with Horse and Hound

How Tony Gammell Trained Hounds to Hunt Only the Red Fox

gammell3.small.callarHuntsman Tony Gammell and the Keswick hounds in 2012   /   Liz Callar photo

Foxhunting Life first published this story in 2012, when Tony Gammell was huntsman at the Keswick Hunt (VA). He'd trained the pack of American foxhounds to hunt the red fox and only the red fox. No gray fox, coyote, deer, or any other woodland creature. The article was well-received, and we decided it was worth bringing back.

Why wouldn’t he want to hunt gray fox? I wondered. Yes, they run short and tight with more jinks and double-backs, but they make hounds work for every inch of sport. It can be fun to watch. And even assuming he has good reason for not hunting gray fox, how does he teach hounds to ignore the line? I collared Tony at an MFHA Staff Seminar and asked, and I got more hound wisdom than I bargained for.

This content is for subscribers only.
Join Now
Already a member? Log in here