LAND AND WATETv' 
August 29, 1914 
A DAY WITH THE CUBHUNTERS 
Gone to Ground 
Copyright, Span and Geiwrat 
AMONG THE CUBS 
All-Round Value of the Preliminary Campaign 
By "RAMBLER" 
I 
N the grave 
situation so 
quickly brought 
about by the inter- 
national crisis on 
the Continent, the 
vast majority o f 
people have been 
little inclined to 
turn their thoughts 
seriously or for any 
length of time to 
the subject of sport. 
Yet it says much 
for the self-posses- 
sion of the British 
sportsman that 
although his first 
and unwavering 
desire is to do some- 
thing of solid use- 
' Illness for his 
tiuntry, when and 
where his services 
are not required, 
he does not fidget 
and fume in gloomy 
idleness, but is up 
and doing and 
bracing himself with 
healthy exercise in 
the open air. 
so iu a relatively minor degree grouse shooting is 
on in the north, cricket and golf are being played, 
and a few Masters of Foxhounds are here and there already 
giving attention to the cubs in the woodlands and the 
education of their young hounds. 
The hunting outlook mav appear to be decidedly obscured 
at the moment, for it is feared that in the coming winter 
" money will be very tight," and that there mav be manv 
resignations of masterships on that account, while "it is certain 
that there will be scarcely any horses left for hunting pur- 
poses ; but it is early yet to talk of the probable effects of 
the great international upheaval upon our sport at home. For 
the time being, at all events, hunting is not likely to be 
altogether abandoned, though, as at the time of the South 
African War, it will be conducted in quite a subdued and 
modified way as compared with times of peace and prosperity 
at home and abroad. 
And 
going 
In the Farmers' Interests 
That cubhunting is an all-important branch of the 
chase needs no telling, and if there is to be any regular hunt- 
ing when November comes round, war or no war, the ensuing 
weeks must be devoted to this educational part of the business 
by huntsmen and their hounds. For one thing, the conditions 
are fairly favourable for an early start in the big woodlands 
this autumn, and by all accounts most countries, where the 
preliminary campaign is taken seriously, are well stocked 
with foxes. Farmers' interests have to be studied, and too 
many foxes in a country are certainly a nuisance. Thorough 
cubhunting, then, is an advantage to all concerned, and, 
although countries and their needs vary vastly, and no hard- 
and-fast rules may be said to govern cubhunting generally, 
it is a maxim that may be commonly applied that early and 
genuipe work in the big coverts means a steady pack of hounds, 
straight-necked foxes, and high-class sport when the real 
thing begins. 
There are some countries which are ideal for the making 
of a pack of hounds. The Grafton is one : the Fitzwilliam 
another ; and many other well-wooded countries might be 
named in the same category. In big well-foxed woodlands 
there can be real drilling without unnecessary noise or holloa- 
ing, and without holding-up and mobbing. I have long 
held the opinion that it is neither for the good of the pack 
nor for the encouragement of bold straight-necked foxes to 
force tired cubs back into covert when they have been well 
rattled and bustled. Of course, hounds must have blood, 
and pretty regularly, but not to the excessive amount which 
many huntsmen seem to crave for. And where the harvest 
is over, and the ground is not too hard, no great harm can 
be done in allowing the hounds from following the cubs into 
the open occasionally, though I know that this is not a canon 
in the creed of very many Masters and huntsmen until Sep- 
tember is over. I always hold that the sporting custom of 
the late Mr. Coupland, during his most successful mastership 
of the Quorn, is the one to adopt. " Let every fox be driven 
out of covert," was his maxim, " and then clap hounds on 
the last one to leave and kill him if they can." Even in early 
September the Quorn used to have some sharp little scurries 
over the open in those days ; and I am sure the subsequent 
winter sport proved that the efficiency of Tom Firr and his 
beauties had in no wise been adversely affected. 
Riot 
There are widely different views regarding even the 
entering of young hounds to foxhunting. There always 
have been. When Jack Raven, Mr. Meynell's famous old 
huntsman, saw Jones, his cork-legged whipper-in, start off in 
q66 
