Friday, October 14, 2011

Meet Richard Swinney--Living Historian

LinkLiving historian and hunter. He practices the arts of falconry and boar hunting. Here we have him with a boar properly slain.
















He also practises period medicine.

You can learn more about this fellow here.

I am not sure of his views about the Second Amendment, but harassing him because of this post would be idiotic.

I only point him out as a practitioner of the honourable art of hunting. I should add that I appreciate that he hunts in the proper manner and practises proper martial arts.

For more period hunters see:
St. Hubert's Rangers

Boar Hunting in General:
Wild Boar Hunting in California and the World

10 comments:

  1. There is something pure about killing a pig with a stick.

    That would probably be a fascinating man to visit with.

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    Replies
    1. You should try working with the man...

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  2. $20 bucks says he shot that boar with an assault rifle and then took a picture next to it with a spear :p.... I'm just joking people!

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  3. Jim, Before anybody attacks you, I wanted to say I enjoy your sense of humor.

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  4. It's the whole living history gig that I appreciate.

    And, yes, I appreciate the hunting with hounds--even if most of my hunting is urban squirrels.

    And the real Laci enjoys it even more.

    As FWM said, it's pure to interact with animals as they hunt.

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  5. I have to admit to wanting to try boar hunting, but I don't think there are any on the heath.

    And I wouldn't want to run afoul of Bill Oddie if there were.

    On the other hand, I found this blog about all things Boar Hunting.

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  6. I applaud the hunter for his efforts, although I would point out that is a Rhodesian Ridgeback in the photo - not an authentic breed for hunting with raptors OR for boar hunting.

    'Ridgies' are classed nominally as a sighthound by the AKC, in their hound group, but they lack the usual defining characteristics of a sighhound - but they are genuinely fantastic all around dogs. Personally from the people I know who run them in sighthound competitions as well as track with them, they could as easily be considered scenthounds, since they do well at both - and better at scent tracking than most sighthounds.

    The boar in the photo is medim sized; they do come MUCH larger.

    Laci - human not the adorable canine - they DO have feral swine / wild boar in the UK, although I don't know how close this would be to any location you frequent:

    http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/regulation/wildlife/species/wildboar.aspx

    They are reputed to be excellent eating.

    I would add to the references you include Gaton Phoebus' Book of the Hunt
    (http://www.themorgan.org/collections/swf/exhibOnline.asp?id=800)
    and the much earlier work in translation by Ahriens from the classical era.

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  7. Laci The Dog and dog gone:

    You might enjoy reading "The Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine" by Peter Rinnella.

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  8. They would be close if I still lived in Exeter since there is a population on Dartmoor. Although, there are some on the south coast, which would be the closest to my haunts. Still, a bit far for my tastes.

    Since you bring it up, I looked into boar hunting in the UK and it seems to be legal. I'm not sure about using spears to kill them though.

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  9. If the anonymous coward would leave his name, he is certainly welcome to join me hunting boar with dogs and spear, but that would require that he is an active participant.

    And it would also require he get in harm's way.

    Unfortunately, this type of hunting is illegal in the UK since it contravenes the Hunting Act of 2004. The effect of the act is to outlaw hunting with dogs (particularly fox hunting, but also the hunting of deer, hares and mink and organised hare coursing) in England and Wales from 18 February 2005. The pursuit of foxes with hounds was banned in Scotland two years earlier under legislation of the devolved Scottish Parliament, while it remains legal in Northern Ireland.

    I can't legally tell Laci to chase squirrels in the park under this law!

    Although, this type of boar hunt is quite popular in Germany and it's a quick trip to get there.

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