EDIT: When first published we wrote that the document was hosted on Baily’s website members area, this was incorrect the document was the Hunting Office Members Area. We strive to be as accurate as possible and will edit and highlight mistakes as we are made aware of them.
Why are we publishing a document that is 13 years old?
Some people in the hunting world may say that it’s clearly out of date, well if that’s the case, why was it on the Hunting Office website within the membership area and listed along with many other pdfs as current advice on a range of subjects for masters? IF it is outdated, then the Hunting Office should not be listing it, they are, so we see it as current advice, certainly advice for new masters and will have been what they followed for the most recent fox hunting season 20/21.
You can download the entire document here, but we will go through the paragraphs that caught our eye below. Firstly who is this document aimed at and what is it it’s point?
The first major admission is the number of hounds that are “replaced” each year, 20%, that means every 5 years a pack is completely replaced. If fox hounds went into retirement and were rehomed, then we would all be seeing fox hounds regularly across the country being walked by their new owners. The simple fact is that when hounds reach an age where they can’t keep up, they are killed.
If you are ever in trouble you can always fall back on the excuse that you were just exercising the hounds, this tired excuse was still being dragged out 12 years later in the 2020 webinars by none other than Mark Hankinson, who now faces criminal charges.
The attitude towards blacksmiths!
This next paragraph proves beyond any doubt, that fox hunting never stopped after the ban and we would advice everyone who writes letters to MP’s, supermarkets, land owners etc etc about fox hunting to book mark this page and use this in any correspondence, remember this was current advice given to hunts in 2020.
Finally, you have to wonder why people who go hunting have to be reminded of basic manners..
