NOTES ON HUNTING.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8535, 15 July 1893, Page 4

NOTES ON HUNTING.

By John Vivian, , Bora 1749; Master of the Fourbswow Hounds for forty years; died from injuries received in the hunting &m at the age of 77.

When you come to a spot whsre gams has been seen, stand still, and let all your hounds feel the scent; if, as soon as two or three touch it; you hurry all your hounds on immediately, the scene Is often lost again. In bringing up year hounds to a scent, give them thawing as much as you can. If a rringls hound gees off with a good seeat, get your pack to ska as quickly as you can ; but if it be wiSk- a bad scent, and you go on with a noise sad worry, the pack will be in-expectation cf a fresh scent, the bound that wenteS? will be lifted by tho noise, and yoa will have the scent to seek. Go gently, without noise, and the hounds will settle into the scent. Ii your hounds divide, jtg«t as near the chase as you can, and &hn view halloos; nothing is more ridkalb-s than, men at a distance hallooing "Hi__ forward" to cast hounds: because as hounds do not speak English, they castas* understand what "Hark forward" means. If you are not forward with the chase, tbe only good joa can do to cast hounds is to drive tbesa by a rate and the crack of the whip, and the chance that this has of doing -good is little more than by making them lift, - they should be lying oa a scent, whereby they may possibly near the chase hoa_4#, or a halloo. No parson should halloo that Is not well forward ; it signifies little what words you use, as a hound's knowledge of language is confined to a view halloo, a call, and a rate; it is the toned! the voice and not the words that ihsj understand, and hounds will tlways draw to the voice,if it be not a rate. This shews the impropriety of hallooing behind.

No person should ride farther fcrwaii I than the tall of the pack; because If yea i ride only abreast of the centre of the pack and the game turn short to the side os which yon are, you must of necessity rids on tbe scent. It must be a bad pack indeed If a man cannot see the front ho_t*#* from the tail of it, and it is uncivil to tfee rest of the company to ride in that pl«_ where, if all rode, the sport could not icon, because it must be presumed teatshave an equal desire to get forward. A few yards wide of the tail is the props {riaca with bad scent, because you. are !«• ikely to cross tbe scent; and game trialand turns more frequently with bad scent than with good. In running good scent,» you are up with the pack a cheering fcaßs® does no harm ; the hounds will nai aUfESs to it, and it is expressive of the pte*_3X§# the hallooer. When there is no g&as sa foot and conversation is In progress _e#j? your horses moving; it will prevent th*- 1 catching cold, and you will have a ck-B-t of doing some good by rising up s has* When hounds are at fault and a htti* made by one or more balioo them kniOJidiately; It will command the attention* the pack and get them more quickly to we chase.

When you whip bounds to a huates*—s* in casting, do it gently, and with _£*» noise, by which means the hounds wi* draw towards him, trying as they gfti whereas, loud and repeated rates &M cracks ef the whip will make hounds By to tie huntsmen with their nose* is=sJsß air. When you sea them drawing propest? towards him, be eilenfc. Never cap hoaftSS with loud balloos to a bad scent. Capping makes them wild and eager, and sh o ®** never be done, but when the see_t is high, hounds should be brought up gently to * cold scent. Never follow a hustsiaa® that is casting hounds, you may be aotf profitably employed by endeavcariog w prick a road, keeping your eve on the fell, &c If a hound should be east, and fes s* using his best endeavours to get on, do wt rate and bally hini. Ie -will dtsco_r&gS him and make him shy without. »• possibility of doing good. But, moo a skitter as much as possible—a aklrter»» «* whose plan is is to ruu wide witaes* attempting to get to the chase* and merits much harsher treatoieaj than he who easts wide at a esec•nd goes to the hit the moment it is j_«s«. Never whip any man's hound bat yon* | own. A stroke of a whip injudkiss*iy ! given to an old hound may m&ae him saj : and sullen, and perhaps spoil hi—i s&f ever; the correction of the whip shoal© W left to those who are intimately acq oslaiea with the hounds' tempers and Keep your eye always on the fess—p hounds; when they stop and cast back» turn your horse, and they will cast 5? you. Never halloo a hare if,the hoaaes are coming on with the scent; it Is aim©** needless to say never halloo a hare so a* to give your bounds view ; if they shooW not catch her, they will probably so distress her as to spoil the ran. A hunts* man's first cast should never be wia*i especially with hounds that will cast beyond him if he fails to hit the first cast* let him then make a wider cast oa ground; no ground should be twice t«ea till he has completed the whole circle. * a riding to hounds be careful net to ero*» the scent ahead; if you see them iacllaUl towards a road or path, by no mean* rw* into it; but.leave it sustained Ses fc-» hounds to try..