Hunting with
Hounds
Hound hunting in Canada dates back to the 1800's. The earliest established Foxhound club was founded in 1826 called the Montreal Hunt in Canada. In the United States it can be dated back to 1650, and in Europe as early as 500 B.C.
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It's not hard to fall in love with a hound. They have very loving, happy personalities. They tend to get a bad rap because of their barking; or people tend to have this pre-conceived notion that they are mean or not good family pets because they are used for hunting. But that couldn't be farther from the truth. Hounds love their people and generally anyone willing to pet them. They are a very driven breed; their sense of smell, focus and athleticism make them excellent trackers and hunters. While they are natural hunters and trackers, there is a lot of work that goes into being a handler. Getting them to differentiate a smell you want them to follow and not follow, recall, starting, tracking, treeing and staying at the tree until their handler gets there are all part of the training. Learning to work as a pack, having them trust each other and work together on a hunt is equally important.
Benefits of Hunting with Hounds
If you are looking to hunt in the name of Conservation, hound hunting is a great tool. Hunting with hounds gives you the opportunity to have a good look at what sex an animal is and the quality and age of that animal. In BC many Biologists will bring in hounds to help with collaring projects or DNA projects with Mountain Lion. Conservation officers will also use hounds to haze or for locating cats or bear that have become a danger to people and livestock.
