Autumn Staghunting

Nigel

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Hi Tom,

Cannot make it down this year, last year was a brilliant. Lex`s party was amazing.

Good Hunting

Nigel
 

Karla

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Try to see something of the world, Tom, before it's too late. With a bit of experience under your belt perhaps you'll be less fanatical on silly boards like this. There's far more to life than pigs and abusing animals for pleasure.
 

wurzel

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Well, my boy, I can only tell you I have seen all I need to see.

From the jungles of the South Atlantic to the moors of Xunantunich.

Isn't it funny how anti's are always better travelled and better educated.

It is the arrogance that causes you to take your eye of the ball darling.

That is why I will be hunting on Tuesday and you will be......well you won't say will you?

I guess it is the impotence that hurts. That is why your only answer is abuse.

I will think of you as well.
 

Karla

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You just don't get it. It's possible to rush around to lots of places but not really see anything because you're so blinkered. You appear to view the world with a great deal of anger. If you at least tried to open yourself up to new experiences and opinions perhaps you'd be less uptight.

I don't know what I'll be doing on Tuesday - depends on the weather I suppose.
 

soggy

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I don't know what I'll be doing on Tuesday - depends on the weather I suppose.

Oh, who are you trying to kid?

You will be sat in your smelly bedsit picking your toe nails, and moulding your earwax sculptures, as you always do every day of the week.
 

severnmiles

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"I don't know what I'll be doing on Tuesday - depends on the weather I suppose."

If us country people went by the weather we'd never get anything done!
 

Karla

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Tish and pish! So you'd harvest a field in torrential rain? Or exercise a horse during a violent electrical storm?

Of course, hunts go out in very cold conditions when the ground is rock hard even though this can hurt horse and hound alike, but that's another matter...
 

severnmiles

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You what? So why was our huntsman on foot for the whole of the beginning of last season then? Did he need the exercise? NO. Or was it because there was ice about?

As for the hounds, try telling the Eskimo's not to run their husky's on ice and snow...lol @ you!
 

Karla

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But I very much doubt whether you hunt with huskies. On icy hard ground hounds can cut their pads and/or break limbs.
 

severnmiles

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Some huskies will hunt, hence why the Inuit tribes crossed them with wolves.

You should see some of the terrain huskies cross when racing. Perhaps its not Tom Faggus who should get out a bit more and see the world, maybe you should take your own advice.
 

Karla

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"But I very much doubt whether you hunt with huskies" - meaning I doubt very much whether your local hunt uses huskies, which are adapted to icy conditions, unlike hounds.

I'm sure more experienced pros on this board would agree that to take hounds out in severe frost is irresponsible.
 

severnmiles

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Why do you think we spend a few months hound exercising and doing road work with the hounds? Perhaps to harden their feet.

I don't see the difference between icey condition/hard ground to the road/shaley areas/mountain e.t.c

Please elaborate.

Also what about huskies that were bred in the UK, they aren't aclimatised, yet they still go racing in Scottish/Welsh woods on hard frosty ground and snow...
 

Clodagh

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We don't hunt when the ground is frozen solid, but we do in snow. Horses stay at home and quads come into play.
 

Karla

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Pros have told me there are two problems with severe frost. One - it's dangerous for horses and riders. Two, shards of ice can injure the hounds, perhaps ending their career (and we know what that means).

You're getting confused between acclimatisation and evolution. Huskies have evolved to cope with icy conditions, irrespective of where they are born. My main concern about racing them in the UK would be that they'd get too hot.
 

severnmiles

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Too hot? You obviously know the season well then.

Next time you see a husky, go and have a look at its paws and compare it to that of a hound thats done its road work.

As I have already said we don't use horses in the frost so I'll disregard your first comment. I've yet to see the second.

Frosts don't last long here anway, we're warmer being near the coast. But I can't remember the SHH, LH,CVH or RH ever abandoning hunting due to ice, it was either delayed or we went on foot.
 

Karla

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If it's mild I think it's dangerous to race huskies - I don't see how this is controversial. It's just common sense.

