Buck-HUNTING

Buck-HUNTING. Here the same hounds and methods are used as in running the stag; and, indeed, he that can hunt a hart or stag well, will not hunt a buck ill.

In order to facilitate the chase, the game-keeper commonly selects a fat buck out of the herd, which he shoots in order to maim him, and then he is run down by the hounds.

As to the method of hunting the buck. The company generally go out very early for the benefit of the morning. Sometimes they have a deer ready lodged; if not, the coverts are drawn till one is roused: or sometimes in a park a deer is pitched upon, and forced from the herd, then more hounds are laid on to run the chase. If you come to be at a fault, the old staunch hounds are only to be relied upon till you recover him again: if he be sunk, and the bounds thrust him up, it is called an imprime, and the company all found a reckeat; when he is run down, every one strives to get in to prevent his being torn by the hounds, fallow-deer seldom or never standing at bay.

He that first gets in, cries hoo-up, to give notice that he is down and blows a death. When the company are all come in, they paunch him, and reward the hounds; and generally the chief person of quality amongst them takes say, that is, cuts his belly open, to see how fat he is. When this is done, every one has a chop at his neck; and the head being cut off, is shewed to the hounds, to encourage them to run only at male deer, which they see by the horns, and to teach them to bite only at the head: then the company all standing in a ring, one blows a single death; which being done, all blow a double reheat, and so conclude the chase with a general halloo of hoo-up, and depart the field to their several homes, or to the place of meeting; and the huntsman, or some other, hath the deer cast cross the buttocks of his horse, and so carries him home.

Fox-Hunting makes a very pleasant exercise, and is either above or below ground.

1. Above ground. To hunt a fox with hounds, you must draw about groves, thickets, and bushes near villages. When you find one, it will be necessary to stop up his earth the night before you design to hunt, and that about midnight; at which time he is gone out to prey: this may be done by laying two white sticks across in his way, which he will imagine to be some gin or trap laid for him; or else they may be stopped up with black thorns and earth mixed together.

At first, only cast off your sure finders; and as the drag mends, add more as you dare trust them. The hound first cast off should be old and staunch; and when you hear such a hound call on merrily, you may cast off some others to him; and when they run it on the full cry, cast off the rest: thus you shall complete your pastime. The words of comfort are the same which are used in other chases. The hounds should be left to kill the fox themselves, and to worry and tear him as much as they please: some hounds will eat him with eagerness.

When he is dead, hang him at the end of a pike-staff, and halloo in all your hounds to bay him: but reward them with nothing belonging to the fox; for it is not good, neither will the hounds in common eat it.

2. Under ground. In case a fox does so far escape as to earth, countrymen must be got together with shovels, spades, mattocks, pickaxes, &c. to dig him out, if they think the earth not too great. They make their earths as near as they can in ground that is hard to dig, as in clay, stony ground, or amongst the roots of trees; and their earths have commonly but one hole, and that is straight a long way in before you come at their couch. Sometimes craftily they take possession of a badger's old burrow, which hath a variety of chambers, holes, and angles.

Now to facilitate this way of hunting the fox, the huntsman must be provided with one or two terriers to put into the earth after him, that is, to fix him into an angle; for the earth often consists of many angles: the use of the terrier is to know where he lies; for as soon as he finds him, he continues baying or barking, so that which way the noise is heard that way dig to him. Your terriers must be garnished with bells hung in collars, to make the fox bolt the sooner; besides, the collars will be some small defence to the terriers.

The instruments to dig withal are these: a sharp-pointed spade, which serves to begin the trench where the ground is hardest and broader tools will not so well enter; the round hollowed spade, which is useful to dig among roots, having very sharp edges; the broad flat spade to dig withal, when the trench has been pretty well opened, and the ground softer; mattocks and pickaxes to dig in hard ground, where a spade will do but little service; the coal-rake to cleanse the hole, and to keep it from stopping up; clamps, wherewith you may take either fox or badger out alive to make sport with afterwards. And it would be very convenient to have a pail of water to refresh your terriers with, after they are come out of the earth to take breath.

Hare-Hunting. As, of all chases, the hare makes the greatest pastime, so it gives no little pleasure to see the craft of this small animal for her self-preservation. If it be rainy, the hare usually takes to the high-ways; and if she come to the side of a young grove, or spring, she seldom enters, but squats down till the hounds have over-shot her; and then she will return the very way she came, for fear of the wet and dew that hangs on the boughs. In this case, the huntsman ought to stay an hundred paces before he comes to the wood-side, by which means he will perceive whether she return as aforesaid; which if she do, he must halloo in his hounds, and call them back; and that presently, that the hounds may not think it the counter she came first.

