Teckel International!
My wife Joanne took the lid from a wash basket in a spare bedroom and set it on the floor. A small Teckel puppy bounded through the door, launched herself onto the lid and stood stock still only for the wag of her tail. Joanne left the room and expected the Teckel to follow but she didn’t. In fact she stayed on the lid for another 10 minutes until Joanne returned and the puppy stared hard at her. Joanne came down to ask me why the Teckel would not remove itself from the wash basket lid and when I went to investigate she was still there, waiting on a command! Cider Vom Nonnenkloster, or Cider as she is known had only arrived from Germany the night before and it appeared she had been here all her life.
I felt I knew her very well. I had received photos and videos of her almost daily since she was born from my good friend Julia Szeremeta who had taken Cider under her wing at 8 weeks old and by the time I arrived some 16 weeks later she was trained a like a field trial Spaniel something I must admit I thought was not possible with Teckels to any level at all. How wrong would this theory prove to be over the next three most enjoyable days I have had in a long time. She had been doing place board training, hence her washing basket lid incident which now happens anytime anything is set on the floor!
Three days before this after a flight, a transfer, another flight and then a train which broke down halfway to my destination, leaving me to work with the little amount of German I remembered from school when I now wished I had paid more attention! I eventually found Julia, Cider and her father Milo awaiting me at Manheim train station. Cider, named as she was a C Litter and got a name from a random list of C names seemed as pleased to see me as I was to see her as was Milo!
Our intention that afternoon was to fit in some hunting, attend a driven hunt on Saturday and leave the touristy bits to Sunday but we rearranged the schedule and took Friday afternoon to do some sightseeing and visit the fantastic town of Heidelberg on the banks of the Neckar river in Baden-Württtemburg, South West Germany. Heidelberg which is a dialectal word for “Goat” and the word “Mountain” and is home to Germanys oldest and one of Europes most reputated Universities. Our first stop was Heidelberg Castle, dating back to the 1200’s and the site of much history. The castle looks like it has grown from the hillside and watches over the two bridges of Heidelberg, one old and one new which cross the Neckar as it flows through Baden Württemburg and becomes a right tributary to the Rhine. We explored the castle which among many fantastic exhibits is home to the worlds largest wine barrel at 220,000 litres! As the light fell and we walked across the cobbled paths leading back down into the town I must admit I felt very at home, perhaps a calling from my recently discovered German ancestory. “Brauhaus Vetter” was our next stop before heading home and it was a sort of restaurant inside a brewery, or a brewery in a restaurant! Reputed to be the finest beer in Baden-Württtemburg, we picked up some of the traditional swing top bottles to take home for sampling, I would be in agreement that it was indeed very fine beer!
Friday disappeared in a flurry of sightseeing, snow, German Beer and discussing Teckels. What became very apparent to me was that Julia Szeremeta is a very passionate huntress and an outstanding dog trainer. Her Teckels Milo and Cookie are trained impeccably as was Cider for her tender age and I felt almost embarrassed as they sat, stayed, retrieved and dead barked with little more than a hand signal. The walls in Julia’s house are adorned with many trophies from Africa where she has spent some time hunting everything from Elands to Hippopotamus and so much more and every trophy had a fantastic story! Alongside the trophies are the many certificates, tests, trials and awards won by her Teckels including the most recent by Milo, The Memorial Rudolph Kristla, the Master certificate for any Dachshund in Czechoslovakia not to mention the best score ever attained in the LV Hesse.
Saturday 19th January and I awoke at 5.50am and took a few seconds to realise where I was and what was going on! After a quick breakfast, we loaded up the Teckels including Cider and made the 1hr trip North of Heidelberg to what was the concluding driven Boar hunt of the season. There was much anticipation and Teckel discussion enroute and Julia and I discussed the many contrasts between hunting at home in Ireland and here in Germany. As our altitude increased so did the snow and by the time we arrived at the meeting point the mercury was at -10.00 and I could feel every bit of it along with the crunch under the tyres, but unlike home a little snow or even a lot of snow does not gridlock the entire country, and everything goes ahead as always.
As we rounded a bend I spotted two dozen or more Tyrolean Hats and jackets emblazed with orange in a layby and realised we were here. Julia was obviously well known and respected within the local hunting community and shook many hands and received many smiles as we arrived, while I stood on picking out the occasional German word and receiving a handshake and “Morgen, Waidmannsheil” from arriving hunters which translates as Good Morning and Good hunting.
