403 



FOREST AND < STREAM. 



[Nov. 9, 1895. 



MEET OF THE DIXIE RED FOX CLUB. 



The meet of the Dixie Red Fox Club, which was held 

 near Rowland, Ala,, beginning Oct. 21, brought together a 

 large number of celebrated hounds and more prominent 

 sportsmen than was ever before seen in the United 

 States. 



The country surrounding Rowland is ideal for fox 

 hunting. Topographically it is a gently rolling plain, em- 

 bracing an area of about ten miles square, that for the 

 most part is covered with open forests of hard wood. 

 There is no fencing to speak of, and it is easily accessible 

 f rom all points. 



Unfortunately, a severe drought had prevailed for two 

 months; everything was parched and dry, and at this 

 season of the year there is practically no dew in the South — 

 every condition unfavorable to the chase. 



Owing to the large number of hounds at the meet, it 

 was decided to limit the entries for the Derby to four | 

 from each pack, and the stake was nominated as fol- 

 lows: 



Avent & Hitchcock 4, Francis J. Hogran 4, Howard 

 Tracy 4, W. I. Spears 3, 0. L. Hennigan 3, Hardie & Lee 3, 

 R, C. W. Gregg 2, and H. C. Trig 2; a total of 25, and all 

 splendid puppies under 21 months of age. 



Capt. John A. Turner, master of foxhounds, ordered the 

 hunt for 4 A. M. Monday. Numerous cold trails were 

 struck, but none could be covered for any considerable 

 time, and at 10 o'clock the hounds were ordered up The 

 feature of the day's work was the trailing done by Bright 

 Eyes, one of Avent & Hitchcock's entries. 



Tuesday morning there was a little dew, and atmos- 

 pheric conditions were somewhat improved over those 

 that obtained the day before. 



The start for the hunting grounds, five miles away, 

 was made at 5 o'clock. On the way to the grounds a cold 

 deer trail drew off a few of the puppies and threw them 

 out of the race for the day. 



About sunrise a fox trail was crossed and rapidly car- 

 Tied to the north, along the L. & N. R. R. tracks, a mile 

 to the jump. The hounds were badly scattered, and 

 seven dogs, belonging to Spears, Avent, Hardie and Gregg, 

 made the drive of a mile and a half to the track before 

 the rest of the pack harked to the cry. Judges and spec- 

 tators were equally at fault with the dogs, Mr, R. C. 

 Reynolds, one of the judges, and Mr. J. M. Avent alone 

 seeing the fox, a lusty old gray, as he crossed a small 

 open j ust after the tack. 



Here, however, a series of dodges and turns in a thicket 

 of scrub oaks brought all to the front, and the next 

 straightaway run of a mile was the charge of a roaring 

 torrent of huntsmen that threatened destruction to the 

 trail or the puppies or to both in its madness. Indeed, 

 nothing, not tne hole and the subsequent kill, so tested 

 the breeding and training of the dogs in the race. That 

 they were able to carry the trail with the horses around 

 them — some of them trampled, in fact — was a marvel to 

 every beholder. 



The hole, in a pipe under the railroad embankment, was 

 made in little more than an hour from the jump, and 

 marvelous to relate, all of the puppies that were in at the 

 jump were still well to the front. 



Some of the owners of dogs insisted that a kill should 

 be made, and with great reluctance the judges finally 

 ordered the hounds confined on the railway and the fox 

 routed out for another try for his life. When Reynard 

 was well in the brush the dogs were unleashed and in 

 twenty minutes the kill was accomplished, 



Mr. R. C. Reynolds, the hard riding judge, was first at 

 the death and made a desperate effort to rescue the fox, 

 but Bright Eyes had tasted blood, and Ajax and others 

 were too close behind her, and together they tore him in 

 pieces. 



Mr. Hardie, Uniontown, Ala., was second at the death, 

 and in compliment to the difficulties he had surmounted, 

 riding a sidesaddle with a lumbering mule for a steed, 

 Mr. Reynolds generously awarded him the brush. 



Owing to the fact that the fox was a gray, the judges 

 declined to make the awards, saying there can be no test 

 of red foxhounds except upon red foxes. 



This decision was, in the opinion of the writer, a serious 

 mistake, especially when the scale of points under which 

 the race was made is considered, as may be seen by the 

 following: 



Hunting, 20 — the hunting was marvelous under the cir- 

 cumstances; trailing, 20— trailing was superb; speed, 

 20 — a grander exhibition of speed was never witnessed in 

 foxhounds; endurance, 20 — there was no great test of 

 endurance, but nothing to doubt its existence in anyway; 

 giving tongue, 10 — enough for a hundred decisions, as 

 was equally true of intelligence and judgment, valued 

 at 10. 



