CHAPTER XXVII

FOX-HUNTING IN THE WEST

By Major G. R. Mott

IN order to realize the more clearly the full import of fox-hunting to the sporting denizens of the West, let it be here stated that in the three westernmost counties of Devon, Somerset, and Cornwall there are kennelled no less than twenty packs of fox-hounds, this number being practically one-eighth of all the fox-hound packs in England at the present time. As no less than twelve of these have their kennels in Devon, it is proposed to deal mainly with that county, with merely a passing reference to the sporting establishments of its neighbours.

Although deemed by Nimrod to be the worst hunting country he was ever in, one must recollect that that rare sportsman was more of a riding man than a hound man, and that compensations reward the West Countryman altogether unknown to those who form part of the crowded fields in the shires and “up-country” generally.

The opportunity of watching hound-work at its best and of becoming acquainted with individual hounds, the entire absence of all artificiality, and the stoutness of its foxes, with the additional advantage of enjoying the glorious scenery of the most beautiful of counties, all these form no small part of the heritage of the men of Devon.

Whilst it must be conceded that quite a considerable area of Devon is of the most rugged description, the variety of country traversed by hounds lends a distinct charm to the chase in a day’s hunting.

Put briefly, the country consists of two main types: moorland and “in-country.”

Both of these vary greatly in character. The outskirts of Dartmoor are for the most part steep and rocky and are clothed with long stretches of hanging woodland, but, as one penetrates deeper into the heart of the moor, rocks and poor-scenting bracken give way to heather and grass, which carry a wonderful scent.

Here, too, is grand galloping ground, with occasional stone walls, but nothing else to check one’s progress, and in an open season “points” of from five to ten miles are not infrequently registered in an incredibly short space of time.

Bogs there are in plenty, some, of course, impassable, but, in so big a tract of country where gorses and fox-coverts are rarely found, they form a distinct asset, for they harbour many a stout and straight-necked pilot.

With the exception of the fringes already referred to, the moor country may be described as an easy undulating one with a number of steep tors and hills, intersected by clear, rocky streams, which, however, save during exceptional floods, are easily forded.

Foxes usually make for clitters of rocks from which they readily bolt when a terrier is put in, but there are certain impregnable strongholds which form very valuable nurseries. Although on first acquaintance Dartmoor appears formidable in the extreme, nevertheless it exercises a peculiar fascination over strangers, who come to love it and its hunting as much as the natives do. Now for the “in-country.” This, both in the counties of Devon and Cornwall, whose territories are bounded by the English Channel and the Atlantic, naturally possess infinite variety.

These sea-girt boundaries are mostly precipitous cliffs for which foxes make from a considerable distance, and many a brilliant hunt is robbed of its right ending through hounds having to be stopped when their pilot’s point is only too obvious.

The bulk of the “in-country,” however, consists of irregular enclosures, with a large percentage of grazing land, divided by banks. Some of these are stone-faced, but broad, tall, earth banks are the rule. In parts of North and West Devon the banks are far less formidable; much of the soil is yellow clay and infertile, and small, wet moors abound. Each of the four Cornish packs owns some moorland country, of which the Bodmin Moors most resemble Dartmoor, and these latter provide endless sport for the followers of the two packs operating thereon—the North and East Cornwall. Some of the bogs on these moors extend to 1000 acres, and contain any amount of dry lying for foxes.

The combes leading off the moor are often clothed with the densest covert imaginable, and, on an indifferent scenting day, the patience and perseverance of a huntsman are taxed to the utmost to induce a fox to quit.

The Fourburrow hunt over a very open country with but little plough or woodland, whilst the Western’s territory, which is bounded by the sea on every side save the east, comprises mostly moorland and pasture.

Of the four Somerset packs, the Mendip and Exmoor hunt over a comparatively small area; the Taunton Vale, as its name implies, operates mainly in a low-lying district, and the West Somerset, with its two separate packs, deals with the wild breed of foxes on the Brendon Hills and the Quantocks. Between the latter and the River Parret they also possess some good vale country.

Turning to Devon, the pack owning the largest territory is the South Devon. It extends for no less than 40 miles from north to south, and 25 from east to west! A portion of the Haldon country to the east is, however, loaned annually to the Silverton, and much of the southern part of the country is seldom visited. The South Devon Kennels being awkwardly situated for the moor meets, the pack migrates to the old MidDevon Kennels at Chagford for a week at a time when hunting in that district.

The Chagford weeks almost invariably yield grand sport and much hard galloping.

The area covered by the Dartmoor, Dulverton, and Tiverton is roughly similar in extent, but, whilst the two last-named hunt mainly over an enclosed bank country, the Dartmoor’s chief sphere of activity lies on the southern portion of Dartmoor. The cream of their country is undoubtedly what is known as the Two Bridges country, and this at present includes some of the pick of the Lamerton moorland, which is hunted on loan. The Dartmoor in addition hunt over a bank country in the South Hams, between the moor and the sea, and a day on the cliffs is occasionally indulged in.

The St. Budeaux, a recently formed farmers’ pack, operate over a small and rough stretch of country between Plymouth and Tavistock.

To the north of Tavistock the Lamerton have a nice sporting country, and yet further north are the South Tetcott, Tetcott, and Stevenstone, whilst to the east the Eggesford fill up the gap between the latter and the Dulverton.

The East Devon hunt the country to the east of Exeter.

In addition to the packs already enumerated, the Blackmore Vale and Cattistock, with kennels in Dorset, both own some territory in Somerset, whilst three harrier packs—the Axe Vale, Cotley, and Seavington, also devote much of their time to the pursuit of the fox in Devon, Somerset, and Dorset.

