FOXES FOXHOUNDS & FOX-HUNTING 



Worcester Smith, then Master of the Grafton 

 hounds near Worcester, Mass., brought his pack 

 of American hounds over to Ireland. These 

 hounds were not unHke our fell type, and looked 

 like killing foxes in any sort of country. Being 

 less under control than English hounds, and not 

 so used to disregarding riot, they took some time 

 to settle down in a strange country, and un- 

 fortunately they were not long enough in Ireland 

 to show what they could do. The best American 

 hounds have wonderfully good noses, are self- 

 reliant, persevering, give plenty of tongue, and 

 are extremely fast. There are no better hounds 

 to be found than the Walker breed, which is 

 about the best known strain in America to-day. 

 A good many English hounds have been imported 

 from time to time, in order to increase the bone 

 of the various American packs. Both fell hounds 

 and hounds of Peterborough type have been sent 

 out, the majority of American breeders much 

 preferring the former, as they cross well with the 

 native-bred ones. 



In the majority of American hunting countries, 

 earth-stopping is not done, nor are foxes dug 

 when they go to ground. For this reason the 

 average of kills is not high. The American red 

 fox is a very tough customer, and takes a tre- 

 mendous lot of killing ; for he leads a purely wild 

 life, with no hint of artificiality about it, and has 

 any amount of stamina. 



In the wilder forest districts of the States and 

 Canada, foxes are hunted by hounds to guns 

 stationed on the various passes or runways. In 

 Maine there is a special breed of hounds used for 

 this purpose, known as the Buckfield Blues, from 

 their blue mottle colour. We have often in- 

 dulged in this form of fox-hunting in the dense 



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