Fox hunting procedures

Fox hunts are the setting for many social rituals,United States variations
but the hunting itself begins when hounds are putIn America, fox hunting is sometimes called fox
into rough or brushy areas called "coverts", wherechasing, because the purpose is not to actually kill
foxes often lay up during daylight hours or whenthe animal but to enjoy the thrill of the chase.
they hear domestic dogs moving toward them. IfThe 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 dogshunting is not needed to keep the species in
pursue the fox and the hunters follow, by thecheck. This disease is not present in Britain. The
most direct route possible. Since this may involverare animal that is killed by an American hunt is
some very athletic skill on the part of horse andusually old or unhealthy. American hunters have
rider alike, foxhunting is the origin for steeplechasealso been strong supporters of land conservation
and other National Hunt racing, as well as otherto 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 thewinter.[citation needed]
hounds, "goes to ground" inside of a burrow or isAmerican hunts often end up chasing coyotes
overtaken and usually killed by the hounds. In thewhen the hounds pick up the scent. Many of the
case of Scottish hill packs or the gun packs offarmers and ranchers who allow fox hunting on
Wales and some upland areas of England, the foxtheir property do so because coyotes that have
is flushed to guns. Hunts in the Cumbrian fells andbeen chased by a pack of domestic dogs appear
some other upland areas are followed byto 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, terrierswhich have allowed fox hunting have seen the
may be entered into the earth in order to locatenumber 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., terriersthe 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 nohounds 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 ofJacqueline Kennedy.
"blooding." This is a very old ceremony in whichVariation: Drag hunting
the master or huntsman would smear the bloodIn some countries drag hunting is also popular,
of the fox or coyote onto the cheeks oreither instead of or in addition to quarry hunting, in
forehead of a newly initiated hunt follower. Somewhich a scented bag is dragged over a
conjecture that the ceremony goes back to thepre-determined course. Bloodhounds are used in
similarly stylized medieval hunting of the highsome 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 toShooting foxes
this day .In some places- notably Australia- the term "Fox
Autumn or cub huntingHunting" is used to refer to the hunting of foxes
In the autumn of each year, hunts take thewith firearms, much the same as deer or rabbit.
young hounds out "cub hunting". They teach theFoxes are a serious problem for farmers in
puppies to hunt while they are teaching the youngAustralia, 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 bypomp and circumstance surrouning a traditional
firstly surrounding a covert and then 'drawing' itfox hunt as practiced in the UK. Typically, the
with the puppies and some more experiencedhunter will either call foxes in with a fox whistle-
hounds, allowing them to hunt within thesometimes to within 20m or so of the hunter- at
surrounded wood. A young hound is considered towhich point they are then despatched with a
be 'entered' into the pack once he or she hasshotgun, or else hunt at night with a spotlight and
successfully joined in a hunt in this fashion. Oncea rifle (known as spotlighting). Some areas offer
the season proper starts (usually from earlybounties on foxes- the state of Tasmania, for
November in the northern hemisphere, or May inexample, offers a bounty of AUD$1,000 per fox
the southern hemisphere), the idea is to drive thein an effort to combat the fox's re-introduction to
fox from the covert and chase it over openthe state, and the state of Victoria has also
countryside.offered bounties on foxes in the recent past.