Now let us consider what types of horse and hound are best adapted to hunting the fox in the West Country.

Dealing first with the “in-country.” A first-rate performer over banks is essential in the stiffly fenced, bank country. Many of the fences have much growth on them and are quite unjumpable, but others are all right for a made hunter who can stop on the top when required to do so. A horse who has been hunted in the South of Ireland for a season gives confidence.

A fast horse is by no means necessary, but, to carry one over the deep clay and banks in the Lamerton and other similar countries, a somewhat thick-set and cobby type of horse is best, although what is considered a good horse “up-country” will answer the purpose provided he has a good mouth and is clever.

For the moor a horse must be fast in order to live with hounds, but a leggy horse is quite unsuitable. He should be well-bred with rather short legs and low to the ground.

Owing to the wonderfully springy nature of the moorland turf it is possible to ride a horse which would be considered 1½ stone below one’s weight in a deep clay country.

Ridden by a light weight, a horse about 15.1, well-bred with a cross of pony blood in him, is hard to catch on Dartmoor. He must, however, be a good stone-wall jumper, and temperate at them, and also clever at his banks.

Many thoroughbred horses, winners of good races, have been utter failures on the moor, whilst others have held their own with the country-bred horse.

In short, the best mount for Dartmoor, and one also capable of taking his turn “in-country,” is a well-bred, short-legged animal with the best of neck and shoulders, back and loins, hocks well under him and plenty of heart-room, i.e. having well-sprung ribs and a big girth.

If he has, too, a foundation of pony blood in his grand-dam, or great grand-dam, so much the better. This ensures extra stamina and cleverness amongst the rocks and “soft” places.

For choice he should be about 15.1 and preferably not over 15.2 (i.e. to carry up to 13 stone).

Lastly, to be a safe conveyance over the moor, he needs to “bridle” well and be well balanced, or he is in for trouble sooner or later.

Now for hounds. Both dogs and bitches should be built on the same lines as the horse who has to follow them. The former should not be over 24 inches, and bitches not under 23 inches. Good shoulders are essential, with the head and neck well set on. They should also have well-sprung ribs and good loins, be well coupled-up, and free from lumber, or they will shake themselves to pieces in the rougher regions.

Generally speaking, the lighter type of hound with sufficient bone and no more outlasts the more massive type.

The question of feet is so much a matter of opinion that I merely quote that of the oldest living professional huntsman in the West of England:

“My experience is this,” he says, “that the cat-like foot doesn’t wear well in this country, they seem to drop a toe quicker than the ordinary foot.” It is of even greater importance here than it is “up-country” that hounds should have plenty to say, as in the big woodlands, badly-rided, much difficulty is often experienced in keeping near the pack, and, unless they throw their tongues well, it is easy to lose them.

For the moorland hunting plenty of light-coloured hounds are a great asset. They show up well on the dark heather, and when it is necessary to ride “wide” of them to avoid bogs.

In this connection it is interesting to find that one third of the Fourburrow pack consists of light-coloured hounds, largely for the benefit of the foot-followers! As the Master puts it: “… they watch the hunt for miles and are chiefly the people to study as they preserve the foxes and walk the young hounds for the Hunt.”

Whilst most of the packs mentioned adhere to the English fox-hound, there are two noteworthy exceptions. Firstly, the Tiverton. The sterling hunting qualities of this pack, together with their superb music, have brought them to the notice of the finest hound breeders in the land.

That the Master has achieved a very remarkable success can only be fully realized by those who have been fortunate enough to see them hunt a fox.

His opinion on the type of hound most suitable for his country he gives as follows:

“I believe that in this wild country of ours we must have hounds which not only have a great love of hunting for hunting’s sake, but also a considerable degree of independence and self-reliance which make them cast themselves widely and intelligently without waiting for help which the huntsman so often—owing to the difficult nature of our country—is unable to give them. Personally, I like a dash of the Welshman in the hounds. In my own pack I have got this by using sires from the Berkeley, Sir Edward Curre’s, and the Brecon.

I have also got a cross or two of the Fell blood from the Coniston Hounds.”

The North Cornwall Master likewise favours the cross-bred hound, and, in detailing the qualities he considers necessary for hounds in his country, he writes: “… they must have unlimited energy and keenness for Fox, or they will not face the thickets of gorse, bramble, and heather, which on some days a fox will not leave for hours.

A hound that has not got exceptional nose is not much good here, as some of the best of the ‘in-country’ is bad-scenting.

In the big woodlands cry is indispensable, and for this reason it is well to breed from the families in which the bitches as well as the dogs have deep voices, as a pack with deep voices seem to produce a greater volume of sound than one mostly composed of hounds with highly pitched voices, however frequently they throw them. Light colour here is no mere fad, as frequently on the open moor (which generally carries a good scent) hounds will run away from the fastest horse, and when the leaf is off the trees a light-coloured pack can be seen at a long distance through oak coppice.

Hounds with good fox sense are more necessary here than in some countries, as when drawing a 1000-acre bog this fox sense will induce a hound to quarter the ground like a setter dog, and thereby avoid missing likely spots for a fox. …”

In conclusion, no treatise on fox-hunting in the West would be complete without some mention of rabbit trapping. This is undoubtedly the greatest menace to sport of all kinds in the West Country, and, unless very serious steps are taken to cope with the problem, the outlook is certainly a gloomy one. But for this, in the writer’s opinion, fox-hunting on Dartmoor and over much of the wild country in the West of England is likely to flourish for many generations to come.