Radical changes help secure future of New Forest Hounds hunt

RADICAL changes have been made by a historic New Forest hunting group as part of its efforts to continue using Crown lands.

Last year, New Forest Hounds, based at Lyndhurst, converted its foxhound pack to bloodhounds and began quarry hunting rather than trail hunting.

The change, inspired in part by difficulties in securing a Forestry England licence for trail hunting, has also led to the formation of a quarry running club whose members are pursued by hounds during twice-weekly hunts through the national park.

New Forest Hounds joint master Will Day explained that a new pack of 20 bloodhounds arrived in the Forest in May 2022, as its existing pack of foxhounds joined four hunts across the UK.

He said: “It was quite a major thing because obviously we had worked with the foxhound pack day in and day out. There were certainly some tears shed when they left us for their new homes.

“Although it’s a change, we keep our tradition of a hunt coat, a hunt meet, the Strip Cup at the meet, the hunting horn is still blown. The hounds are hunting, the field is smartly dressed and riding behind on horses. All of those traditions are preserved and maintained.”

Until 2022 the New Forest Hounds followed an artificial trail which was laid by a person or horse prior to the hunt. However, in 2022 all trail hunt licences on Crown Lands were suspended across the UK due to a court case involving trail huntings governing body.

Will said: “We wanted to be proactive – we were told by Forestry England that they would grant a bloodhound licence and we want to protect the jobs and the fallen stock service we provide, so we chose to convert the pack.”

Under the new quarry hunting method, bloodhounds hunt the “clean boot”, which means they are hunting the quarry runners rather than an artificial scent trail. Before the hunt begins the runners spend 10-15 minutes playing with and cuddling the dogs so they can focus in on their scent.

Will said: “Once we’ve given them our scent and introduced ourselves we want them to focus on us so we try to keep them a bit away from other humans at the hunt meet.”

Runners are then driven to the start of the first hunt and the dogs are taken to a starting point where the hunt begins. Hunts are made up of seven lines which are between half a mile and two miles each, so over the course of a day, runners cover up to 10 miles and riders cover a much greater distance.

All routes are planned and details are submitted to Forestry England and recorded on maps.

Will said: “Quarry running is very exhilarating and quite demanding – you are running over uneven ground – it can be up hill through thick heather. It’s wild running – that’s the best way to describe it.”

The quarry club currently has 35 members with two to four runners taking part in each hunt, and is sponsored by New Forest Shortbread.

Will said: “It’s great fun and a real challenge – the hairs on the back of your neck are standing up.

“When the dogs do catch up with us they just mill around and sometimes lick our hands and we give them a Bonio.”

The New Forest Hunt employs a professional huntsman called Michael Woodhouse who also runs a service for picking up commoner’s animals, such as ponies and cattle, that are killed on the roads and in other incidents across the Forest. There are also four part-time paid staff and several volunteers who help with walking and exercising the pack.

The hunt is funded by members, donations and fundraising social events such as an annual ball and point-to-point race.

When the pack was converted last year, four pairs of foxhounds were also retired at the Lyndhurst kennels and these dogs are now exercised with the bloodhounds on daily walks.

Will said: “It actually worked really well because the foxhounds we retired knew the kennel routine really well so when the bloodhounds arrived they had mentors to teach them.”

The arrival of eight puppies last summer has swelled the bloodhound pack to 28, with plans in place to begin training this spring with small runs on privately owned land. Will said: “We start small with the puppies and begin the process of showing them how to hunt a human runner, which literally starts with 50m, then 100m and 200m.”

Will continued: “It’s important for the wider New Forest to understand what we are trying to do. We are trying to maintain a tradition in a format which can’t be criticised. Everyone is welcome – we are totally open to the public on the hunt day.”

He estimates that only around 10% of the quarry running club had been involved in hunting prior to 2022. He said: “They are primarily runners – but they are really enjoying the running challenge – it is way more exciting than your usual training jog.

“We are a team that looks after each other – if someone is struggling we slow down and run with them. It’s a fun club that produces an important part of the hunting day.”

The New Forest Hounds are a committee-run bloodhound pack headed by Pamela Baker as chairman and an executive committee drawn from members. There are currently five joint masters who all help to run the hunting day - Michael Woodhouse the huntsman, Carol Lovell, Andrew Hollins, Will Day and Tom Blachford.

Will said: “We are keen to welcome new people who would like to be involved in any aspect from the social side to the quarry running, to riding or walking with hounds. We are open to all.”

The next event is a point to point race at Larkhill Race Course on 26th March. To find out more visit www.newforesthounds.co.uk