Fox
Hunting
History
Fox hunting
as it is recognized today, has been around for about 300
years. In Norman England, deer and boar were hunted exclusively
by the Royal Family and their guests in royal forests.
The privilege to hunt the forests was gradually extended
to land owners, and eventually the laws protecting the
quarry species became those covering trespass and poaching,
which applied on land owned by anybody.
The training
of hounds specifically to hunt foxes came about after the
restoration of King Charles II in 1660. By
the mid 1600s, a number of private landowners had formed
packs of foxhounds but stag hunting still predominated.
Later,
under the Stuart kings, hunting was seen as a good, healthy
noble activity, far removed from the vices and wickedness
of the city. At
that time, the hunt very much resembled the royal sport
of stag hunting - largely a French import - and the terms
used by fox hunters even to this day probably reflect this
heritage.
Many
factors throughout the 18th Century were restricting stag
hunting, and some of the stag hunts began to chase foxes. Farmers
outside the normal stag hunting areas were believed to
have welcomed fox hunters as a method of ridding themselves
of what they saw as a substantial pest. Fox hunting grew
until it covered much of the UK.
Like
it or loathe it, fox hunting has had a marked impact on
the tradition, language and culture of the UK. Every-day
turns of phrase, such as being "in the pink",
are derived from the hunt. (Pink is the way the hunt has
traditionally described the color of its red jackets.) And
traditional Christmas cards, brewery signs and pub signs
featuring aspects of the hunt are as common place as hunting
scenes in works of art.
Foxhunting
has existed in North America since Colonial days. The earliest
record of the importation of hounds to this country was
on June 30, 1650, when Robert Brooke arrived in Maryland
with his family and hounds. By the early 1700's, foxhunting
was increasing rapidly in Maryland, Virginia and probably
other colonies.
Through
the years North American foxhunting has evolved its own
distinct flavor which is noticeably different from the
British. The most obvious difference is that in North America
the emphasis is on the chase rather than the kill. In America
and Canada a successful hunt ends when the fox is accounted
for by entering a hole in the ground, called an earth.
Once there, hounds are rewarded with praise from their
huntsman. That is not to say that foxhounds in America
do not sometimes kill but it is always the exception.
The popularity
of foxhunting continues to grow and it is enjoyed by people
from all walks of life and any age. |
