FOXES FOXHOUNDS & FOX-HUNTING 



post hounds, for I have known it happen myself, 

 although I should hardly use the word ' ' blunder " 

 in describing it. A fox, coming along through 

 rough ground, can easily get close to a couple of 

 hounds if the latter are quiet, before he realizes 

 their presence, especially if they are above him, 

 and their scent is carried over his head. I cannot 

 however believe that a fox would " run itself 

 almost to death, under the impression that it was 

 being chased." I have seen a good many hunted 

 foxes in front of hounds, and others which had 

 been disturbed by the presence of hounds in their 

 vicinity, but I have never known a fox to go 

 faster than he really need, even when hounds were 

 on his line. 



A fox coming round the shoulder of a hill, or 

 travelling in rocky ground, may, if he cannot 

 smell hounds or men standing quietly, almost 

 run into them, for his eyesight is not remarkably 

 acute as far as stationary objects are concerned. 

 Again, what appears to be easily within our vision, 

 may be invisible, or at any rate look very different 

 from the much lower view-point of the fox. 



As far as the land is concerned, scent appears 

 to lie best when the ground is in good riding 

 condition, neither too hard or too wet. Poor 

 land carries a better scent than good land, while 

 limestone, unless very damp, is always inimical 

 to it. Wet, soft snow often carries a good scent. 

 In Canada I have known hounds to run well on 

 a line of deer tracks which had thawed out, but 

 when the tracks froze again towards evening, 

 scent appeared to be lacking. There is really 

 no rule to go by with regard to scent, so all we 

 can do is to trust to luck, and, as an old huntsman 

 friend of mine says, just keep on ' ' never minding." 



With his keen nose, the fox easily recognises 



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