70 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



them. If in such a place you are fortunate enough to 

 find a litter of foxes, you may assure yourself you 

 will have but little trouble with your young hounds 

 afterwards. 1 



Such young hounds as are most riotous at first, 

 generally speaking, I think, are best in the end. A 

 gentleman in my neighbourhood was so thoroughly 

 convinced of this, that he complained bitterly of a 

 young pointer to the person who gave it him, because 

 he had done no mischief. However, meeting the 

 same person some time after, he told him the dog, 

 he believed, would prove a good one at last. " How 

 so?" demanded his friend; "it was but the other 

 day that you said he was good for nothing." " True ; 

 but he has killed me nineteen turkeys since that." 



If, owing to a scarcity of foxes, you should stoop 

 your hounds at hare, let them by no means have the 

 blood of her ; nor, for the sake of consistency, give 

 them any encouragement. Hare-hunting has one 

 advantage : hounds are chiefly in open ground, where 

 you can easily command them ; but, notwithstanding 

 that, if foxes be in tolerable plenty, keep them to 

 their own game, and forget not the advice of the old 

 sportsman. 



Frequent hallooing is of use with young hounds : 

 it keeps them forward, prevents their being lost, and 

 hinders them from hunting after the rest. The 



[ x The first time you take out the entry at the commencement of the 

 cub-hunting season, go, if possible, to a small covert or spinney where 

 you are certain there is a litter of cubs, and use every means in your 

 power to catch one. Don't make the young hounds sick by drawing 

 unlikely places first.] 



