Hunting

Noble Privilege & Symbol of Power

Due to the settled lifestyle of the people, hunting was not quite as important for the general population. Instead, they kept domestic animals and engaged in farming and animal husbandry to ensure their sustenance. Thus, hunting become a special privilege of the nobility in the Middle Ages.

Who was allowed to Hunt
Hunting laws were introduced to regulate who was entitled to hunt. People could no longer simply hunt on their own land. In particular, forests, known as ban forests, were reserved exclusively for hunting, and only the king could decide who was permitted to hunt there.
Hunters had to sometimes pay money or provide services to be permitted to hunt. There were different types of hunting: The “high hunt” was reserved for the high nobility, and they hunted large game such as deer, wood grouse, golden and white-tailed eagles, cranes, pheasants, bears and lynx. The “small hunt” was reserved for the lower nobility and the church. They hunted smaller animals such as roe, wild boars, brown hare, rabbits, foxes, martens, and ducks.

Arab Art of Hunting
At the time of Emperor Fredrick II (1194–1250), falconry was very popular. The Europeans learned from Arab falconers and improved their skills in falconry.

Hunting in the Past
Falconry was a special kind of hunting in which people used trained birds of prey, such as falcons or eagles to capture other animals. The birds flew off, caught the animal, and brought it back. 
The nobility in the Middle Ages especially enjoyed the hunt and chase on horseback with the aid of a pack of hounds and hunting assistants. The hunts resembled great festivals in which many noblemen took part as hunters. It represented a special societal event.
Trapping with various traps securely caught not only small animals but also dangerous animals such as wolves and wild boars. They caught fish and other aquatic animals – just as we do today – with spears and nets.
When stalking game, the hunters stalked the animals quietly and cautiously so as to not startle them. They used spears and cross bows as weapons. They often brought hounds along to help them spot the animals.