Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-05-23
VAGARIES WHICH HUNTERS
CANNOT EXPLAIN.
Theories That Have Been Advanced--'
Good and Bad ScentinB Days.
How Hounds Lose and Recover
the Trail-.-Fallen Leaves as
a Help to the Hunted Fox.

III tnero Is one tn1ng more Cnan an
other that has vexed the minds of
sportsmen through countless centur-
les, it is the question of Scent
that remarkable commodity which is
so necessary to the success of the
hunter. And yet even in this twen-
tieth century, says the London Daily
Mail, with all the accumulated knowl-
edge of successive generations at
our disposal, it is doubtful whether
we know much more about the mys-
teries of scent than did Nimrod, who,
so far as we know, was the mightiest
hunter Of early days.
AS to Nimrod and his methods of
hunting we are actually told but lit
tie, for he is only referred to twice
in all the writings of ancient days
that are given to us, and no mention
Is made of his hounds. But we have
records of one Marri-who is held
by many old time writer's to be one
and the same as the mighty hunter
of Genesis--and he certainly hunted
with hounds, the latter being invari-
ably mentioned with his name.
At that very remote period, there
fore, the usefulness of the hound as a
tracker of wild beasts had been rec
ognized, and doubtless everything
was done then as it is to this day, to
encourage the natural instinct of the
canine race in this particular with a
,yiau 20 Ia In hn choc
Yet after all these days there is not
an M. F H. in the land, or hunts
man either, who can tell you why it
is that under precisely similar me-
neurological conditions hounds can
run on burning scent all day on
the Monday, and can scarcely raise a
whimper on the Tuesday, though the
fox be but half a field ahead Of
them.
Many theories have been advanced
to explain the vagaries Of scent, but
none of them is entirely satisfactory.
Some, no doubt, still pin their faith
to the words of the poet who de-
clared that
Proclaim a hunting morning.
But as a matter of fact neither the
one nor the other will make scent
chang" If so be that Providence wills
1t otherwise. You cannot, indeed, lay
down any hard and fast rule con-
cerning so variable and intangible a
thing as scent, which is generally at
its best when you least. expect it.
Take for instance the behavior Of
scent during this present season.
Prior to Christmas the sport enjoyed
with most packs had been up to the
average and rather better than that
with some. With Christmas came
the first spell of winter, and hunting
was abandoned throughout the length
and breadth of the kingdom. After
that the thaw and with it a period of
stirring gallops day after day such
as are seldom chronicled within the
space of a few days in any season
Hardly pack went out that week
without a good run every time
hounds left kennel, and many a
huntsman went home with as many
as three or four good gallops to his
credit in a single day and as many
masks dangling from sundry saddles.
Shortly afterward the frost re-
turned, and again broke up. To all
intents and purposes the conditions
were once more the same-the atmos-
phere close and heavy, little or no
wind, showers of rain at intervals,
and the ground cold and wet. But
none of the brilliant runs of few
days before were to be had.
Hounds found as frequently as
usual, and as frequently, after run
ming on a faint line for few hun