The race, as a whole, was grand — wonderful for pup- 

 pies, and should have been counted; the decision was ac- 

 cepted by the handlers with the best grace possible, and 

 the Derby was continued for another day. 



Wednesday there was no change in the weather for the 

 better, and at 5 o'clock A. M. a start was made for. the 

 grounds designated by the master of foxhounds, seven 

 miles— another unfortunate mistake, that resulted in 

 nothing but a little trailing, especially when it was 

 known that there was plenty of game within a mile of 

 camp. 



W ednesday night the club concluded to abandon the 

 trials for the present, and it was decided to hold the next 

 meet beginning the second Monday in December, 1896, at 

 the same place. 



Dr. I. F. Delaney was re-elected president for the en- 

 suing year, with Mr. W. I. Spears for vice-president. 

 Mr. J. H. Wallace, Jr., the efficient secretary -treasurer, 

 was also named his own successor. 



Among the 200 hounds present, and attracting general 

 attention, were Banjo, the winner of All- Age Stake of 

 the National Fox-Hunters' Association, 1894; Avent & 

 Hitchcock's celebrated old Hunter, conceded by all who 

 have ever seen him afield to be the grandest strike and 

 trail dog on the continent; Messrs. Walker's Big Strive 

 and Pearl Strive, winners of many firsts on the bench, 

 and Mr. Spears's well-known Julys, Willis and July. 



Messrs. Howard Tracy and Francis J. Hogan had in 

 their string about twenty of their own and of the Walker 

 hounds: big, bony dogs for the most part, apparently 

 capable of good work. This pack was by no means uni- 

 form in color and not of the true American type. 



The Avent & Hitchcock dogs, sixteen in number, were, 

 with one exception, clean, racy-looking black and tans, 

 with plenty of .snap and vim. J 



Col. H. C. Trigg had eight hounds said to have caused 

 the death of many foxes. They were fine lookers for the 

 most part, but not uniform in type. 



Hon. R. W. C. Gregg's pure-bred shaggies, next to the 

 Avent & Hitchcock pack, were the most capable lookers 

 at the meet. 



W. 1. Spears had three puppies out of an Avent bitch, 

 by a July dog, that were racy -looking youngsters, and, 

 so far as type goes, a great improvement on the pure 

 Julys. 



O. L. Hennigan's three youngsters were of no particu- 

 lar type, but looked like capable workers that may yet be 

 heard from. 



In the dozen other packs there were some good individ- 

 uals, especially Ajax in that of Hardie & Co. 



Before the close of the meet there was a match 

 arranged between Messrs. J. M. Avent and Howard Tracy 

 for a stake of $200 a side, that will be looked upon with 

 great interest everywhere. The test will be for endur- 

 ance between packs of from six to eight dogs, and will be 

 run off at Hickory Valley some time in December. 



The general public, however, will be disappointed to 

 learn that the match will be in the presence of only six 

 invited friends of the principals; and is, in this particular, 

 unfortunate. 



In conversation with the writer, Mr. Avent expressed a 

 hope that Mr. Tracy would consent to invite Mr. Luttrel, 

 of Georgia, to enter the stake. If it can be so arranged, 

 this would bring together the three most noted packs in 

 the United States. 



Among the noted sportsmen present and not previously 

 mentioned were Hon. Ross Smith and Hon. John Mc- 

 Gyueen, Birmingham, Ala.; Maj. Val. Young, Waverly, 

 Miss.; Capt. Wm. Bankhead and Mr. Mark Gilchrist, 

 Courtland, Ala. ; and Hon. R. H. Lowe, Huntsville, Ala. 



To Capt. Hartsell and his family, Dr. I. F. Delaney, 

 president of the club, and Mr. John H. Wallace, Jr., the 

 sec'y-treas., all who attended the meet are indebted for 

 much kindness. Nothing was left undone for the com- 

 fort and pleasure of anyone that they could accomplish. 



Of the meet it is probably true that it was the largest 

 and most representative gathering of hounds and hunts- 

 men ever held upon American soil. Will Scribbler. 



The N. E. F. T. Club's Trials. 



The trials of the New England Field Trial Club began 

 on Oct. 29, at Assonet Neck, Mass. There were but six 

 starters, drawn as follows: 



SETTEES. 



P. H. Powell's black dog Dan (Sport ) 



with 



Oakland Farm's black, white and tan bitch Our Pet 

 (The Coreair— Tchula). A. R. Sharp, handler. 



H. D. Keyes's black, white and tan dog Montel (Marks 

 Mack— Katie B.) 



with 



W. C. Baylies's black, white and tan dog Tennessee 

 Vandal (The Corsair— Effie Hill). 



