OTTER-HUNTING, PAST AND PRESENT
It was not until a comparatively recent date, that the otter became an
accredited beast of chase. He was hunted, after a fashion, from the very
earliest times, but the value of his skin--like that of the fox--had more
to do with his capture than the sport he afforded.
King John of England appears to be the first Master of Otterhounds
of whom there is any record, and Twici seems to have been the first
huntsman. In "The Master of Game," written between the years 1406 and
1413, there is a chapter on "The Otter and his Nature," illustrated by
a reproduction of an old illumination entitled "Otter Hunting." This
picture represents a hound--apparently smooth-coated--swimming an otter
in a river. On the farther bank are two hounds, and two men. One of
the latter is transfixing the otter as it swims with a long-handled,
three-pronged spear. The other man is apparently about to throw a similar
kind of spear at the otter, while holding in his left hand a second spear
with the ordinary type of single-bladed head. On the near bank are two
more men, and two hounds. One of the latter appears to be rough-coated,
or at any rate broken-haired, the other being a large, white,
smooth-coated animal. This hound is evidently a limer, as it is held in
leash by one of the men. The other man, armed with a single-bladed spear,
is stabbing the otter in the hindquarters.
It is apparent that in those early days the chief use of the hounds was
in finding the otter, and once the latter was put down, the spears were
brought into play. In the chapter on the otter, it says: "Men hunt at
them with hounds by great mastery," and "men take them at other times in
rivers with small cords as men do the fox with nets and with other gins."
Thus we see plainly that the otter was little thought of in those days,
except for the value afforded by his skin. In early times a lime-hound,
i.e., a hound held in leash, was used for harbouring deer and other game.
Such a hound was keen and staunch, not too fast, and was taught to run
mute, in order not to disturb the game whose exact whereabouts his master
wished to discover. The rope by which the hound was led was known as a
liam, being made of leather or silk. Both collar and lead were often
gaily coloured, and adorned with silver.
The method of conducting the chase when hunting at an otter "with
hounds by great mastery" was no doubt similar in some respects to that
practised at present. Instead, however, of hunting the drag with the
pack, lime-hounds were used to locate the quarry, the latter being then
bolted by terriers. In the prologue to "The Master of Game," it says with
regard to dogs: "And first I will begin with raches (running hounds)
and their nature, and then greyhounds and their nature, and then alaunts
and their nature, and then spaniels and their nature, and then mastiffs
that men call curs and their nature, and then of small curs that come to
be terriers and their nature." What these terriers were like compared to
the present-day breeds, it is difficult to say, but no doubt they were
hard-bitten animals, well able to bolt otters or foxes.
Having bolted the otter, probably several hounds were then uncoupled,
which kept the quarry on the move, so that the men got plenty of chances
to use their spears. The otter was allowed no law as is now the custom,
but was transfixed at the first opportunity. The spears were evidently
thrown at the otter, as well as used to transfix him on the shallows.
At a later date, in Somervile's days (1735) the spear was in general
use, and it is mentioned as late as 1878 in the "Manual of British Rural
Sports" by Stonehenge. Turning to the "Otter Hunting Diary" of the late
Mr James Lomax, of Clayton Hall, which dates from 1829 to 1871, we find
no mention of the spear. In "Field and Fern" (South), by H. H. Dixon,
published in 1865, there is an account of Dr Grant, of Hawick, and his
otterhounds, without, however, any reference to spears. Although the
employment of the spear, or "otter-grains" as it was sometimes called,
was no doubt almost universally discontinued fairly early in the last
century, it was probably used till a later date by individuals who kept a
hound or two, and pursued otter, fox, and foumart after the manner of the
Scotch "tod-hunter" with his scratch pack. Nets were sometimes used in
conjunction with spears to keep an otter from reaching tidal waters.
To-day, however, all such abominations have been done away with, and
now it is left for hounds to hunt and kill their otter, if they can,
unaided. Until a few years ago, it was customary to meet quite early in
the morning, often soon after daybreak. Nowadays, however, people are
less energetic, and it is nothing unusual to read of fixtures as late as
ten a.m. Although from a social or "love and lunch" point of view, late
meets are no doubt convenient, the same can hardly be said as regards
hunting. Some Masters of Otterhounds are averse to early meets because
they say that the drag is then often so strong that hounds are very apt
to pass over their otter. By getting to the water later the drag has lost
some of its strength, and hounds are then brought to their noses, and
travel slower, thus being less inclined to pass their otter in its holt.
