Beagling And Bassetting

Although not strictly activities connected with horses, (there are no mounted beagle or basset packs in the U.S.), pack beagling and bas-setting have been recognized in recent years as important primers to fox hunting, particularly for Pony Club children. Some of its advantages as an introduction to fox hunting are very similar procedure, excellent visibility, proximity to hounds and hence a really good view of hound work, lack of worry about riding well and jumping fences, and lack of expense.

THE HUNT—Packs of beagles and bassets in the United States pursue two quarries: hares and cottontail rabbits.

There are (1959) 19 packs of beagles recognized by the National Beagle Club in the United States, and 6 packs of bassets also recognized by the National Beagle Club, all east of the Mississippi. These beagles and bassets are registered with the American Kennel Club and many beagle and basset packs compete in their own pack trials and in hound shows. The American Kennel Club is at 221 Fourth Ave., New York City.

Besides beagles registered from packs, there are also a great number of individually owned and hunted beagles which compete in single hound trials or snowshoe hare trials for field championships, or are used for gunning. The above, plus a large number of beagles which compete in dog shows for bench championships, or are kept as pets, accounts for their having the largest registration of any dog in the American Kennel Club in recent years.

Because of the two types of championships offered to registered beagles by the A.K.C., American beagles have been diversified into bench type, with lots of style and little thought of hunting, and field type, with keen hunting ability and little thought of conformation. Pack beagles are somewhat in the middle as the ideal is to have a uniform, good type pack, which hunts hard, well and closely.

Bassets, to date, have not suffered from this type of diversification, largely because they are not as popular as the beagle.

Beagle and basset packs do not drag hunt (run an artificial scent).

THE QUARRIES—The hare—Two varieties of hare are hunted by packs: The European hare—25-27 inches long, ears 5 inches, weight 7-12 pounds, brown, but may have black-tipped ears and tail like a jack-rabbit—native to parts of New Jersey, New York and Canada.

The Blacktail Jackrabbit—17-21 inches long, ears 6-7 inches, weight 3-7 pounds, light brown with black-tipped ears and tail—the common American hare—native to the west, but introduced to the east and hunted in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. The European hare, as compared with the Jackrabbit, usually gets up ahead of hounds, runs longer points, and gallops rather than leaps. The Jackrabbit often springs up from its "form" in the midst of hounds or after they have passed over it, makes frequent high leaps, and "squats" frequently throughout the hunt. Both generally run in large circles.

Male hares are called bucks or jacks; females are called does. Young hares are called leverets. A nickname given to hares is puss. A hare's head is called a mask. A hare's tail is called a scut. A hare's foot is called a pad.

The mask or a pad may be awarded by the Master to a deserving member of the field at a kill.

Hares are always referred to as she.

Leverets are born in open fields, with their eyes open, and covered with hair. They are left separated in a field, the doe visiting and feeding each one in turn.

The hare's enemies are owls, hawks, coyotes, foxes, dogs, gunners, cars, and weed-killing poisons.
A hare's form (lair) is a shallow scoop in the ground where a hare crouches, perfectly camouflaged, ready to spring out with a good push-off.

To get up a hare means to surprise one into running.

Squat means for a hare to crouch low, virtually invisible in grass or plow, but not necessarily in a form.

To take to covert (pronounced "cover") means that a hare enters heavy growth or woods to shake off pursuing hounds.

Double-back means that a hare runs back on her trail for a way and leaves it at an angle, sometimes with a long leap.

Running through foil means that a hare obliterates her scent by running through manure, fertilizer, etc.

The Cottontail Rabbit—The Eastern cottontail—14—17 inches long, ears 22-3 inches long, weight 2-4 pounds, brown with white cottony tail—is a resident of heavy brush, hedgerows and forests. It may nest and feed in the open but must have heavy cover nearby. It is a devious runner, twisting and turning, staying generally in covert, and resorting to many tricks.

