Forums.NitroExpress.com

Yes hunting sambar with hounds was one of my favourite times for a few years until i went back to stalking.
Political pressure from ill informed greenies is sure to prohibit this fine pastime in the not so distant future--all the signs are there now.

The general method of hound-hunting is for members of the team to scout the bush looking for a mark fresh enough for the hounds to "start" this mark could be from a deer jumped up or where they had been feeding/walking the night before.Often team members will be scouting the bush areas during the week looking for a likely stag to show up so as to hunt it the next Saturday.
Once/if marks are located the hounds are brought in to start with generally a cold starter dog or bitch to get the lead out of the mass of marks in the feed areas,this dog will work the marks and give voice telling the members where it is/and how hot/close it is to the deer and on hearing the change in voicing as the dog "tells" you that it is getting closer the rest of the pack will be slipped and they get up to the cold scenter very quickly and the volume go`s up and hopefully the sambar go`s down.Of course there is a lot more to it than this basic answer with finer points that come into it as the time of the year, the weather, the height hunting, the feed, hound condition,the fat hunters after the summer layoff haha etc etc.
Not always in the hunters favour though--i have personally wittnessed a small stag run the hounds for a nine hour day and get away and it can often be a case of the deer wins especially if it has learnt to throw the hounds from previous hunts.
Other times might warrant walking the hounds on leads for many miles looking for fresh marks well away from the roads and often hounds have gone home without a run too.

--------------------
Get off the chair away from the desk and get out in the bush and enjoy life.

Post Extras