D. A. Goodwin, Jr.'s, black and white bitch Gladys 

 (Bradley— Matchless IV.) 



with 



Hobart Ames's black, white and tan dog Jockey (Claude 

 — MollieDale). 



The drawing took place in the morning at the grounds, 

 and the start was made at 9:15. The weather was per- 

 fect, bright and with a light frost, the wind blowing 

 gently from the northwest. We found very few birds, 

 but they were placed so that we managed to get along 

 very well. The grounds were in good condition. The 

 leaves having fallen, we had no trouble to keep track of 

 the dogs. 



The dogs were a very nice lot to manage, quick to 

 mind and very well broken. The handlers deserve a 

 great deal of credit for the way then- dogs were fitted 

 and the manner they were handled. I cannot recall a 

 single instance where there was any loud whistling or 

 calling. It was truly very gratifying to see how easily 

 well- broken dogs can be managed at a field trial. 



The winner of first, Our Pet, is a medium-sized black, 

 white and tan bitch, with plenty of speed, very intelligent 

 range, good style on point, and handles quickly and 

 pleasantly. Had she been run in her younger days at the 

 larger trials, I am sure she would have made a good 

 showing. 



Tennessee Vandal is a medium-sized black, white and 

 tan dog, fair range and speed, rather headstrong in his 

 work. He handles his birds well. He has not so pleasing 

 a way of hunting as the winner of first, neither does he 

 compare with her in intelligence, speed, range, nor in 

 style on game. 



Montel, winner of third, is an evenly marked black, 

 white and tan of nice size, and put up right for a nice 

 going dog. In fact he is a very beautiful moving dog, 

 and as he quarters his ground he makes you feel as though 

 he was ready at any moment to point a covey. He ranges 

 fast, and plenty wide enough for cover shooting, and 

 minds promptly without more than a low whistle. He 

 shows a lack of experience on birds, but no timidity. He 

 does not seem inclined to back, but I imagine with 

 another year's experience on game he will go higher up 

 the score. 



Dan and Our Pet were cast off at 9:15, Dan handled by 

 his owner, Mr. P. H. Powell, and Our Pet by Mr. Arthur 

 R. Sharp. Both dogs went away fast and ranged nicely, 

 beating out stubble and cover equally well. In this brace 

 we had two distinct types of dogs— Dan, low carriage of 

 head and stern; Our Pet, high head and stern. Dan went 

 quite as fast as Pet, but not so intelligently. He was a 

 very interesting dog to watch. We hunted out a lot of 

 ground before finding any signs of birds. Pet, crossing 

 low ground into thick bushes, stopped to scent of covey; 

 Dan, brought up to back, did so.to order. Mr. Sharp fail- 

 ing to put up birds the dogs were ordered on and worked 

 the trail nicely across another field. Dan pointed, Pet 

 backing nicely. Mr. Powell put up birds and shot. Pet 

 Bteady; Dan jumped a stone wall and chased. Sent on 

 single birds, Pet made a nice point; steady to wing. Sent 

 on, no birds were found for some time; in thick cover 

 both dogs got among the birds and put them up. Dogs 

 up at 10:10. v * 



Montel, handled by H. B. Tallman, and Tennessee Van- 

 dal, handled by A. R. Sharp, were cast off at 10:15. The 

 dogs ranged about alike. Montel had the best style, and 



omewhat the quicker dog and the easier to handle. We 

 hunted through stubble, low, swampy meadow, bushes, 

 over high ground, then crossed to the opposite side of the 

 valley just across the bottom. Montel pointed a covey 

 well, Van crossing behind and to the left, made a good 

 point on same covey, Mr. Tallman put up birds; dogs 

 steady to order. A crippled bird being left, it ran squeal- 

 ing in front of Montel and he tried to catch it. In the 

 scuffle a ruffed grouse flushed from the bushes and 

 crossed the open. Mr. Sharp put in a shell and made a 

 nice kill at fifty or more yards, and broke shot to retrieve 

 the birds, both dogs getting badly rattled at his action. 

 Soon after, in thick pine, Montel made a point on single 

 birds, left his point, jumped in, flushed and chased the 

 birds. Vandal, in broom sedge, made a good point, Mon- 

 tel refusing to back; Van steady to wing. No more birds 

 were found in this heat. Dogs up at 11:12. 



Gladys handled by Mr. Ellis, and Jockey by Mr. Teen, 

 were started at 11:16. They covered a lot of country be- 

 fore finding any birds. Jockey gave a nice exhibition of 

 going over smooth ground, reminding me of Tony Boy — 

 about his size and the same pretty way of going — but 

 when he struck cover he was through, and did nothing 

 but try to find good easy places to get about in. Gladys 

 acted puppish, and did not get out to hunt, as she very 

 likely will when she has more age and experience. Dogs 

 up at 12:27, having done no work on birds that amounted 

 to anything. Our lunch was a great success, and enjoyed 

 by all. 