Young cottontails are born on the surface of the ground in nests, usually not in burrows, although all cottontails resort to burrows as hiding places. They are almost hairless, eyes closed, and helpless. Their enemies are dogs, cats, foxes, owls, hawks, snakes, gunners, cars, and weed-killing poisons.

When differentiating between hares and rabbits, think of 'long legged, leaping hares" and "short legged, running rabbits." HOUNDS—In the United States, there is only one breed of beagles, but they come in two sizes: under 13" and 13-15". (The English limit is 16".)

Bassets are also one breed but there is no classification by size.

Young hounds are coupled to older ones to train them to stay in the pack.

Young hounds that are going to hunt hare are usually trained to hunt cottontails first. The theory is that since a cottontail leaves a fainter scent and more devious trail, any hound that can run a cottontail can surely run a hare. Also, hunting cottontails is slower and less apt to discourage a young puppy; in addition, it teaches them not to be afraid to enter a covert.

The number of beagles or bassets in a pack is referred to as so many "couples," e.g., nine hounds are referred to as 4Y2 couples.

The attributes of a good pack beagle or basset include:

A good nose—keen scenting ability.

Stamina—ruggedness resulting from good conformation.

Steadiness—an even disposition, not likely to be rattled or to fault.

Drive—enthusiasm for the kill.

Voice—pleasing, preferably loud and used only on scent.

Obedience—a willingness to pack up, share team-work with other pack members, and respond to huntsman and horn. It is, of course, promoted by sound and constant training.

Beagles and bassets are always referred to as "hounds" (not dogs).

Their tails are called sterns and the loose hairs up the back of them are called a brush.

Young beagles in their first year of pack work are called young entry.

The ideal beagle, regardless of size grouping, should have:

A slightly domed, generous head with long, low-set ears, large dark, pleading eyes, a medium-length square-cut muzzle with level jaws, and large open nostrils.

A neck that is of medium length and strong without being loaded with skin folds; sloping, clean, muscular shoulders; a short strong back; well-sprung ribs and hind quarters that are well let down at the stifle as well as being muscular.

He should have plenty of leg-bone for his weight and close firm feet. His stern should be set on moderately high, have ample brush and be carried gaily. His coat should be close and hard and his color may be any true hound color, which includes white, lemon and white, red and white, and blue-ticked as well as the predominant black, tan and white.

His general appearance, to quote the American Kennel Club beagle standard, is that of "a miniature foxhound, solid and big for his inches, with the wear-and-tear look of the hound that can last in the chase and follow his quarry to the death."

As to bassets:

Since they were developed in France for hunting game in thick covert and for trailing wounded game slowly, the emphasis in their structure is on lowness and strength. The basset's general appearance is a docile, somewhat awkward hound of great dignity. In action, he is surprisingly agile and every inch the workman.

The ideal basset should have a large head with narrow skull, heavy flews, and forehead wrinkled to the eyes. His nose should be free from snipiness and his teeth should meet evenly. His ears should be long and velvety, set low on his head, and his eyes dark brown and deeply sunk. His neck should be powerful in heavy dewlaps and set on sloping shoulders. His chest should be deep, back long and straight, and well-sprung ribs. His forelegs should be short, heavy in bone with a crooked knee, but never out at the elbow. He should have round-as-an-apple quarters, be well let down in the hock, and his feet should be massive with weight well-distributed on the toes. His stern should be carried upright, his coat should be firm, and his color any true hound color.

THE HUNT STAFF-The Hunt Staff consists of the Master of Beagles or Bassets (M.B.), the huntsman (unless the Master hunts the hounds), two or more whippers-in, referred to as whips, the field master, the Honorary Secretary, and the Honorary Treasurer. If the Huntsman is not a professional, he is referred to as the Honorary Huntsman; if a Whipper-in is not a professional, he is referred to as an Honorary Whipper-in.

The Huntsman carries a horn, somewhat smaller than a fox-hunting horn, either copper or silver, and usually a whip.