To my left and right were what I would call Alpine slopes! Almost vertical hills, covered in Spruce pine trees and snow with heavy fog at the tops, and apparently also Wild Boar which sounded very good. Milo and Cookie donned their Garmin GPS tracking collars and we were all kitted out in high visibility gear as it is a requirement for hunting. The Hunt Master gathered our group and gave safety instructions as well as what could and could not ne shot before we broke off into various sections and within a few minutes as I was in a pick up with a very nice couple, Anna Marie Krampe and Michael Sprenger and making our way up one of the slopes by wat of a snowy track to prepare for the hunt. Julia suggested that in order for me to see the best of the driven hunt that I go with Michael and Anna Marie as they are driving Boar week in and week out for various hunts and it would give me be the best chance to see anything on that particular drive. The guns positioned themselves initially by vehicle, and then parked up on a track they made their way to individual high stands which gave them an ideal position for any oncoming Boar. The stands were of an open type as opposed to the enclosed High Seat version we are used to seeing. Most vehicles I saw that were owned by a gun had a small metal basket on the tow bar, which I didn’t know really whats its use was until later that day I spotted a Boar being carried in one and have since saw them used to transport deer, foxes and any other game. I simply could not imagine getting far down the M2 with a Sika Stag on a basket on the back before someone called the police, but here it was as common as a spare wheel!
Michael rumbled along the tracks until we got very high and very deep into the forest and as I climbed out of the vehicle I immediately felt the cold, which was very crisp, fresh and dry along with the smell of freshly cut pine and just behind us a Subaru vehicle pulled in and was driven by a fellow I would come to know as Alex, and remember as one of the fittest people I have ever met. What followed by Michael and Anna was nothing short of a military operation and as they removed aluminium boxes from the vehicle which was now draped on the sides in attachable heavy duty vinyl curtains to protect it. Every aluminium box had jackets, collars and leads that were for each dog in the box. Each dog was brought out individually, which were a mix of Irish terriers, Airedale crosses, Patterdales and a Swedish Lyka as well as a Bavarian Mountain hound. Each was fitted with a Kevlar jacket and a tracking collar and then placed back in the vehicle. Michael and Anna then also kitted out in high visibility Kevlar, added a belt with slip leads for each dog, a rather large knife and a 4×56 short barrelled rifle with open sights on a double sling, these guys were not messing about.
Michael & Anna
Prior to this I gave little thought to the risks of Boar hunting, but of course an animal weighing several hundred pounds hitting you with razor sharp tusks at 30+mph is not something to take lightly. The guys told me of several incidents where hunters had been “Tusked” one in particular in the upper leg causing a severed artery and the hunter had to be airlifted off the mountain. A little different than lamping rabbits on the emerald isle!
A “Boar Tear” on a dog Jacket
The dogs & hunters set off and within less than a minute an Irish Terrier cross opened up followed by the rest of the dogs and Anna called for me to look and just as she did a very large and angry Boar smashed through the cover putting the dust-like snow several feet into the air and crossed the track with several dogs in pursuit, a sight I will never forget. Just a Boar to my hosts, just another snowy day in a large forestry, but to me it was simply amazing.
The pace quickly picked up and I realised that not only were the guys very fit, but I was very unfit. I quickly lost Michael as he kept up with the dogs and Anna Maria, Alex and some other hunters kept in a long line as we crossed the forest. It was cold, the trees in front of me had branches to the ground covered in that icing sugar snow and every time I walked it kicked up a dust of snow in front of me that was almost like a fog, the dogs bay ahead and every so often a rifle shot would ring out or a gun would call a greeting from a high stand as we passed. The ground got ever steeper and each time I thought we were taking a breather on a lane we had ascended to , Alex would call to me “Move about 50 metres back and go up again” and as I was moving back he would be halfway up the next hill. Anna Maria, with a full suit, belt and a rifle on her back smashed ahead like a spaniel and I stuck well in behind her as the snow built on my knees, and the ice cold air pierced my throat, absolutely delightful. What I did notice was that my standard choice of attire for all manner of country sports and my day to day work is Harkila which can admittedly be a little on the warm side for early Autumn and late winter as it gets milder. However here it stood on its own alongside my newly acquired “Zero fit Ultimate” base layer which kept the temperature absolutely ideal.
Three and a half hours quickly passed and as we caught up with Michael and some other beaters, he informed me we would be leashing up the dogs and heading back down the mountain for a short interval before the second drive. If I am totally honest I was quite glad. It had been a hard 3.5 hrs and I had my work cut out to keep up with my German friends who appeared to glide up the slopes and through the snow and cover.
