92 



Speaking of hounds feathering brings to mind an 

 error which many amateur and some professional 

 whips are incHned to make. They notice a hound 

 feathering where they have previously seen a hare, 

 pheasant or partridge run and immediately begin 

 to rate. By using a httle commonsense they would 

 reaUse that feathering only means that the hound has 

 found a scent and is trying to discover what animal 

 has left it. Unless the hound speaks to the hne, he 

 should never be rated and then only if there can be 

 no possible doubt. Hares and foxes will use the same 

 means, whilst both will take advantage of a j&rm track 

 in wet weather, so that even though a hare has been 

 seen to go the exact hne which hounds run, it does not 

 follow the fox has not preceded her. 



On really bad scenting days, it is naturally more 

 difficult to distinguish the difference in various scents 

 and the Solomons of the pack should be given time 

 to find out. Of course the culprit caught in the act 

 of chasing a hare should have a taste of the lash and 

 be rated, but it is inadvisable for a whip to act on his 

 own initiative because he thinks a hare is being hunted. 

 He can inform the huntsman what he has seen and 

 leave that individual to decide the knotty point. 



Hounds which are steady enough in the open -vtdll 

 take advantage of being hidden in covert to indulge 

 a taste for riot. The whip who is posted at a covert 

 side to view a fox away will do no good and probably 

 harm by yelling himself hoarse at the dehnquents. 

 Riot is much more Hkely to occur in woodlands than in 

 thick gorse coverts and when it does occur there is 

 really nothing to be done. 



In large woods I Uke to see the first whip accompany 

 the huntsman whilst he is drawing, not in his pocket, 



