Terminology

Autumn Hunting – the early part of hunting until the Opening Meet

Cap – a daily charge for non-subscribers

“Car Please” – s shouted to tell the Field to keep to the left to let cars through on the road.

Cast – when the hounds are looking for the line. The huntsman may cast the hounds towards where he thinks the hounds will pick it up.

Check – when the hounds lose the line.

Couples – hounds are counted in couples. i.e. one hound, a couple, a couple and a half, two couples, etc. Couples are also two collars linked on a chain and can be seen hanging on the hunt staffs’ saddles.

Field – the mounted followers.

Field Master – the person in charge of leading and controlling the Field.

“Gate Please” – shouted backwards on going through a gate which should be closed.

“Good Night” – the appropriate salutation for the end of the day even if it was an Autumn Hunting morning which ended before midday.

Harrier – a hound that was originally bred for hunting hares

Heel – hounds are said to be hunting heel when they hunt the reverse

“Hold Hard” – The Field Master is asking you to stop.

Huntsman – the person who hunts the hounds. There is only one huntsman on the hunting field per day and he has right of way at all times

Hunt Staff -the people responsible for working the hounds. i.e. Huntsman and Whippers-in. They may be Masters, amateurs or professionals

“Headlands Please” – a signal given to members of the field when riders must keep to the fence-line in fields of crop or new seed.

Line – the scent left by the trail.

Master – maybe a Joint Master. These are the people responsible for the running of the hunt. They should have right of way at all times second only to the hunt staff.

“Master/Huntsman/Whip/Hound please” – this means give way to these people as they have a job to do. If it is heard on a road or a track everyone should move to one side, not line both sides, to reduce the chances of them being kicked.

Opening Meet – the start of formal hunting.

Puppy – a hound which is new to hunting that season. It will appear fully grown.

Scent – the smell, indiscernible to the human nose, left by the trail layers. The hounds also use the smell of the disturbed ground, where the trail layers have been, to stay on the line.

Speak or speaking – hounds do not bark, they speak or are speaking when they are “on the line”, when hunting a ‘scent’, see above.

Stern – a hound’s tail.

Walk – hounds at walk, often known as Puppy Walking, is where whelps are sent to private homes, in minimums of two’s, from the age of eight weeks until they get too big and boisterous for the walkers, at which point they return to kennels to learn how to fit in to the pack.

“Ware Hole/Wire/Glass” –  Therefore if you hear or ” ‘ Ware Hole” it actually means mind out there is a hole in the ground coming up! Similarly any other hazard.

Whelp – a new born hound is a whelp and remains so until it come back from walk.

Whipper-in – the person who helps the huntsman control the hounds. This person has right of way at all times and will only give way to the Huntsman.