Why is it necessary to have such a large number of people and hounds to chase one fox?
A. Only the hounds hunt the fox and it needs a number of those to act as a team. Firstly, to find a fox in thick undergrowth or on open hill needs a pack to spread out and “work up” to their quarry. Once the hunt is underway different hounds will be able to follow the line with different skills i.e. some may be better on a dusty track, others on a ploughed field. When one loses the scent another may pick it up and their cry binds them together. Q. It is sometimes said that autumn hunting is early in the morning because foxes stomachs are full and they cannot run so far. A. This is nonsense, as previously stated the reason hunts operate at this hour is because at that time of the year it is the only time of day when it is cool enough for hounds to be able to hunt by scent. Most huntsmen will tell you that in fact hunting in the autumn is the most difficult because foxes give off little scent, the undergrowth is thick and prolific and often heavily scented masking that of the fox. Q. It
