Red Fox Is the Only Quarry at Keswick—By Choice!
Keswick huntsman Tony Gammell / Liz Callar photoHuntsman Tony Gammell at the Keswick Hunt (VA) has developed a pack of American foxhounds that hunts the red fox and only the red fox. No gray fox, coyote, deer, or any other woodland creature.
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 him at the recent MFHA Staff Seminar and asked, and I got more hound wisdom than I bargained for.
How Tony Gammell Trained Hounds to Hunt Only the Red Fox
Huntsman 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.
Flint Hills Invitational Performance Trial
The authorPicture this: four hunts—Bridlespur Hunt (MO), Full Cry Hounds (AL), Grand Canyon Hounds (AZ),and Mill Creek Hunt (IL)—bringing their best three couple of hounds to the field; thirty-five enthusiastic mounted riders; and sweeping vistas of open hunting country loaded with coyotes. This made for an action-packed five days of foxhunting activities consisting of a three-day Foxhound Performance Trial, foot hunting with the bassets, and a joint meet of foxhounds. It all took place at the Flint Hills Invitational Performance Trial, held on March 7-9, 2012, generously hosted by the Moingona Hunt staff and members. The Flint Hills area of Kansas is an immense rolling prairie of tallgrass and recognized as one of America’s unique treasures.
The Foxhound: A Pearl of Considerable Price
Norm Fine’s Blog
Karen L. Myers photoThe State of Kentucky values the foxhound exceedingly. Indeed, this high regard was emphatically established in 1948 case law by the old Kentucky Court of Appeals which, at the time, was the highest court in the state.
Foxhounds were hunting across Tennessee Valley Authority property one day in 1946 when, during a chase, one hound fell into an open well and drowned. An individual named Stratton, presumably the owner of the hound, sued the TVA for damages (Tennessee Valley Authority v. Stratton, 306 Ky. 753, 209 S.W.2d 318 (1948)).
In recognizing that Stratton suffered damages, the court said most poetically, “In the great fraternity of fox hunters, a man’s hound is a pearl of considerable price.”
The court went on to write an effusive tribute to the joys of foxhunting.
Hillsboro Hounds New Kennels Win Industry Award
New kennels built for the Hillsboro Hounds (TN) won an industry award for Brindley Construction, the company that poured the concrete. Reinforced concrete walls and sloping slabs in the inside corridors and outside runs were poured in place and showcased “concrete’s ability to solve construction challenges,” according to the Tennessee Concrete Association, sponsor of the […]
Proposed Ban on Fox Penning Is Shelved
The proposed measure in the Virginia General Assembly to ban fox penning has been shelved for a year. More than an hour of testimony was presented to the Senate Agriculture Committee at a meeting crowded with animal rights advocates and pro-hunting forces. Supporters of the bill argued that the practice is inhumane and often ends […]
The Galway Blazers at Athenry
Joint-Master David McCarthy over one of what sporting artist Snaffles called “The Biggest Walls.” / Noel Mullins photoA meet of the Galway Blazers around the medieval walled town of Athenry, County Galway in the heart of the hunt country is not to be missed. Before traffic congested the town centre, meets were traditionally held at Higgins’ Bar. Masters and huntsmen would be served a stirrup cup by the proprietor Brendan Higgins who, with his sister Mary Josephine (my mother), hunted with the pack.
Foxhounds and Greyhounds; Scent and Sight; The Ultimate Pack
The Shawnee Hounds set out into big, open country for a tiring day in the mud. (Foreground) Master and huntsman Dr. Mark Smith, (background, l-r) Lee Carson, Courtney Carson and guest Jeffie McAfoo / Sue Brandt photoThe Shawnee Hounds (IL) Mannings fixture was challenging to hunt this day—substantial ditches, wide open fields that were muddy and quickly sapped the horses’ strength, and large wheat fields that had to be circumnavigated to stay in the farmers’ good graces. This made it difficult for the whippers-in as well as those who had to stay further out in order to not lose the pack on a big run. The large woods that we normally would avoid due to being leased by deer hunters were open now that deer season was over.
This hunt was further challenged by too much of a good thing—lots of coyotes! They were everywhere, and I doubt I can remember all the views of different coyotes seen and by whom.
The Mardale Hunt: Chapter 7
Here is Chapter 7 of The Mardale Hunt by Ron Black. Through the courtesy of the author, Foxhunting Life brings you the entire book in installments every two weeks. You are free to download the book to your computer. We hope you have enjoyed the previous installments. Excerpt from Chapter 7Visitors to Mardale Shepherd’s Meet—and […]
Legislation Proposed to Ban Fox Pens in Virginia
The News Virginian reports that proposals in the General Assembly would ban fox penning. Some hunt clubs use fox pens to train young hounds to hunt the proper quarry. Other foxhound enthusiasts use the pens to conduct competitive field trials. Identical proposals for banning the practice have been introduced by Senator David W. Marsden, D-Fairfax […]