Thoughts South Herefordshire hunt.

[ester]

It was interesting when the drag pack picked up fox, their voices sounded different, very excited. They were taught to stop to the command 'hold hard', and though I saw them pick up fox (I assume) several times, they never got further than a hundred yards before they were brought back under control and put on the right scent.

Whippers in carry long thonged whips and crack them at the hounds to control them. They will hit disobedient hounds, but they don't normally need to.

The same level of control is somehow supposed to be impossible of fox hunting packs which have picked up the wrong scent. I don't accept that argument, the hounds are all foxhounds.

How many did your drag go out with though? The CUDH only seems to take 3/4 couple which obviously makes control easier/less likely to have an errant one that winds the others up.

Though TBF I've seen foxhounds called off trails successfully quite regularly, usually when headed onto non-permitted land, the amount of control generally has always impressed me.

A lot of the fox pee comes out of china too FWIW.

 

[ycbm]

I recall seeing at least twenty hounds every time Ester, certainly a really decent pack which would throng right around the Huntsman's horse at the meet. They were carried in a full size livestock trailer, and filled it full. I've been with three packs and they all had that many. This one most recently, now disbanded.

 

[ester]

ah cool I didn't know I just know on seeing the CUDH pics I asked where all the hounds were I suspect housing more might be the issue

 

[Tiddlypom]

According to a Dec 2017 report in The Guardian:-

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...il-hunts-are-a-cover-for-continued-bloodsport

‘The Countryside Alliance say the majority of hunts use an ethically sourced, animal-based scent’.

So where is this ‘ethically sourced’ animal based scent produced? Not China, I hope? Although, I suppose that a pack could keep some captive foxes and collect the urine themselves. Oh, hang on...

 

[ycbm]

ah cool I didn't know I just know on seeing the CUDH pics I asked where all the hounds were I suspect housing more might be the issue

Cost to feed and house I suspect. Hounds are really pretty superfuous to many drag hunt followers, they might as well mark the line with arrows .

 

[Tiddlypom]

Two men have been charged with alleged illegal fox hunting on New Years Day.

Two charged over 'illegal fox hunting' in Thame https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-48775734

The covert cctv clip of the incident was shown up thread, but here it is again.

https://www.facebook.com/623112207717516/posts/2735178539844195

So this ‘training’ for hunt staff that Lord Mancroft of the MFHA is keen to big up. Will it concentrate on ensuring that all packs follow the letter and the spirit of the law, or will it concentrate on training them to detect and neutralise the covert cctv that might show that they are not?