Really the time of meeting should depend upon the character of the water
you intend to hunt. On a river flowing through marsh or water meadows,
where the long grass and rushes are always more or less damp and the
ground beneath them shaded from the sun, scent will lie for hours, and
there is no necessity to make a very early start. In the North, however,
where the streams are swift and rocky, and have their sources far up the
hill-sides, there is often little shade, except beside some covert, or in
some ghyll or ravine to which the sun's rays seldom penetrate. Meeting
at ten o'clock on such water, there is little chance of a good drag,
and it may mean hard work for both men and hounds before they find, and
eventually put their otter down.
[Illustration: The Huntsman Bringing his Otter Ashore.
(_Photo by N. Clapham_).
]
[Illustration: K. & D.O.H. Returning to the Main River.
(_Copyright by R. F. Lees, Blackpool_). _To face p. 79._
]
Many an instance comes to mind, when if hounds had been put to water
three or four hours earlier, they would have had a hot cross-country
drag, and probably a fine swimming hunt at the end of it. We have known
hounds meet at nine o'clock at the foot of a Lakeland beck, and travel
several miles up-stream without a whimper. On nearing the source, they
spoke to a drag in the depths of a shady ghyll, and carried it at a
fast pace out on to the open fell. There the sun was beating down with
tremendous power, and under its influence the drag died out. Hounds were
on the line of a travelling otter, and had they hit off the drag in the
ghyll at five or six o'clock instead of nine, they could easily have
carried it over the watershed, and down a runner which enters a tarn in
the next valley. A good hunt was thus spoilt, simply because of a late
start.
An advantage of meeting early lies in the fact that you perhaps find
and kill your otter before the real heat of the day begins, thus making
things easier for both hounds and field. It is impossible to lay down
any hard and fast rule as regards the time of meeting, for as already
mentioned, this will be influenced by the character of the water you are
going to hunt, and, if you are dependent on subscriptions, the keenness
or otherwise of your subscribers.
In the case of making a start with a newly organised pack, containing a
good proportion of unentered hounds, it is advisable to get out early in
the morning until such time as your hounds begin to understand their job
and take an interest in the business. Scent lies stronger both on land
and water during the early hours, and if your few entered hounds find
and mark their otter, the unentered ones have a better chance when their
quarry is eventually put down.
To a lover of hound work, the drag left by an otter during his nightly
wanderings, provides as much of interest when hounds can own it, as the
actual hunting after the otter is afloat. With entered hounds which try
the banks carefully it is possible to find an otter without touching a
drag at all. This frequently happens after a late meet, when the huntsman
is a real trier, and can depend on his hounds. Still, we imagine that
the majority of keen otter-hunters enjoy watching the pack at work on a
drag, and the music seems a fitting prelude to the chorus that arises
when finally hounds mark and acknowledge in no uncertain tones that their
quarry is "at home."
Under favourable conditions the scent of an otter will lie for a very
long time. In the shade, amidst tall herbage, or among the water
lilies, hounds can speak to it hours after their otter has gone, and
it is sometimes difficult to know whether they are the right way or
running heel. Then is the time to look for the seal of your otter in
the sand, mud, or other soft places, and note whether the footprints
point up-stream or down. Half the pleasure of otter-hunting is to see
hounds draw, that is if they draw well, trying every root as they go, or
swimming out to some stone in midstream on which perhaps there is a piece
of wedging. Here a hound will try a patch of water lilies, there another
will investigate a stick-heap, until at last there is a welcome note from
Thunder, Sailor, or some other member of the pack, which denotes that a
drag has at last been found. Gradually they work it out, fast or slow
according to its strength, until at last they mark at a tree-root on
the bank. If you know your hounds you can tell pretty well whether your
otter is there, or has merely run through the place and gone on. One or
two of your most trusted favourites perhaps show an inclination to push
forward up-stream, so you go ahead, taking plenty of time at all the
likely holts. Suddenly old Warrior's head goes up, he winds the air for
a second or two, then goes straight across the river, and his well-known
voice rings out as he proclaims that his otter is this time in the holt
in front of him. The others surge over, splashing the water as they go,
and a wild chorus awakens the echoes as hounds mark solidly, some of
them tearing at the bank in their eagerness to have their quarry "out
of that." There is no doubt he is at home, but if there was, you need
only watch old Boatman swimming round and round beneath the holt in an
endeavour to take the scent or "wash," to convince you that hounds are
right.
