Mr. J. M. Richardson's Writings Collated 



The Foxes. 



One often hears people say that the presence of too many- 

 foxes spoils sport. In my humble opinion, it is a fault in the 

 right direction. If hunted often enough, they will soon learn 

 to know the country, with the result that their followers will 

 often have the luck to make acquaintance with 



" a fox stout, gallant, and shy, 

 With his earth ten miles off, and that earth in his eye." 



Coverts too close together are not conducive to foxes making 

 good points. The most useful covert is one of about ten acres 

 or so, consisting of either really thick blackthorn or gorse, and 

 if the huntsman wants a ride cut in it it should not only be 

 narrow, but crooked enough to prevent a shooter seeing a 

 rabbit running across, and thus disturbing the covert. A thin 

 covert as a rule is a very uncertain " find," it being so easily 

 hunted by any chance dog who comes that way. When the 

 owner of a wood is going to shoot it on a given day, naturally 

 the M.F.H. is only too pleased to comply with the request not 

 to come there and draw in the interim. On the other hand, 

 when hounds are running, and well settled to a fox with every 

 prospect of a fine run, I say, without hesitation, that no really 

 good sportsman would take offence if the hounds were allowed 

 to hunt their fox without hindrance, whilst a courteously-worded 

 letter afterwards, explaining matters, would surely prevent any 

 ill-feeling that might otherwise arise. The keepers, of course, 

 blame the hounds if when the wood is shot the bag is not up 

 to the mark, but to my mind the excuse is a very poor one, for 

 we all know that pheasants if driven out of covert are soon back 

 there, and, what is more, move all the better afterwards when, 

 literally, flying for their lives. When it is remembered that 

 stopping hounds under conditions such as I have described, in 



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