The next thing that is to be observed, is the place where the hare sits, and upon what wind she makes her form, either upon the north or south wind; she will not willingly run into the wind, but run upon a-side, or down the wind; but if the form in the water, it is a sign she is foul and meased: if you hunt such a one, have a special regard all the day to the brook-fides; for there, and near plashes, she will make all her crossings, doublings, &c.

Some hares have been so crafty, that as soon as they have heard the sound of a horn, they would instantly start out of their form, though it was at the distance of a quarter of a mile, and go and swim in some pool, and rest upon some rush-bed in the midst of it; and would not stir from thence till they have heard the sound of the horn again, and then have started out again, swimming to land, and have stood up before the hounds four hours before they could kill them, swimming and using all subtleties and crossings in the water. Nay, such is the natural craft and subtlety of a hare, that sometimes, after she has been hunted three hours, she will start a fresh hare, and squat in the same form. Others having been hunted a considerable time, will creep under the door of a sheep-cot, and hide themselves among the sheep; or, when they have been hard hunted, will run in among a flock of sheep, and will by no means be gotten out from among them, till the hounds are coupled up, and the sheep driven into their pens. Some of them (and that seems somewhat strange,) will take the ground like a coney, and that is called going to the vault. Some hares will go up one side of the hedge, and come down the other, the thickness of the hedge being the only distance between the courses. A hare that

Hunting. that has been sorely hunted, has got upon a quickset hedge, and ran a good way upon the top thereof, and then leapt off upon the ground. And they will frequently betake themselves to furz-bushes, and will leap from one to the other, whereby the hounds are frequently in default.

Having found where a hare hath relieved in some pasture or corn-field, you must then consider the season of the year, and what weather it is: for if it be in the spring-time or summer, a hare will not then set in bushes, because they are frequently infested with pismires, snakes, and adders; but will set in corn-fields, and open places. In the winter-time, they set near towns and villages, in tufts of thorns and brambles, especially when the wind is northerly or southerly. According to the season and nature of the place where the hare is accustomed to sit, there beat with your hounds, and start her; which is much better sport than trayling of her from her relief to her form.

After the hare has been started and is on foot, then step in where you saw her pass, and halloo in your hounds, until they have all undertaken it and go on with it in full cry: then reheat to them with your horn, following fair and softly at first, making not too much noise either with horn or voice; for at the first, hounds are apt to overshoot the chace through too much heat. But when they have run the space of an hour, and you see the hounds are well in with it, and stick well upon it, then you may come in nearer with the hounds, because by that time their heat will be cooled, and they will hunt more soberly. But above all things, mark the first doubling, which must be your direction for the whole day; for all the doublings that she shall make afterwards will be like the former; and according to the policies that you shall see her use, and the place where you hunt, you must make your compasses great or little, long or short, to help the defaults, always seeking the moistest and most commodious places for the hounds to scent in.

To conclude: Those who delight in hunting the hare, must rise early, lest they be deprived of the scent of her foot-steps.

Hart or Stag Hunting. Gesner, speaking of hart-hunting, observes, that this wild, deceitful, and subtle beast frequently deceives its hunter, by windings and turnings. Wherefore, the prudent hunter must train his dogs with words of art, that he may be able to set them on and take them off again at pleasure.

First of all, he should encompass the beast in her own layer, and so unharbour her in the view of the dogs, that so they may never lose her slot or footing. Neither must he set upon every one, either of the herd or those that wander solitary alone, or a little one; but partly by sight, and partly by their footing and sunsets, make a judgment of the game, and also observe the largeness of his layer.

The huntman, having made these discoveries in order to the chace, takes off the couplings of the dogs; and some on horseback, others on foot, follow the cry, with the greatest art, observation, and speed; remembering and intercepting him in his subtle turnings and headings; with all agility leaping hedges, gates, pales, ditches; neither fearing thorns, down hills, nor woods, but mounting fresh horse, if the first

tire. Follow the largest head of the whole herd, which must be singled out of the chace; which the dogs perceiving, must follow; not following any other. The dogs are animated to the sport by the winding of horns, and the voices of the huntsmen. But sometimes the crafty beast sends forth his little square to be sacrificed to the dogs and hunters, instead of himself, lying close the mean time. In this case, the huntman must find a retreat, break off the dogs, and take them in, that is, leam them again, until they be brought to the fairer game; which riseth with fear, yet still striveth by flight, until he be wearied and breathless. The nobles call the beast a wise hart, who, to avoid all his enemies, runneth into the greatest herds, and so brings a cloud of error on the dogs, to obstruct their farther pursuit; sometimes also bearing some of the herd into his footings, that so he may the more easily escape, by amusing the dogs. Afterwards he betakes himself to his heels again, still running with the wind, not only for the sake of refreshment, but also because by that means he can the more easily hear the voice of his pursuers whether they be far from him or near to him. But at last being again discovered by the hunters and sagacious scent of the dogs, he flies into the herds of cattle, as cows, sheep, &c. leaping on a cow or ox, laying the fore-parts of his body thereon, that so touching the earth only with his hinder feet, he may leave a very small or no scent at all behind for the hounds to discern. But their usual manner is, when they see themselves hard beset and every way intercepted, to make force at their enemy with their horns, who first comes upon him, unless they be prevented by spear or sword. When the beast is slain, the huntman with his horn windeth the fall of the beast; and then the whole company comes up, blowing their horns in triumph for such a conquest; among whom, the skilfullest opens the beast, and rewards the hounds with what properly belongs to them, for their future encouragement; for which purpose the huntsmen dip bread in the skin and blood of the beast, to give to the hounds.

