A close encounter.

[JDog]

Work was rained off at lunchtime. That wind allied to the rain made being out up a ladder restructuring roses was dangerous. No sooner had I got home but the rain stopped and I considered a bit of roost shooting.

 

I had been in the wood for twenty minutes when I heard what I thought was a hunting horn. Dismissing this due to the late hour I stayed put where I was with Jasper and Bounder at my feet. When I saw a Pink coated Huntsman and about twenty couple of hounds heading towards the wood I beat a hasty retreat. Jasper has never seen a pack of hounds and Bounder would have tried to fight the lot so discretion was called for.

 

As soon as I left the wood I saw the first hound and then the Huntsman. Carrying on regardless I headed away from the action and crawled through a hedge to get back to my car only to be met by the Terrier man and two others who must have wondered what on earth was going on. Thankfully the hounds found what they were looking for at the far end of the wood and away they went on a screaming scent much to my relief.

[dad]

i imagin quite an amusing scene,good job you were not decoying. i was decoying along the side of a wood once on clover i had 12 dead birds set out with spikes under the chin, i had only been there a short while when a pack of hounds came round the end of the wood straigjht towards me, before i could do anything they were all over my deeks and ate the lot, swallowed them whole with a lot of yelping as the spikes stuck their mouths. no apology from the huntsman just a touch of the hat and a nod and they were gone.

[Good shot?]

Some time ago I too was sat quietly in a hedge by the side of a wood, listening to the hunt going on, when I heard movement behind me in the undergrowth.When a pack of hounds came, one at a time through between myself and a large oak and not six foot from me. They where following a scent from a fox that had come out in my view 5 minutes earlier. Each hound gave me a quick sideways glance as they passed, almost within touching distance.They cut left and picked up the scent and followed it to the inch it seemed.It was at least five minutes later and the hunt could still be heard in the far distance when the last hound came by me, he stopped at the oak and gave me a long lingering look (he looked knackered) whilst catching his breath.He loped out onto the pasture about 20 yards and stopped to listen for the pack and duly moved on in their direction. I was totally in awe at the close encounter and shocked at the size of the hounds when looking eye to eye with them.

Edited November 19, 2015 by Good shot?

[kaunda]

JDog

You were the unfortunate victim of circumstance,they weren't even our pack anyway but a visiting one brought in to cover our absence due to kennel cough amongst the hounds.To save possible future embarassment,and possible carnage amongst your pack,could I suggest you obtain the Hunt programme from the Estate Office.You will probably have to sign the Official Secrets Act but it will be handy to have in your truck or by your phone.

[lord_seagrave]

...and shocked at the size of the hounds when looking eye to eye with them.

I only ever get close to hounds on Boxing Day. I am always surprised that the hounds are bigger (and smellier) than I remember. In my mind's eye they are sort of beagle-sized things...

 

LS

[norfolk dumpling]

Different hounds for different hunts - fox hounds quite large but harriers are smaller. Beagling (is that correct term) done on foot with quite small hounds ie beagles!