User:Wescoast11/sandbox

= Medieval Hunting = During the Middle Ages, many nobles and aristocrats engaged in hunting wild animals for sport. This provided a great basis for not just training in warfare, but also for education and upbringing. This sport was widely popular in Western Europe, particularly in England. Nobility engaged in medieval hunting primarily, but those in lower social classes participated as well. Forest laws in regards to hunting created class distinctions. King Richard of England issued the first game law in 1390. It constituted a property requirement of certain value to have hunting dogs or other hunting equipment.

Royal Forests
The royal forest was a designated area of land to the king for hunting and forestry. The royal forest included woodland, heathland, and agricultural land. The royal forest was a common territory as by the 12th century, nearly a third of England's territory was assigned as royal forest. Only the king and other permitted members of the nobility were allowed to hunt game in the designated area. To upkeep this restriction, forest law was introduced to enforce the boundaries. Special officials known as foresters were in charge of overseeing forest law. The foresters were among the most hated of king officials as often they were corrupt. They had a reputation of making illegal side profits on royal forest property by farming, extracting natural resources, and poaching game. They exacted many punishments for poaching game, farming, and other illegal activities on royal forest. Heavy fines and imprisonment were the common discipline. While foresters were in charge of the upkeep of forest law, sometimes the king would employ for the local sheriff to get involved. Hunting, however, was not the only function for the royal forest. Kings would also use these territories for cattle upbringing, farming, and extracting the land's resources. They also notably served as reserves for all kinds of wildlife. King Henry I of England was known for having a fascination with pet animals. His parks included wild animals like lions and leopards. Lords were eager to seek opportunities to expand their royal forest territory. This assertiveness caused disputes among other lords as sometimes royal forest territory would expand beyond a lord's land.

Poaching
Poaching was a common offense in the Middle ages. It was an act that was engaged by all of society and was widely tolerated by it. All kinds of poachers engaged in this illegal act, but sometimes it was a highly organized activity. Poachers worked together in rings to accomplish their goals. They would poach game off royal forest property and sell it to commoners for a profit. Sometimes, these rings worked for other lords and even monks to supply them. The lords and monks in turn would either keep the game for their own consumption or sell it in the common marketplace for a profit. Game would not be the only item poached from royal forests. Many sought after its resources with wood in particular a highly sought commodity. Often the arresting of poachers did not end cleanly. Poachers would resist arrest, sometimes resorting to assaulting and shooting foresters to escape. There is a recorded of St Thomas Becket performing a miracle by healing a forester shot in the throat by poachers. Sometimes, the nobility would engage in poaching. Aristocrats enjoyed illegally hunting game by either taking too much game than permitted or by hunting in a restricted area.

Falconry
A common activity in the Middle Ages was falconry. Falconry was the training of falcons and hawks for personal usage, which included hunting game. Falcons and hawks have different physical makeups which changed their mode of hunting. Ducks, herons, and cranes were the common game hunted by falcons and hawks. The main differences between the two species of birds lies in their wings and tails. Falcons have long, narrow wings with a long tapered tail. As a result, they fly at incredibly high levels. To kill game, they elevate high up in the sky and then dive bomb at their target. Their dives can go up to 200 mph. They utilized their talons on the downward dive to slash game. Usually their strikes kill the game with the first slash. Hawks, however, have shorter, rounder wings and longer tails. They glide along at lower altitudes. To kill their game, they glide toward their target and then use a burst of speed to close in. They utilize their talons to dig in and clutch onto their game until it is dead. As a result of their makeups, falcons and hawks were utilized by owners for different terrains. Falcons were used in open fields while hawks were used in marshlands and woodland. When it came to training these animals, females were preferred because of their size. They were significantly larger than the male, as males are about a third smaller than females. Females are also easier to train. Of all the falcons, the gyrfalcon was considered the best one. They were thought of the highest quality when white ones were imported from Greenland. King Frederick II of England considered them the best "out of respect to their size, strength, audacity, and swiftness." Of the hawks, the goshawk was the most highly valued. They were more expensive and brought in more money for training. Goshawks from Scandinavia in particular were highly sought after.

How the Hunt was Conducted
English and French accounts agree on the general makeup of how a hunt was conducted. Hunts were planned well ahead of going out so everyone knew their role before going out. The hunt par force required everyone going out to have a specific role. If someone slipped in their role, not only could they get easily lost, but it put the rest of the group of danger by being left exposed. Many nobles hunted in the hunt par force method for a multitude of reasons. It was considered the purest and noblest form of hunting. Also, the ritual of the hunt was meant to heighten danger within a controlled context of the process. Gaston, Duke of Orleans, argues against hunters that would take game in more efficient forms such as bow and arrow and setting traps. He said: "I speak of this against my will, for I should only teach how to take beasts nobly and gently." Hunters like Gaston hunted not for the size of the game but for the process of the hunt. They preferred ritual over efficiency. The mode of hunting was also important to the upbringing of nobility. Boys at the age of 7 and 8 learned how to handle a horse, travel with a company in forests, and utilize a weapon. They would practice on these skills in hunting groups. As a result, young men in the nobility and royalty were able to transfer skills such as horsemanship, weapons management, wood-crafting, terrain assessment, and strategy formation from the hunting grounds to the battle field in wars. Hunting for young men also cultivated their education and their upbringing. It taught them the importance of ritual and noble acts.