Registered: Oct 2001
Location:
Posts: 17889

I have been wondering what constitutes the end game of a British fox hunt? Fox hunting was very popular in the Texas Hill country when I was a teacher at San Saba, Texas. The fox hunt was over there when the dogs treed a fox. The hound pack was then leashed and put into trailers and the fox was free to go his own way to run another day ( or rather another night). In those few cases where the fox was caught by the hounds in the open and killed the foxhunters were greatly saddened and felt that the hunt had been a failure.It is important to note that the San Saba foxhunters were not following the pack. They sat around a campfire and drank whiskey and commented on what was going on between fox and hound by the baying of the hounds. When the baying indicated that the fox was treed they all jumped up and went to free the fox.

I am not so sure that the English fox hunt is so arranged. The English are obviously mounted and follow the pack crying "View, halloo" or whatever it is. But my question is, what do they do when the hunt catches the fox? Do they kill it? Do the dogs kill it? Do they award the brush as a trophy? Do English foxes climb trees like Texas foxes? Perhaps the mighty English oaks are not suitable for fox climbing. What constitutes a "good fox"? One that gets away?

It is a puzzlement.

__________________

[Ignore Sig]

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: A New England
Posts: 9166

Foxes have dens, generally underground.

A successful hunt is when the dogs shred the fox, or they manage to run down some hunt protestors.

Most hunters I've spoken to over here think the whole thing barbaric.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35561

As I understand it, after the fox is torn to shreds, new hunters get their faces smeared with the blood.

Another day in the life of country folk.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged