The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1882-05-06
A Chapter on Fox Hunting.


out northern New England the COM
mon red fox is yet numerous. There,
| during the autumn and spring
months, fox hunting is common-not
the cruel and disgraceful sport rrac-
ticed in the vicinity of Philadelphia,
but legitimate hunting in which Rey-
nard has quite as good a chance of
saving his life as the hunter has of de-
stroying it. We remember to have
seen not long along, nor more than a
thousand miles from Bryn Mawr. a
ridiculous exhibition denominated a
fox hunt" in which large party of
ladies and gentlemen, seconded by an
equally large pack of hounds, rushed
pell nell over the country, on horse
back, after-a bag filled with musk, or
some such odoriferous substance.
which had been dragged over the
ground by a small boy before the ex-
hibition begun. Now we have moth
ing to say against this sort of exercise,
if people enjoy it; but don't let it be
called "fox hunting" Call it ENG
lish" if you choose, but please don't
name scented bag, q ''fox"! 1t is
hardly necessary to comment on the
cruel and barbarous custom of "ran-
ming" foxes which have been let loose
from confinement. No man with the
finer feelings of true spertman
would be guilty of participating in
this hard hearted and brutal 'sport."
To appreciate the genuine New
England fox hunt, we must first inn
agine ourselves in a country ofwooded
hills, with rocky pasture lands and
meadows between, occasionally dotted
with farm-buildings; while here and
there, thickets of beach and maple fill
out the landscape. The scene is fur
ther diversified by numerous small
streams, generally flowing through
wooded ravines or sometimes through
the open fields, while struggling
country roads pick their way between
the farm houses. Although the fox
seems to have no settled haunts dur
ing the hunting season, the expert
enced hunter familiar with every
sunny slope and secluded bit of open
pasture land sheltered by the woods
localities grateful to his game-wiIl
invariably be more successful than the
novice, unacquainted with the neigh
b)rhood. Hunting parties consist of
not more than three or four persons.
having two or three hounds. These
latter are the hunters principal de-
pendence, for without them it is
almost impossible to get shot at the
game.
In early October the hunting season
begins, for then the fur first become
valuable and the young foxes have
nearly attained their full growth. A
day is selected when the air is clear
and the ground perfectly dry. At
early dawn, our party, accompanied
by the hounds eager for the chase,
start out toward the particular hill or
wood that has been selected as the
scene of the days sport. At first the
hunting is left entirely to the hounds,
which are expected "to start a fox"
that is, to find fresh trail. This thew
do entirely by the scent; for the fox
is too willy to allow them to get sight
at him at first. Sometimes the hounds
are soon successful; at other times
they may not find fresh trail before
noon, perhaps not at all. When, how
ever, the trail is detected. they set off
signaling their discovery by loud bark
ing. If they are genuine fox hounds,
they run in the right direction, and
not in the contrary one, as they might
seem liable to do. AS soon as the fox
perceives that he is pursued, which
may be Immediately or at the end of
twenty minutes or more, (for hounds
will follow trails three hours old, he
starts off rapidly, or slowly, according
to the proximity of his enemies-not
in straight line, but in wide circle,
generally from one to two miles in
diameter.
The fox is much swifter than any
dog, and did he run in straight line,
few would be destroyed; but the loud
baying of the hounds soon informs
the hunters Of the direction he is
taking, and they govern themselves
accordingly. The course is perhaps
wide circuit through the pasture and
meadow lands, in the shelter of
thickets when possible; but more
probably the fox will take to the hills
and then his run will be about the
base of some one of them. When the
hunters are tolerably certain as to
about where the fox will come around
again if he continue in his present
course, they carefully conceal them
selves and wait patiently for him te
make his appearance.
The distant baying of the hounds
becomes more and more distinct