What do you love about hunting?

[Vindicated]

So what is it about hunting(fox/drag) that you love?

For me, the hounds and the heart thumping chase.

 

[Starbucks]

Drinking port and jumping big hedges.

 

[Vindicated]

Drinking port and jumping big hedges.

Good man

 

[Starbucks]

Good man

If I were, it would probably be drinking whisky and jumping big hedges!

Don't appreciate all this mulled wine stuff!

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

Absolutely the noise! When hounds are in full cry it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up! I also love the port and seeing all the horses hehe.. dislike some of the knobs.. but hey ho the world is full of em!! XX

 

[Addicted to Hunting]

The Hounds and seeing them work , seeing some fantastic country and scenery on horseback that you wouldn't get to otherwise. The feeling after jumping a tricky/big fence, a good run and at the end of the day really. I love how much confident I've become as well, tbh I love all the parts of hunting including getting the horses ready (not always quite as keen washing off in dark and cold ), the social scene and the friends I've made!

 

[rosie fronfelen]

All of the above and more--

 

[JenHunt]

same here... hounds running, the friends, the country we cross and the tall tales that come out of a good day's hunting. The sound of the horn blowing gives me goose bumps!

 

[Fiagai]

The Hounds and seeing them work , seeing some fantastic country and scenery on horseback that you wouldn't get to otherwise. The feeling after jumping a tricky/big fence, a good run and at the end of the day really. I love how much confident I've become as well, tbh I love all the parts of hunting including getting the horses ready (not always quite as keen washing off in dark and cold ), the social scene and the friends I've made!

Have to agree with all of the above with the addition that for me it is also the role that hunting plays in rural areas both as a way of helping farmers to manage foxes and its importance as part of rural life. I cant imagine life without it tbh....

 

[crazyhorse2010]

I love the hounds and the first rush as you go off from the meet......and crisp wintry mornings

 

[combat_claire]

I love the smug feeling of being up for autumn hunting while the rest of the world slumbers on under their duvets

I love the sound of hounds singing on the lorry as they wait to get underway

I love the sound of the horn on a crisp, cold, sunny morning as we stand covert side

I love that first cup of coffee from my thermos mug at the meet

I love watching hounds work a covert

I love taking arty photographs of the timeless scenes in front of me

I love riding as fast as I can on my bike to follow hounds

I love following on foot when you get in all the right places and see more than anyone else

I love the beautiful wildlife that we see in the countryside

I love the interesting characters that you meet

I love the way the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when the huntsman finally blows for home

I love having a cuddle with my favourite hounds when the boss isn't looking

I love watching hounds feeding after a tough day

I love bombing across Exmoor in my friend's landrover

I love my odd forays onto hunting from a horse

I love going to the pub when you are cold or baking hot, ditching your boots at the door and going indoors to thaw out or cool off.

I love supporting hunt events and ditching my jeans for a ball dress.

I love taking our hounds to shows to meet the public

I love taking part in hound shows and winning lots of rosettes

I love baking for meets and point to points

I love being part of a hunting family where you will always have something in common to talk about whenever you meet a fellow hunting enthusiast.

Oh and I quite like the port and alcoholic beverages

* I promise faithfully to remember this list the next time I am moaning about something someone in the hunt has done to upset me.

 

[Herne]

* I promise faithfully to remember this list the next time I am moaning about something someone in the hunt has done to upset me.

Noted.

 

[combat_claire]

Noted.

I'm going to glue a copy of it in my hunt supporters' committee notebook!

 

[Alec Swan]

Well said, everyone. For me, it's probably the camaraderie which joins us and bonds us.

Of hunting itself; probably those early autumn mornings, cubbing, when from memory the balmy ones were all so often near scentless, and the frustrations!! The scent of early mornings, waisted on hounds, but when wild plants and herbs are crushed under foot. What joy. There must have been normal hunting mornings, I just don't remember them!

Alec.

 

[Mince Pie]

I have only been mock hunting so far (hoping to get out this year), so for me it is pure adrenaline and jumping hedges! Oh, and the mulled wine/port/hipflasks!

 

[tootsietoo]

Excellent question, and I love Claire's list! Which I think mostly covers my loves too!

High up the list for me is the country - getting to know it and be part of it in a unique way. And also the constant challenge of working out what is going on (where hounds are, what they are doing, what the huntsman is doing, or not doing), and the feeling of achievement when you get yourself in the right place at the right time to see the action, or to help with it in some way. And very importantly, the hot bath with a g&t at the end of the day when horses and children are all tucked up for the night.

 

[Sparkles]

Everything. Wierdly, even the early starts cubbing! Missing half of last season made me so aware of how much it is a more 'way of life' almost, I just LOVE being out there. The country, watching the hounds, casual banter with new people, being with your horse, jumping jumps you thought you'd never jump at the start of season then come the end of it, you're doing all of them.....and especially the feeling when you are just flying and with a huge genuine muddy grin plasted on your face with the lovely exhausted yet exhilerated hack back to the box all steamy, muddy but feeling the best ever and then getting back to a huge warm stable, sorting your horse [who you've now found, somehow, an even greater respect for!] and then heading back to a warm toasty house.

Nothing else like it for me. I desperately want to get mine out this season, as it's never been on him. But whether funds will allow me or not are a different matter!

 

[JenHunt]

I love the cold bright sunny mornings, where everything is still and almost silent in the pale blue sky.

The warm steamy pauses in forests where the fog of sweaty horse almost thaws you out before you move off again into the cold.

The feeling that your horse has figured things out long before you did as he's already turned and ready to go when you give the word.

The warmer days when you suddenly get a whiff of the scent, and realise it's going to be a fruitless day for hounds, but a busy one for the field.

The happy tired muddy stroll back to the box at the end of a day, chatting with friends, reliving the funny/hairy/fast and furious moments, working out what next week will bring.

I actually enjoy washing off, wrapping up and putting to bed a tired horse, and the sight of his face when he's tired but hungry and can't decide whether he wants a snooze or dinner first!

I even find the tack and boot cleaning moderately satisfying.

I also enjoy getting them ready, plaiting up, cleaning up, the mad muck out before you leave, the quick change, load everything up and go go go.