The great advantage of meeting early lies in the fact that if there
is an otter or otters working the water that you propose to hunt, you
are practically sure of finding a drag, which at that time of day will
lie strongly. As already mentioned, otters lie rough, as well as in
holts, and may be found almost anywhere, often far from the main river.
Here is where you benefit by a warm trail, for there will be no doubt
as to the point at which your quarry left the main river, and took to
a side-runner, or out across country to some pond or other favourite
feeding ground. Supposing, however, that your otter has left a drag on
the banks of the main river, which leads hounds steadily up-stream.
If the drag is hot, the pack will run it at speed, until they finally
mark their otter in his holt, or the trail suddenly comes to an end,
and hounds are at a loss. In this case your otter may have gone on
some distance in the water, the latter having carried all scent away,
and then landed at some holt farther up. He may, too, have crossed the
stream--perhaps in deep water--and retired to a holt on the opposite
bank. Again, he may have dropped down with the current to his original
starting point, leaving no trace behind him. If the river is narrow, he
may, of course, have crossed and re-crossed it in his journey up-stream,
the same applying in a lesser degree, to a wide river. If possible, it is
wise therefore to have a number of hounds on each bank, instead of, as
some huntsmen do, crossing with the pack at shallows or other spots where
the stream can be forded.
By keeping hounds on the one bank and crossing here and there, much water
and many a likely holt is passed over. Harking back, however, to where
hounds checked. The otter may still be in front, therefore it pays to
make good the water for some little distance up-stream. If, within a
reasonable distance, hounds hit off his landing place and mark him at a
holt, well and good, but if there is only a "touch" here and there on
which hounds feather, denoting a stale line perhaps a day or two old, it
is then advisable to try back. If hounds have carried the drag at speed,
they may, in their eagerness, have overrun their otter, and left him not
so very far behind. When casting back therefore, go slowly, and keep some
hounds if possible on both banks. Sooner or later, with anything like
luck, hounds should locate their otter on one bank or the other. Just as
an early start affords a hot drag, so does it help hounds to more easily
wind their otter in his holt, should he have crossed and left no trace
behind him in the stream. Some hounds exhibit great aptitude for winding
an otter in this manner, therefore when you see a member of the pack
throw up his head and begin testing the air, you can be fairly sure that
your otter is not far off. If, instead of meeting early you had arrived
at the water late, on the foregoing occasion, you would probably have hit
off a weak or catchy drag, and have had to go slow, trying both banks
carefully en route. If this happens on a stream which the Master knows
well, and has often hunted before, he may simply cross and re-cross the
water to the various holts from which he has put down otters on previous
occasions. Should hounds refuse to mark at any of these holts, and the
limit of the day's draw is reached, the result is a blank.
The same thing may happen on a river which has not been hunted for a
long time. The meet is late, hounds are left to pick up a drag if they
can, the field following at their leisure, and once more it is a case of
"nothing doing" at the conclusion of the draw. It is when an otter has
left the main river via a side-stream, or travelled a long way overland
to some pond, or other retreat, that the advantage of meeting early is so
conspicuous.
Late in the day the drag is very weak and catchy in the open, where
the sun has dried up all moisture, and even if hounds _do_ show an
inclination to turn up a runner or deviate at some point, they may not
be able to carry the line far, even if encouraged to do so. If an early
start is made, however, the drag is warm, and hounds can hit off the
place with certainty where their otter has left the river, and what is
more, they can run the line at speed, thus drawing up to their quarry's
holt, or the spot where he is lying rough, without loss of time. The
chief object of keeping a pack of otterhounds is to find, hunt, and if
possible kill your otter in a sportsmanlike manner.