The debate about hunting on icy ground was conducted on Liam's hunting forum. My comment about the threat of ice shards to hounds was taken directly from Liam's post.

http://www.hunting-directory.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1135612274/15

As you can see, your position is worrying similar to Carreg's. The more experienced (and responsible) hunters there though disagree with you both.
 

Clodagh

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We are so built up around here that the huntsman has to able to keep with the hounds. We have been once, that I can think of, in severe frost and it was hair raising! We only went then as we have a huge group of visitors out.

Even the bassetts cancel in frost, our soil is clay with lots of flints, so perhaps thats why it is worse than yours?
 

severnmiles

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Because Carreg has no experience with hunting, don't make me laugh!!

Who are you to say those on Liams who'm I disagree with are more experienced? Just because you agree with what they say does not make them any more or less experienced than myself. Stop being so narrowminded.

I suppose our local huntmen no nothing aswell, despite one hunting one pack of hounds for over 15 seasons.

Perhaps our Welsh hounds are somewhat tougher than those that Liams readers hunt with, saying that though half our pack are English lines.

Despite what I've read there I have seen hounds hunt in frost, successfully, I've not seen any reaction from them either. The only downside is the huntsman is f****d at the end of the day. Perhaps take a look at the Carms pics of Lee P hunting hounds on foot in the frost...

As for the huskies, I've not known Pembrey be warm in Feb!
 

severnmiles

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Hmm I didn't think of that, our hounds can run on in places for miles and not see a road. It would be quite irresponsible to be on foot in those circumstances, I guess your hunt wouldn't ever hunt without a whip either, whereas ours can and have done.
 

combat_claire

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Blimey your huntsman is a short timer. Our huntsman is just about to start his 27th season with the Fitzwilliam...
Many considerations have to be taken into account when judging whether to go out, SM you seem to be in a fortunate position of being in quite an unspoilt hunt country. This doesn't always follow for the rest of us. Therefore if visibility is bad we will cancel - it isn't safe to approach hazards when you can barely see your horse's ears, nor is it safe when sound is so badly distorted.
What would be the point of us heading out in the frost if the only result is going to be lame horses and sore hounds? It isn't anything to do with toughness of the hounds, but fairness and keeping their welfare at the heart of things. Not to mention the fact that if frost is coming out of the ground then scenting conditions pre-ban would have been useless!
The same with snow, there would have been snow and with the snow balling up in the neds feets there would be danger for both follower and horse. High winds have caused a meet to be altered once, gales affected us that it was deemed unsafe to hunt on horseback and we went on foot instead.


Incidentally there are whisperings that we might go out on feet only at the start of this season, because the ground is like rock and will take weeks of rain to soften.

As a final point remember that many of Liam's forum users will be beaglers and basset harehounds followers which is bound to affect the country they use and therefore the effect the conditions have on them.
 

severnmiles

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Our huntsman is in his first season, and I was wrong by saying 15, its 10 seasons for the Tivyside.

I think you were wrong with 27 aswell.

Claire although I appreciate what you have written out it doesn't go to the point of the argument.

Lame horses - I've already said three times we would be on foot. But I realise that in your country its probably imperative that hunt staff are mounted.

"It isn't anything to do with toughness of the hounds, but fairness and keeping their welfare at the heart of things."

So you would say that because huntsmen in our area still hunt in frosty conditions they don't have their hounds welfare at heart? It would be a shame if those were your thoughts. If roadwork is done correctly hounds feet should be tough soled, what is the difference from ice to treading on thick brambles or black thorn in a covert?

I appreciate the sights/sounds argument, especially in an area which is built up. Hunting in its current form also has to be wary of bad press.
 

Karla

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"So you would say that because huntsmen in our area still hunt in frosty conditions they don't have their hounds welfare at heart?"

Correct! We got there in the end.
 

Karla

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Carreg's probably a world expert in grovelling around with a spade in the mud - but I think even he would concede that Liam & co have far more experience in foxhunting.
 
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