Second Series. 

 Four dogs were kept in. 



To Dan and Vandal I gave about an hour, Van show- 

 ing himself to be the better in style of hunting, 

 pointing, etc. Dan kept up his reputation for being un- 

 steady. 



Our Pet and Montel had a long run, I should judge 

 one hour and a half, without finding birds. In this heat 

 Montel rather had the best of it in speed, but in no other 

 way. Found large bevy, Pet getting some point work. 

 Montel rather unsteady. 



I then put down Jockey for about ten minutes on single 

 birds to see how he would act alone, but he would not 

 hunt in briers. He made one point, but it proved barren. 



I then decided, placing Our Pet first, Tennessee Vandal 

 second, Montel third. N. Wallace. 



Among other items, Mr. Sharp sent us the following, 

 but as Mr. Wallace's report is quite complete, we present 

 only this. 



Judge, Mr. N. Wallace, Farmington, Conn. Between 

 forty and fifty interested sportsmen followed the dogs. 

 Mr. Wallace's decisions gave satisfaction and were in no 

 way questioned. A. K. Sharp, Sec'y. 



Field Trial Handling. 



It is a pleasure to note a growing desire on the part of 

 handlers, or some of them, to improve the training of 

 dogs at field trials, and also to have the matter of train- 

 ing more specifically considered in that connection. That 

 wide-awake and sound writer, Mr. W. W. Titus, in a pri- 

 vate letter of recent date touches on the matter of back- 

 ing, and his views are so sensible and pertinent that they 

 deserve publication for the improvement of a noble sport. 

 He says: 



' 'I have always thought it very unjust to an honest dog 

 to allow credit for a find to his competitor, the dogs being 

 out of sight when the find was made, even though said 

 competitor be on a point, if he has shown a disinclina- 

 tion or refusal to back the honest dog when in plain sight 

 of him. 



"I believe in a rule to the effect that all dogs must show 

 positively that they are honest, reliable backers, remain- 

 ing stanchly in backing position without coaching or 

 steadying, as long as the pointing dog remains motion- 

 less, otherwise the judges will have a right to take it for 

 granted that their backing is purposely left unfinished in 

 order that when they come on a dog pointing out of sight 

 of the judges they thievishly steal the point, and assume 

 the position of the find. The judges are allowed to place 

 such construction as they deem proper with full knowl- 

 edge of the dog's qualities in this respect, in order to pro- 

 tect a good searcher from being robbed of the credit of 

 his finds. 



"A dog should, in a true interpretation of thorough 

 training and finished performance, be just as reliable on 

 a back as a point, and a dog that will not back a pointing 

 dog except by command of his handler will make no pre- 

 tensions toward backing when the handler is not present 

 to give that command. 



'•A dog of this kind can commit piracy enough in each 

 field trial meeting to place him well to the front, if not 

 at the very top. In horse racing, such as trotting, a square 

 fair trotter is protected from being robbed by a horse of 

 mixed gait, and it is time that an honest, hard-working 

 searcher should not be at the mercy of such 'pirates' as I 

 have described. At the same time it would tend to 

 bring into disrepute bad training, and encourage all 

 trainers to be more thorough in all the detail of training. 



"I am hot complaining of a 'bugbear.' All practical 

 men have realized the extent to which an honest dog can 

 be worked to its disadvantage by a dog cunning in and 

 watching for opportunities to steal points; and some loafing 

 dogs will get to be so expert that one often hears them 

 spoken of as having so much sense, that without hunting 

 hardly anv they can find more birds than a hard hunter, 

 which or ™ts around to back — which often means that 

 the 'loaf" ^ets around in time to steal a point. 



"This i^PI. ._ enforced with the utmost rigor in a 

 champi;. - dog that is not an honest, reliable 



backer, as 3tancn On „u,ck as point, has no place nor right 

 to be considered. 



"I think it is not due to scarcity of birds which makes 

 finding at Newton so difficult, as I have the same con- 

 ditions here: no rain for two months and dry as tinder. 

 The cornfields or in fact all fields will burn as freely 

 as in the warm days of spring. Naturally birds seek the 

 cool solitude of impenetrable thickets, near some creek if 

 possible where water is to be had, or if not they drink the 

 dew in early morn, and stay in cool places, where their 

 thirst will not be excited. I am hammering away by 

 getting up at daylight, and locating birds by their calling, 

 or whistling, which they do as roosters crow at day-break. 

 It gets so hot at 8 that I Jay up till late in the evening, 

 in f actjthe same modus operandi as is used on the prairies. 



