Wolves in Rillaar

We don't know for sure if there were wolves on Rabbit Mountain during the Middle Ages. But we know that they occurred in Rillaar from the bounties that were given to the wolf hunters. In the year 1649 we learn that Rillaar fought against the wolf plague for years. Each municipality gave pennies when they 'presented' a captured wolf. The same wolf could be displayed in more than one municipality. The catches of Rillaar are even recorded in the village accounts of Reet, near Boom. That's about 40 kilometers from here. In Rillaar it was described as follows:
August 20 : a man from Gelrode with a wolf was given 12 pennies.
August 26 : three men from Gelrode with three wolves were given 1 guilder and 16 pennies.
October 15 : two men from Gelrode with a wolf were given 12 pennies.

On the 15th of May 1688, residents of Rillaar told their story to the aldermen of the city of Aarschot. They stated that they had caught a she-wolf carrying six young wolves. The she-wolf was captured and killed.

Wolves were hunted with dogs and clubbed. A common method was to stretch nets between the trees, the so-called wolf yarns. The wolves got caught up in this and could easily be killed.

Jan Rymenams