WAIKATO HOUNDS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 310, 2 July 1896, Page 7

WAIKATO HOUNDS.

The usual weekly meet was held on Thursday last, 25th inst., at Tamahere, instead of Wednesday (the 24th), which proved a pouring wet day, and, owing to the postponement, there was only a moderate attendance. The hounds were thrown off at Mr Main’s, sen., property, which has not been bunted over for several years, and in a few minutes we were in full cry, but instead of one hare there must have been more than half-a-dozen running in the same paddock, which caused a great deal of annoyance. But, after a time, the hounds got one hare away from the gully, and, after running her nearly round the farm, she was eventually killed. The gully at the back of the homestead was then tried, and very soon the “ view halloa” was given, puss running in a straight line for the Cambridge-Hamilton Road, which she crossed at the pines, where the second kill took place. The hare had only run about a half-mile. Whilst the hounds were dissecting this hare, three of the hounds started another hare on the road, within fifty yards of the last kill, and soon hounds and horses were in full chase again. Puss ran straight down the road to Paton’s, and back through Roger’s paddock to the place she rose from, where the hounds chopped her in the ditch. Three kills in twenty minutes

or so was pretty smart work. The hares had never been hunted before evidently, as there was no go in them. We then went into Pickering’s, and found in the gully near Thorpe’s, puss running into Dyke’s and then down the road to Norrish’s, where she was lost. The avenue on Mr Douglas’ was then drawn, and soon another hare found, which made for Broadmeadows and gave a good run of fully two and a half miles, but she, too, was finally lost. There is no doubt that in the future there will be some good runs from Main’s farm, but at present there are too many hares, and they do not appear to know what to do when a pack of hounds are after them. The day was an enjoyable one. Waikato.