Fox Hunting - An enjoyable sport in America and Britain
Fox hunting can be best described as a highly organized sport for the pursuit of wild foxes, either red or gray in color, with hounds that use their sense of smell. When the hounds find the trail, they let out a sound which enables the hunters to find them. Hunters typically do fox hunting on horseback although it can also be done on foot.
In America, fox hunting (which is actually called foxchasing) is usually done just for the chase whereas in other countries such as Britain, it is done for the kill to control the population. It has existed since the colonial days. Fox hunting is extremely different in the United States than it is in other countries. The object here in the United States is to chase it into the ground, which is usually into its hole, and then find another one to chase. It may sound silly, but hunters find that they enjoy getting outside to do fox hunting, and watching the hounds do what they were born to do. The thrill is to hopefully see the foxes in a hunt. There is a certain joy that hunters find in galloping around on their horses in any kind of weather, jumping fences and the partnership that this sport requires between the hunter and the horse. If no foxes are to be found when fox hunting, it’s usually just enjoyable to be outdoors in the countryside and at least trying.
There is also a formal dress code for foxhunters. They wear black boots, breeches, a hunting coat usually red in color, a shirt and tie, and a protective hat.
In general, foxhunters are very much concerned with the population of foxes. In areas where fox hunting is popular, it is found that the population of foxes is usually greater, due to the efforts of foxhunters.
Foxes are an extremely clever animal. They are aware of how their scent will lie on the ground so they try to walk on dry leaves or grass or even through the thicket where they know their scent can’t stick. They are intelligent in that they try to throw the hounds off when they are fox hunting. They will also sometimes try to use the scent of other animals by running through a herd of deer or through cattle.
Fox hunting in most countries is certainly regulated, of course that varies from country to country. But it’s also found that most laws are in place to regulate which animals may be hunted, at what time and with what techniques.
Fox hunting is enjoyed by people from all walks of life and any age. It can be a fantastic recreation for the whole family and enjoyed for years to come.