CarolineT
New User
I went hunting yesterday and although I really enjoyed it, I didnt really know what the hounds and huntsman were doing and I wondered if someone could help explain for me from start to finish! Thank you.
Hunting Question - What is happening?
- Thread starter CarolineT
- Start date
kiteman0
Well-Known Member
if its the same hunt i went with 
the hounds were flying and huntsman was on the donkey from bethlehem
the hounds were flying and huntsman was on the donkey from bethlehem
arizonahoney
Well-Known Member
Who did you go with? And what did you see (or not see)?
Countryman
Well-Known Member
So much occurs on the hunting field I can't be sure as to what exactly you want to know about! So I'll give you a (very) basic idea of what the hounds and huntsman are doing.
Ok. So most likely the pack you went with were a foxhound pack and they were trail hunting (some packs hunt within the law using other exemptions though). Trail hunting is generally intended to replicate 'real' pre-ban hunting as much as possible (i.e a pack of hounds hunting a fox).
So when hounds moved off from the meet, the huntsman will have taken them to a covert (places a fox is likely to lie-up in during the day such as hedges, thick ditches, copses, spinneys, game cover like Kale etc. these days a trail will have been laid inside the covert. The huntsman will proceed to draw the covert with the pack, sending hounds through in the hope of (pre-ban) finding a fox and nowadays a trail. The covert might be drawn 'blank' meaning no trail/fox is in it. If this happens, the huntsman will probably take the hounds on to another covert.
However, let's say there is a fox (nowadays a trail will try to mimic what happens next) in it. The fox might try and stay still at first wondering what the disturbance is. As hounds get closer though it might start to trot around the covert trying to keep away from them. Hounds will eventually come across its scent and start hunting it round the covert, following the scent it's laid. As hounds begin to catch up inthe fox he realises the covert isn't quite so safe after all and he decides to try and get away from this noisy disturbance by quitting the covert and running off, away across country. The trail layed nowadays will try to mimic that.
The hounds will follow the scent away and start running across the countryside in pursuit, possibly several minutes behind the fox. The field follows. As time goes on, if scent is bad the hounds will lose the fox/trail as the scent peters out. The huntsman will then let the field catch up before going on to draw another covert. However, if scent is good the hounds may catch their fox if it doesn't outrun them, eventually, or mark it to ground in a rabbit burrow for instance. The huntsman will congratulate his hounds, let the field catch up and go on to another covert. Nowadays this might be simulated by Finishing the trail at a rabbit warren to let the hounds mark.
Sometimes hounds can temporarily 'check' (come to a halt) in the middle of a chase when they lose the foxes scent or nowadays where the trail layer has deliberately put this check in. The field will catch up. If the hounds can't refind the scent, the huntsman will cast them (take them to somewhere he thinks the fox may have gone e.g to the next field along) to see if they can regain the scent.
I hope this was helpful. Any other questions just ask and we'll try and help
Ok. So most likely the pack you went with were a foxhound pack and they were trail hunting (some packs hunt within the law using other exemptions though). Trail hunting is generally intended to replicate 'real' pre-ban hunting as much as possible (i.e a pack of hounds hunting a fox).
So when hounds moved off from the meet, the huntsman will have taken them to a covert (places a fox is likely to lie-up in during the day such as hedges, thick ditches, copses, spinneys, game cover like Kale etc. these days a trail will have been laid inside the covert. The huntsman will proceed to draw the covert with the pack, sending hounds through in the hope of (pre-ban) finding a fox and nowadays a trail. The covert might be drawn 'blank' meaning no trail/fox is in it. If this happens, the huntsman will probably take the hounds on to another covert.
However, let's say there is a fox (nowadays a trail will try to mimic what happens next) in it. The fox might try and stay still at first wondering what the disturbance is. As hounds get closer though it might start to trot around the covert trying to keep away from them. Hounds will eventually come across its scent and start hunting it round the covert, following the scent it's laid. As hounds begin to catch up inthe fox he realises the covert isn't quite so safe after all and he decides to try and get away from this noisy disturbance by quitting the covert and running off, away across country. The trail layed nowadays will try to mimic that.
The hounds will follow the scent away and start running across the countryside in pursuit, possibly several minutes behind the fox. The field follows. As time goes on, if scent is bad the hounds will lose the fox/trail as the scent peters out. The huntsman will then let the field catch up before going on to draw another covert. However, if scent is good the hounds may catch their fox if it doesn't outrun them, eventually, or mark it to ground in a rabbit burrow for instance. The huntsman will congratulate his hounds, let the field catch up and go on to another covert. Nowadays this might be simulated by Finishing the trail at a rabbit warren to let the hounds mark.
Sometimes hounds can temporarily 'check' (come to a halt) in the middle of a chase when they lose the foxes scent or nowadays where the trail layer has deliberately put this check in. The field will catch up. If the hounds can't refind the scent, the huntsman will cast them (take them to somewhere he thinks the fox may have gone e.g to the next field along) to see if they can regain the scent.
I hope this was helpful. Any other questions just ask and we'll try and help
CarolineT
New User
Thank you - that was really helpful!