| Fox hunts are the setting for many social rituals, | | | | United States variations |
| but the hunting itself begins when hounds are put | | | | In America, fox hunting is sometimes called fox |
| into rough or brushy areas called "coverts", where | | | | chasing, because the purpose is not to actually kill |
| foxes often lay up during daylight hours or when | | | | the animal but to enjoy the thrill of the chase. |
| they hear domestic dogs moving toward them. If | | | | The American fox population is well-controlled, |
| the pack manages to pick up the scent of a fox, | | | | partly because of the prevalence of rabies, so |
| they will follow it in a "chase" wherein the dogs | | | | hunting is not needed to keep the species in |
| pursue the fox and the hunters follow, by the | | | | check. This disease is not present in Britain. The |
| most direct route possible. Since this may involve | | | | rare animal that is killed by an American hunt is |
| some very athletic skill on the part of horse and | | | | usually old or unhealthy. American hunters have |
| rider alike, foxhunting is the origin for steeplechase | | | | also been strong supporters of land conservation |
| and other National Hunt racing, as well as other | | | | to support fox populations, and some even |
| equestrian sports such as hunt seat riding. | | | | provide dog food for the animals in the |
| The hunt continues until either the fox evades the | | | | winter.[citation needed] |
| hounds, "goes to ground" inside of a burrow or is | | | | American hunts often end up chasing coyotes |
| overtaken and usually killed by the hounds. In the | | | | when the hounds pick up the scent. Many of the |
| case of Scottish hill packs or the gun packs of | | | | farmers and ranchers who allow fox hunting on |
| Wales and some upland areas of England, the fox | | | | their property do so because coyotes that have |
| is flushed to guns. Hunts in the Cumbrian fells and | | | | been chased by a pack of domestic dogs appear |
| some other upland areas are followed by | | | | to learn to keep their distance from domestic |
| supporters on foot rather than on horseback. | | | | animals in the future. Those farms and ranches |
| In the UK, where the fox goes to ground, terriers | | | | which have allowed fox hunting have seen the |
| may be entered into the earth in order to locate | | | | number of predations of their livestock by |
| the fox so that it can be dug down to and killed. | | | | coyotes decrease as a result of the activities of |
| Sometimes, the fox will bolt. In the U.S., terriers | | | | the local hunt.[citation needed] |
| are not used, and once the fox goes to ground, | | | | In the United States, George Washington and |
| he is left alone. | | | | Thomas Jefferson both kept packs of fox |
| Because of the change in the law, the kill is no | | | | hounds before and after the Revolutionary War. |
| longer emphasised in England. | | | | The last U.S. president to hunt was Ronald |
| A number of social rituals used to follow the hunt. | | | | Reagan, and the last First Lady to do so was |
| One of the most colourful was the act of | | | | Jacqueline Kennedy. |
| "blooding." This is a very old ceremony in which | | | | Variation: Drag hunting |
| the master or huntsman would smear the blood | | | | In some countries drag hunting is also popular, |
| of the fox or coyote onto the cheeks or | | | | either instead of or in addition to quarry hunting, in |
| forehead of a newly initiated hunt follower. Some | | | | which a scented bag is dragged over a |
| conjecture that the ceremony goes back to the | | | | pre-determined course. Bloodhounds are used in |
| similarly stylized medieval hunting of the high | | | | some areas to hunt a human runner, the sport of |
| middle ages. By 2000 the practice had largely | | | | "Hunting the Clean Boot". |
| been abandoned though some say it continues to | | | | Shooting foxes |
| this day . | | | | In some places- notably Australia- the term "Fox |
| Autumn or cub hunting | | | | Hunting" is used to refer to the hunting of foxes |
| In the autumn of each year, hunts take the | | | | with firearms, much the same as deer or rabbit. |
| young hounds out "cub hunting". They teach the | | | | Foxes are a serious problem for farmers in |
| puppies to hunt while they are teaching the young | | | | Australia, and the expedient (and humane) |
| foxes to run from hounds. In Britain "cub hunting" | | | | removal of foxes is a higher priority than the |
| consists of training the young hounds in hunting by | | | | pomp and circumstance surrouning a traditional |
| firstly surrounding a covert and then 'drawing' it | | | | fox hunt as practiced in the UK. Typically, the |
| with the puppies and some more experienced | | | | hunter will either call foxes in with a fox whistle- |
| hounds, allowing them to hunt within the | | | | sometimes to within 20m or so of the hunter- at |
| surrounded wood. A young hound is considered to | | | | which point they are then despatched with a |
| be 'entered' into the pack once he or she has | | | | shotgun, or else hunt at night with a spotlight and |
| successfully joined in a hunt in this fashion. Once | | | | a rifle (known as spotlighting). Some areas offer |
| the season proper starts (usually from early | | | | bounties on foxes- the state of Tasmania, for |
| November in the northern hemisphere, or May in | | | | example, offers a bounty of AUD$1,000 per fox |
| the southern hemisphere), the idea is to drive the | | | | in an effort to combat the fox's re-introduction to |
| fox from the covert and chase it over open | | | | the state, and the state of Victoria has also |
| countryside. | | | | offered bounties on foxes in the recent past. |