It is very dangerous to go in to a hart at bay; of which there are two sorts, one on land and the other in water. Now if the hart be in a deep water, where you cannot well come at him, then couple up your dogs; for should they continue long in the water, it would endanger their surbating or foundering. In this case, get a boat, and swim to him, with dagger drawn, or else with rope that has a noose, and throw it over his horns: for if the water be so deep that the hart swims, there is no danger in approaching him; otherwise you must be very cautious.

As to the land-bay, if a hart be burnished, then you must consider the place; for if it be in a plain and open place, where there is no wood nor covert, it is dangerous and difficult to come in to him; but if he be on a hedge-side, or in a thicket, then, while the hart is staring on the hounds, you may come softly and covertly behind him, and cut his throat. If you miss your aim, and the hart turn head upon you, then take refuge at some tree; and when the hart is at bay, couple up your hounds; and when you see the hart turn head to fly, gallop in roundly to him, and kill him with your sword.

Directions at the Death of a Hart or Buck. The first

first ceremony, when the huntsman comes in to the death of a deer, is to cry "ware haunch," that the hounds may not break in to the deer; which being done, the next is the cutting his throat, and there bleeding the youngest hounds, that they may the better love a deer, and learn to leap at his throat: then the mort having been blown, and all the company come in, the best person who hath not taken say before, is to take up the knife that the keeper or huntsman is to lay across the belly of the deer, some holding by the fore-legs, and the keeper or huntsman drawing down the pizzle, the person who takes say, is to draw the edge of the knife leisurely along the middle of the belly, beginning near the brisket, and drawing a little upon it, enough in the length and depth to discover how fat the deer is; then he that is to break up the deer, first slits the skin from the cutting of the throat downwards, making the arber, that so the ordure may not break forth, and then he paunches him, rewarding the hounds with it.

In the next place, he is to present the same person who took say, with a drawn hanger, to cut off the head of the deer. Which being done, and the hounds rewarded, the concluding ceremony is, if it be a stag, to blow a triple mort; and if a buck, a double one; and then all who have horns, blow a recheat in concert, and immediately a general whoop, whoop.

Otter-Hunting is performed with dogs, and also with a sort of instruments called otter-spears; with which when they find themselves wounded, they make to land, and fight with the dogs, and that most furiously, as if they were sensible that cold water would annoy their green wounds.

There is indeed craft to be used in hunting them; but they may be caught in snares under water, and by river-sides: but great care must be taken, for they bite sorely and venomously; and if they happen to remain long in the snare, they will not fail to get themselves free by their teeth.

In hunting them, one man must be on one side of the river, and another on the other, both beating the banks with dogs; and the beast not being able to endure the water long, you will soon discover if there be an otter or not in that quarter; for he must come out to make his spraints, and in the night sometimes to feed on grass and herbs.

If any of the hounds finds out an otter, then view the soft grounds and moist places, to find out which way he bent his head: if you cannot discover this by the marks, you may partly perceive it by the spraints; and then follow the hounds, and lodge him as a hart or deer. But if you do not find him quickly, you may imagine he is gone to couch somewhere farther off from the river; for sometimes they will go to feed a considerable way from the place of their rest, choosing rather to go up the river than down it. The persons that go a-hunting otters, must carry their spears, to watch his vents, that being the chief advantage; and if they perceive him swimming under water, they must endeavour to strike him with their spears, and if they miss, must pursue him with the hounds, which, if they be good and perfectly entered, will go chanting and trailing along by the river side, and will beat every root of a tree, and ofer-bed, and tuft of bulrushes; nay, they will sometimes take water, and

bait the beast, like a spaniel, by which means he will hardly escape. Hunting.

Roe-buck Hunting is performed divers ways, and very easily in the woods.

When chased, they usually run against the wind, because the coolness of the air refreshes them in their course; therefore the huntsmen place their dogs with the wind: they usually, when hunted, first take a large ring, and afterwards hunt the hounds. They are also often taken by counterfeiting their voice, which a skilful huntsman knows how to do by means of a leaf in his mouth. When they are hunted, they turn much and often, and come back upon the dogs directly; and when they can no longer endure, they take soil, as the hart does, and will hang by a bough in such a manner, that nothing of them shall appear above the water but their snout, and they will suffer the dogs to come just upon them before they will stir.

