Huntsman Andy Bozdan at the Tennessee Valley HuntWhen I was learning to whip-in I would watch the huntsman and the way he effortlessly walked his pack out in the spring and summer. This particular spring the swallows had arrived early and would flit low across the fields in front of hounds. To my surprise he let his hounds chase them.
Keen to learn, I asked why he did not want me to turn hounds back. He said that this was their time off, and he wanted them to relax and unwind.
A few months later we were out for our first early morning cubhunting. Hounds were held up for a few minutes at the meet and then we move off across a huge stubble field toward our first draw. Huntsman and hounds were halfway across the field when out of nowhere came several swallows flitting down and in front of hounds!
The whole pack opened on the little flitters and disappeared over the wall in front of us into a field of ewes who scattered in all directions, running through the temporary wire fence and into their neighbor’s field. Much consternation ensued with huntsman, whippers-in, and Masters all getting just a tad testy! By the time the sheep had finally been returned to their field we realised that it was now two hours since we had moved off, and the whole day had been a complete waste of time.
On the way home the huntsman turned to me and said, “If I ever let hounds chase swallows next summer, please shoot me!”
Posted March 26, 2013
Andy Bozdan is huntsman of the Tennessee Valley Hunt (TN) until May of this year, after which he moves to Virginia to take up huntsman’s duties at the Loudoun West Hunt.