With nine Boar and a Roe Deer shot on the first drive they arrived on the baskets carried by individual guns and some by trailer and again another military like operation ensued. A local butcher oversaw the process and with 2 A frames, and some help he had the Boars and Deer gralloched in a few short minutes while we had the privilege of strong black coffee and a table about 25ft long packed with very German Fayre and accompanied by a lovely and very welcome bonfire kept going by seasoned wood from the forest. When in the company of people speaking an entirely different language I often feel quite out of place, however standing around the bonfire along with two dozen other hunters speaking German I felt very much at home!
Julia asked how I had got on at my part of the hunt and I showed her some photos I had got and she could obviously tell that I was quite taken by the whole affair and thoroughly enjoyed it, Her Teckels Milo and Cookie had worked well on the first drive and we decided for the second where I would be joining her, we would Cookie and I would accompany Cider on the next drive. I was Ciders guest fo course, she had even at this early stage of her life saw more Boar than me! Julia fitted with a Garmin Collar which probably weighed more than her in case she happened to be misplaced in the forest and after more German Fayre we set off for the second and even more enjoyable part of the day.
A short drive to the other side and we loosed Cookie and Cider, with Michael and Anna starting further ahead and working their way round. Milo wasted no time and within less than a minute was completely gone aside from his typical Dachshund bay echoing through the thankfully almost flat wood which was a lot easier navigated. The guns once again had stationed themselves on the various high stands throughout the forest and were so well out of sight at times I even walked past them! As we walked with other beaters and the Teckels hunted on I stopped, took my breath and looked all around – Too many times we are caught up in the excitement and enjoyment of things to really enjoy them at the time and I took a few short minutes to appreciate the forest, the snow, the sounds of the Teckels and that we were here and enjoying the moment in Germany, a place I have longed to hunt in for so long and it all came to a standstill for a short moment in time. I walked along a ride in the forest and Milo slipped across in front of me and as I took a deep breathe he opened up like a bloodhound and 7 or 8 Roe Deer broke from a cover less than 50yrds ahead. The trees, the snow, the weather, the sight of the beautiful Roe Deer taking a split second decision which way to go as a Teckel snapped at their heels will be forever engrained on my mind, It was truly magical.
As the second drive came to a close after three or so hours we collected up Teckels and Julia carried a now wet and bedraggled but still keen young Cider to the Jeep and as we wound down the hill we met Valkar, a very friendly gun who I had met earlier in the morning and he was tying some tape to a hedge. As he and Julia spoke I worked our roughly there had been a Boar shot but not recovered and it may have travelled further on, he was marking the tree to return with a tracking dog.
We arrived once again at the rendezvous point where more Boars & Deer were arriving and being gralloched, the coffee was again on the boil and there was even more food than there was the first time. I noticed Alexander was very busy and had now a large square of spruce branches with four burning logs on the corners, on these branches were placed the Boars and Deer from the hunt which had received the “Bruch” or last bite, as a respect to the animal and part of the “Waidmannsart” or Huntsmanship or German hunting tradition. Each gun was then called individually by name by our host and depending on how many he had shot, a small spring from the forest was taken from a basket and touched on one or each animal before the Hunt Master gave the sprig to the gun for his hat after they lifted their hat to each other. After each gun received his Sprig the highlight of the day arrived for me and 4 hunters stood to one side and we had the pleasure of several minutes of the Fürst Pleiss (German Hunting Horn), with each tune having a different significance from the type of animal shot to a tune in respect of the hunt and the animals giving their life. As the horn stopped we placed our hats back on and the crackling of the fire was the only sound to be heard. I looked up at the mountains covered in snow, the spruce trees and the mist. I looked down at the Teckel at my feet and the truly genuine hunting men and ladies surrounding me and felt very lucky to have Had such an experience, I only wished at times we had the same traditions here, I think country sports would be all the better for it. Julia received a phone call while were hunting the following morning to say that Valkar and Alexander had to attend hodspital to get stitched after they tracked the injured Boar which turned out to be quite irate with the entire situation and had tusked them both in the skirmish that ensued before it was dispatched, a little more dangerous than pigeon shooting too!
I must give my sincerest thanks to Julia Szeremeta & Marcus for their hospitality, kindness and friendship and for everything they did to assist me with Cider and showing me how Teckels CAN and SHOULD be trained. These are the days I will look back on and smile. Waidmannsheil!