The Whippers-In carry whips which differ from foxhunting whips in that they have an ash-stock handle instead of a leather covered one, are straight instead of having a hook in the end for opening gates, and the lash is shorter.

THE FIELD—The field is composed of subscribers and members of the hunt and their guests, or—if the pack is not a subscription pack—the guests of the Master. The field is obliged to follow the Field Master at all times so as not to get in the way of the hounds and Hunt Staff or cause undue damage to landowners.

DRESS—The Hunt Staff wear a soft black velvet hunting cap, white stock with plain gold stock pin—or, in some instances, white shirt with white tie; a field green or other color coat with the collar in the Hunt color, and brass or black buttons with Hunt insignia; white trousers, or white breeches or shorts with green or other color stockings, (ladies wear short white skirts with green or other color stockings or gaiters); white sneakers or brown leather shoes, and brown leather gloves. The Huntsman (usually) and Whippers-In carry beagling whips.

Subscribers to or members of the hunt may wear the livery (green or other color coat) with hunt collar only by invitation of the Master. Such invitations are given to those who have shown interest, knowledge, and enthusiasm for the sport over a considerable period of time.

Others in the field may wear any neat, clean, appropriate outdoor clothing.

ETIQUETTE—Be properly turned out, whether a member of the Hunt Staff or the field.

Greet the Master and the Field Master at the meet. Introduce your guests to them and see that the "capping fee" is paid. When the day's sport is over, thank the Master, the Huntsman, and the Field Master for the day's sport.

Stay behind the Field Master at all times.

Be moderately quiet in the field and absolutely quiet at a check so as not to disturb hounds.

Climb fences at the post, so as not to break rails in the middle of the panel; close gates; avoid new or soft lawns, new seeding, and all crops not yet harvested.
Notify the Master if you cause any damage so that he can rectify it or pay for it, since hunting exists only through the courtesy of the landowners.

Avoid disturbing any stock at pasture.

Do not "halloo" (pronounced "holler") if you view a hare—get on her line, raise your cap, and point in the direction she has gone. Halloos generally only excite, distract, and rattle hounds. If you are far from the Huntsman and hounds, e.g., behind the field, and view a hare, you should get on the line, point in the direction she has gone, and call "Tally-Ho" or the less often used old English "So-Ho" until either a Whipper-in or the Huntsman sees and understands your signal. Care should be taken not to get hounds' heads up. Do not expect the Huntsman to bring hounds to your view. It may be a fresh hare in his opinion or he may want hounds to hunt the line without being lifted. However, he does appreciate knowledge of every hare in the vicinity.

If a hare bolts through the field, stand stock still so as not to turn the hare. After she has passed, continue to stand still with head turned in her direction until hounds are well away to avoid confusing them. Then fall in behind the Field Master.

Do not try to turn a hare or rabbit; you would only confuse the quarry and the scent as well.

Do not follow a beagle or basset hunt in a car—the fumes destroy scent and landowners generally object to traffic on their lanes and driveways.

GLOSSARY—so-ho—the equivalent of "Tally-Ho" in foxhunting—alerting the Hunt Staff that a hare has been sighted.

view—hounds see a hare or rabbit.

brought to their noses—hounds lose sight of a viewed hare and have to run by scent.

hit off the line—hounds have recovered the scent after a check.

pick a check—the same.

at fault—hounds have lost the scent.

feather—a hound works a faint scent, not sure enough to speak, but waves its stern rapidly.

skirter—a hound that cuts corners rather than follow the exact line.
riot—to hunt anything other than legitimate quarry; a fault.

dwell—when a hound does not drive forward on the line; a fault.

babble—when a hound gives tongue without reason; a fault.

heel—when a hound runs a scent the wrong way; a fault.

chop—when hounds kill a hare or rabbit without having hunted her.

all on—a Whipper-in's report to the Huntsman that all hounds are counted and present.

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