In 2015, the Naturschutzzentrum Erzgebirge conservation centre installed a nature trail called “Am Sauwald” near the town of Schlettau.
A bit of hunting history
The Sauwald has a peculiar type of stone ridges called ‘Saufänge’ (sow traps). Most of them have been taken down over the centuries, and their remains are hard to find. A bird’s-eye view best reveals where they used to be.
Sow traps consisted of two dry walls erected from clearance cairns at an acute angle. Sows were driven into the trap, kept there and later hounded towards noble hunting parties to be killed with little effort. What a lack of elegance.
My contribution: Translating texts for the display boards along the trail.