The venison of a roe-buck is never out of season, being never fat, and therefore they are hunted at any time; only that some favour ought to be shown the doe while she is big with fawn, and afterwards till her fawn is able to shift for herself; but some roe-does have been killed with five fawns in their bellies.

He is not called, by the skilful in the art of hunting, a great roe-buck, but a fair roe-buck; the herd of them is called a bevy; and if he hath not bevy-grease upon his tail, when he is broken up, he is more fit to be dog's meat than man's meat. The hounds must be rewarded with the bowels, the blood, and feet slit afunder, and boiled all together; this is more properly called a dose than a reward.

Hunting-Match. The first thing that is to be considered by one who designs to match his horse for his own advantage, and his horse's credit, is not to flatter himself with the opinion of his horse, by fancying that he is a swift, when he is but a slow galloper; and that he is a whole-running-horse (that is, that he will run four miles without a sob at the height of his speed) when he is not able to run two or three. Very probably some gentlemen are led into this error, by their being mistaken in the speed of their hounds, who, for want of trying them against other dogs that have been really fleet, have supposed their own to be so, when, in reality, they are but of a middling speed: and because their horse, when trained, was able to follow them all day, and upon any hour, to command them upon deep as well as light earths, have therefore made a false conclusion, that their horse is as swift as the best; but, upon trial against a horse that has been rightly trained after hounds that were truly fleet, have bought their experience perhaps full dear. Therefore it is advisable for all lovers of hunting to procure two or three couple of tried hounds, and once or twice a-week to follow after them at rain-scent; and when he is able to top them on all sorts of earth, and to endure heats and colds stoutly, then he may better rely on his speed and toughness.

That horse which is able to perform a hare-chase of five or six miles briskly and courageously, till his body be as it were bathed in sweat; and then, after the hare has been killed, in a nipping frosty morning, can endure to stand till the sweat be frozen on his back, so that he can endure to be pierced with the cold.

cold as well as the heat; and then, even in that extremity of cold, to ride another chace as briskly and with as much courage as he did the former; that horse which can thus endure heats and colds, is most valued by sportsmen. Therefore, in order to make a judgment of the goodness of a horse, observe him after the death of the first hare, if the chace has been any thing brisk: if, when he is cold, he shrinks up his body, and draws his legs up together, it is an infallible sign of want of vigour and courage: the like may be done by the slackening of his girths after the first chace, and from the dulness of his teeth, and the dulness of his countenance, all which are true tokens of faintness and being tired; and such a horse is not to be relied on, in case of a wager.

Here it will not be improper to take notice of the way of making matches in former times, and the modern way of deciding wagers. The old way of trial was, by running so many train-scents after hounds, as was agreed upon between the parties concerned, and a bell-course, this being found not so uncertain, but more durable than hare-hunting; and the advantage consisted in having the trains led on earth most suitable to the qualifications of the horses. But now others chuse to hunt the hare till such an hour, and then to run this wild-goose chace; a method of racing that takes its name from the manner of the flight of wild-geese, which is generally one after another; so the two horses, after running of twelve-score yards, had liberty, which horse soever could get the leading, to ride what ground he pleased, the hindmost horse being bound to follow him, within a certain distance agreed on by articles, or else to be whipped up by the triers or judges which rode by; and whichever horse could distance the other, won the match.

But this chace, in itself very inhuman, was soon found to be a very destructive to good horses, especially when two good horses were matched; for neither being able to distance the other, till both were ready to sink under their riders through weakness, oftentimes the match was fain to be drawn and left undecided, though both the horses were quite spoiled.

This brought up the custom of train-scents, which afterwards was changed to three heats and a straight course; and that the lovers of horses might be encouraged to keep good ones, plates have been erected in many places in England. The fewer of these before you come to the course, if your horse be fiery and mettled, the better; and the shorter the distance, the better. Also, above all things, be sure to make your bargain to have the leading of the first train; and then make choice of such grounds where your horse may best show his speed, and the fleetest dogs you can procure: give your hounds as much law before you as your triers will allow, and then, making a loose, try to win the match with a wind; but if you fail in this attempt, then bear your horse, and save him for the course; but if your horse be slow, but well-winded, and a true spurred nag, then the more train-scents you run before you come to the straight course, the better. But here you ought to observe to gain the leading of the first train; which in this case you must lead upon such deep earth, that it may not end near any light ground: for this is the rule received among horsemen; that the next train is to begin where the

last ends, and the last train is to be ended at the starting place of the course; therefore remember to end your last on deep earth, as well as the first.