MS M.1044, fols. 91v–92r

Laying Hedges for Catching Game
While the third book of Le Livre de la chasse deals with hunting par force de chiens (through the strength of dogs), Phoebus's final book treats the capturing of game par maistrise (through cunning and skill). He actually expressed his opposition to the use of nets and other trapping devices, for he found them less noble and gentle and feared they might overly reduce available game. Nevertheless, an earlier chapter discussed and illustrated the making of snares and traps (fol. 45). In the miniature, men dressed in green and armed with spears wait for game to be trapped in various snares and nets that have been disguised as part of a hedge. The use of such hedges to catch stags was reserved for old hunters who could not keep up with the chase.