTING WITH GREY HOUNDS AND

RUNNING HOUNDS