The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-17 00:00:00

HUNTING THE WILD RED DEEP. IN DEVON

AND SOMERSET.

(From the Tirertooi Ornate.)
Two private meets of the Devon and Somerset
stag hounds have taken place in the past week—the first
on Tuesday, the last on Friday—and both were attended
with brilliant success. Mr. Bisset, the worthy master of
the pack, is supposed personally to have an objection to
hind hunting in the spring, partly front the usually poor
condition of the deer, especially after a long and severe
winter, and because of the extreme difficulty of finding
" yelea," barren hinds. This spring, however, the temp-
tation for hind hunting has been very strong, owing to the
enormous increase of the wild deer, which may readily be
imagined from the fact that a herd of no less than 37,
besides stragglers, has been seen under Clout/ham
since Christmas, and several other herds of from
12 to 17 have been recently seen about Old
Dunkerry and in the Dulverton covers ; still we
believe the master has resolved not to hunt before the stag
hunting season arrives, which is immediately after the
" glorious twelfth," and he has only yielded on two
occasions to solicitations of a number of gentlemen for a
change of sport, amongst whom is the Earl of Portsmouth,
who is on a visit at Pixton Park, the seat of his brother-in-
law, the Earl of Carnarvon, to hunt foxes. The first
meet was on Tuesday, at Haddon, but unfortunately for that
prince of sportsmen—the Earl of Portsmouth—hewers unable
to be present, owing to a prior engagement to attend the
Devon Quarter Sessions, at Exeter ; still there was a very
good field, mostly consisting of sportsmen of the right
sort. The pack, in charge of Jack Babbage, the veteran
huntsman, and his clever whip, Arthur Heal, was
put up at the quarters of Jim Blackmore, the noted
harbourer, who said there were lots of deer in
the coven. Three couple of tufters were then
taken to draw Haddon Wood, and there they found so
many deer that there was a good deal of time 'pent in
running about the covers before they could get a hind
away. At length a fine hind, supposed to be a barrener,
broke oover, and made away amidst the excitement of the
field for Buckley ; and there the tufters were stopped by
Arthur Heal. The master, apparently not anxious to kill,
was not in touch of a hurry to lay on. After a while he
sent Bahbage for the pack, and laid on the hounds about
three-quarters of an hour after the deer had dimppe red,
The hounds went away at a good pace to farm
of to the right to Aahtown, and made across the farm
of Mr. Deeding (a gallant old stag hunter), called Grant's
farm, Exbridge, thence to Worsham, the property of the
lord of the manor of Bampton, and pointed for Oakford.
However, they turned to the right to Exe Water, crowing
to some coven (understood to be Haig' htley), then airsss
• farm and over the water ; thence away moss Beat
Tops farm, and on to the Red Deer in Oekford parish.
Prom this point they crossed Tuckers Moor on to Know-
stone ; leaving Knowatone a little distance to the left they
made straight through the coven, and then on to Rose
Ash Moor where the hounds were stopped, after a splen-
did run of three hours and 40 minutes. The Rev. William
Russell, one of the oldest and most esteemed sportsmen
and followers of these hounds, pronounced his opinion
that for the finntime in a season he had never found the
pack work better. Others also spoke in the highest terms
of the splendid way in which the hounds had worked that
day, although they did not gain a sight of thedeer through
out the run, she having got an hour's start of them.
The meet on Friday was at Marsh Bridge, and a
good field assembled, including the master and his
right hand, Mr. Bellew, the Earl of Portsmouth, the
Rev. W. Russell, and many other good and true
sportsmen. The scent, unlike that of Tuesday,
which was not very good, owing to the high and dry wind,
was considered fair. Arthur, the - took thi.-

_ whip, —4 three and
half couple of tuften and drew Marsh Wood under North-
moor-house, the ward J. Arthur Locke, Esq., then Dray.
ton-wood, and across the water to Durham, where they
found a large stag and a young male deer. Arthur quickly
stopped the tuften, and took them back to draw the
covers for a hind, and soon no less than five deer, mostly
hinds, were found. Two of them, a hind and a young male
deer, went across to Hawkridge Ridge, closely followed by
the titters, which were stopped by the master in Ashway
Flat. There the pack was laid on upon the two, and ran
them through Ashway Flat. and across the water to North
Barton Wood, where both deer jumped up in view of the
field, and dashed away through the wood, turning to the
left to the Ere, and then through the covers on the north
side of Hawkridge Ridge, and again turning to the left
to the water, which they crossed towards Mountsey
Castle, and mule away through Marsh Wood. There the
pack divided, the largest number of hounds taking after
the young deer down the stream to a place where a few
cottages stand, called " New Invention," close to the
waterside ; there he got out of the water to the right,
pointing for Northmoor House, (near which the hounds
fresh found or ran up to bim. He then returned to the
water in view closely pursued by the hounds, causing
much excitement to a few spectators. Arthur Heal here
discovered that it was the young male deer, and imme-
diately tried to sffip the hounds ; but this was a work of
some difficulty, as but few of the field were present, the
majority being with the other pert of the pack in
pursuit of the hind. Fortunately Mr. Locke, the
squire of Northmooe, was on the Nortlunoor side
of the water, and Mr. Bellew on the other, whose
strenuous exertions with the aid of Mr. Hopper and a
stableman belonging to Mr. Locke, finally succeeded in
saving the deer. The stableman went into the water to
hie waist, and there be stood bravely driving book the
bounds. Mr. Hopper also went into the water, and greatly
assisted in the saving of the deer, which Mr. Locke staid
to watch till he bad seen him get fairly away into the
neighbouring cover. The whip then took the hounds to
join the smaller part of the pack, consisting of four
couples, at Court Down, where they took after the hind,
to lay them on to the same. By the time he had got
to the down, Mr. Bisset, the master, had stopped the
four couple, and the full pack was laid on in the
presence of the whole field, which bad by this time got
together. The pack crossed to Exe Cleeve, and went down
the Earle close under Baron's Down, and crowd the water
in front of the house, thence across Saddle Back, on to
Clamour and up Haddon Wood, where they turned to the
right to Berridge Wood, and kept bearing to the right till
they reached Bury Water ; after they got out of the water
they went up over Berridge Wood to Ntlynne, or Wind,
Corner, where a number of fresh deer jumped up. As
soon as other deer were "roused" thepaek was stopped.
The object of the meet was not to kill, or by laying on
the pack at the proper tinie they could have easily done
that. The sport was remarkably good, and the pack worked
as on Tueoday, to the admiration or all prepaid.