The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-02-01
The Sportsman.
THE GRAY AND RED FOX.

THE GRAY AND RED FOX.
A correspondent Of Turf Field and
Farm, regrets the day when certain old
Colonial squires in Maryland, and possibly
in Virginia, not content with the excellent
sport afforded by our native graz foxes,
introduced the English reds, which, in
speed and endurance, are as superior to
the native reynard as is thoroughbred to
a cart-horse.
In a country like ours, as yet but par
TALLY cleared, the chances are that an old
red fox viii beat the best hounds, unless,
perchance-and rare chance it is-he is
bounced so gorged with food as to be in
no condition to run; and even when the
red rascal is killed. is there not more labor
than sport in being compelled to gallop
from the rising to the going down of the
sun, and find oneself at the finish twenty
miles from home, hungry and tired, and
pricked with remorse at having overridden
a favorite horse
In our early days we have known red
fox started at the lower end of Calvert
county, in Maryland, to be killed in Anne
Arundel, distance of fifty miles as the
crow flies ? Where is the horse that could
live with the hounds, over such country,
in such run?
Latterly, up to 81, we hunted regularly
three times week in Rappahannock, a
mountainous county in Virginia, and there
it was very common thing, after trailing
aud bouncing the fox, to lose sight and
hearing of the pack almost Immediately
and never to see or hear anything more Of
the dogs for two or three days This wa:
particularly the ease towards the end Of
the season, when we would hit on a tray
cling fox, who would invariably make {
bee-line for home if it were sixty miles of
and several times We have had to sent
servants into the adjoining counties il
search of dogs which were too sore anC
stiff to return home of their own accord.
On the tide waters of the Chesapeake
in Maryland and Virginia, among tn
Hansons, Bowies, TaylOes and Harrisons
red fox hunting is seen under about a
favorable circumstances as it can be any
where in this country, and what does
amount to? You trail up and bounc
your fox early in the morning, and you
dogs lose, drive to earth or kill him an
time within fourteen hours In the mean
! time the horsemen are riding up and dow
the country roads, guided by the distan
cry of the pack, orby the direction of sue
negroes as they may chance to meet b
: the way, and to this day it is source {
rejoicing and congratulation to the field
when hunting county holding both breed
of foxes, to strike the drag of a gray, fc
in this ease good sport is as certain as /
the other it is doubtful
1t is upon record that the first red fox
were imported into Maryland by one
our Colonial Governors and turned Loo
upon the Eastern shore to which localil
they were confined until, in an unusual
a hard winter, the bay was frozen nearly
; the capes; the foxes then crossed over, al
: have been spreading versince, driving Il
q gray before them. We are willing to 70
It give the old Governor He must ha'
n been, as most of those old cocks were,
Il jolly good sportsman, or he would not ha'
i been at the trouble and expense of impol
is ing the foxes; but he made woful mi
lie take in supposing that it was as easy
st run down red fox in America as
in England.
al We have hunted in England and on Il
to Continent of Europe, and We saw nothil
" abroad to compare in solid magnifcen
v. with the meet Of u fashionable hunt
er the former country. No sight that one CT
&c witness will give better idea of the enc
" nous wealth concentrated in that "tig
h little island" where Incredible sums a
IS, laid out on the hunting establishments
lis the nobility and wealthy gentry. 7
he kennels alone of one Of the English Duk
q cost ninety thousand dollars; and these a
he not exceptional. These kennels are ma
in aged by huntsman and two whippers.l
fa all at good salaries and comfortably lodg
o. under the kennel roof, and mounted
all fye-hundred- guinea horses. Such ests
ok lishments have two packs, one of bitch
". and one of dogs, all with pedigrees exten
,es ing twenty generations back, and ca
he consisting Of thirty couple.
at There arc in the United Kingdom me
1t than three hundred packs Of fox-hounds
lg, to say nothing of half as many more of h
de riers and beagles-the "meets" of viii
* are as regularly advertised as any otl
ne forthcoming public events.
OF At cover side in Lcicestershire,
to instance, as many as FIVE hundred of