Before you can hunt him you must find him, and on nine days out of ten,
this is the hardest part of the business. An otter may be anywhere, and
of course it may so happen that the water within your day's draw is not
being worked by otters. In this case you cannot find what is not there. A
blank day then is not only excusable, but inevitable. On the other hand,
if your pack is made up of entered hounds, and you know their individual
idiosyncrasies, and have in addition a fair knowledge of the habits of
your quarry, there should be little excuse for a blank day, provided you
start early enough in the morning to afford your hounds the chance of
picking up and sticking to a decent drag. The _surest_ way of finding
an otter is to drag up to him, any other method, at any rate on rivers,
holds an enormous element of chance. On a lake or a tarn, which you
yourself _know_ is inhabited by otters, it is a different matter, for you
can then throw off in the reed-beds or other undergrowth bordering the
water, with a good hope of putting your otter down before hounds have
been long at work.
No fixed rules are applicable to otter-hunting, or any other kind of
hunting for that matter, but it is safe to say that the Master who is a
trier, and keeps on trying, will be the one to bring to hand most otters.
Being himself of the "never say die" order, he will inculcate the same
spirit in his hounds, for a slack huntsman makes a slack pack, and vice
versa.
The late Rev. Jack Russell, of Devonshire fame, walked some hundreds of
miles before he found his first otter. This was owing to the fact that
his hounds at the beginning were unentered to otter. When he finally got
hold of an entered hound, matters took a different turn, and he showed
capital sport, but his ill-success at first was certainly not for want of
trying.
When hunting a river, particularly in a hilly district, a sudden flood
may put a stop to sport. When the weather is unsettled it is wise,
therefore, to allow for such a contingency, and be prepared to arrange
matters so that a smaller stream or lake can be substituted.
A frequent reason for blank days lies in having too wide a district to
hunt. This means that certain streams are visited but once a season,
and a single day on each is not sufficient to insure sport. A certain
river is perhaps visited to-day, and hounds hit off a drag and carry
it up-stream a long way, until the hour is late, and their otter still
unfound. The next fixture is probably in another county, whereas if
hounds were put to water on the following morning at the place where they
left off, a hunt would be practically a certainty. Again, if a brace of
otters are put down, and one of them is hunted and eventually killed, a
visit to the same water on the following day would result in the survivor
providing some pretty work for hounds. There is hardly an Otter Hunt in
the kingdom but what attempts to cover more water in a season than it
can properly manage. The chances of continuous good sport are on this
account exceedingly doubtful, for unless rivers are frequently visited,
and a fair percentage of otters are killed, riparian owners, keepers, and
others will refuse to protect otters, and instead, go in for the killing
business themselves. Hunting is in this country dependent upon the
goodwill of landowners and tenants, who are as a rule only too pleased to
welcome hounds. If, however, the Hunt does not properly reduce the stock
of foxes or otters, other methods are then resorted to. The more otters
or foxes you kill in your district, the more you will have, for directly
people realise that you and your hounds mean business and are "out for
blood," they will leave it to you to do the killing, and confine their
attentions to preserving your quarry. A small district, regularly hunted,
will provide much better sport than a large one casually attended to.
The fixture card of the average Otter Hunt should show "Where leave off"
much oftener than it does at present. In a small district a Hunt is much
less dependent on trains for moving hounds from place to place, and there
is far more opportunity to "lie out" overnight at some farm or other
homestead, and thus continue hunting at the same place on the following
day.
Harking back to the river, a great many people imagine that when hounds
hit off a line away from the water, and go full cry through a wood,
across open country, or up some tiny streamlet, that they are running
riot. That hounds occasionally run riot, more especially the young entry,
we do not for a moment deny, but when a pack of entered hounds performs
in the above manner, they are not rioting, but running the line of a
travelling otter. The huntsman then, instead of blowing his horn while
the whippers-in rate and attempt to stop hounds, should put his best
leg foremost and try to keep in touch, so that if hounds check, after
covering perhaps a mile or two, he will be there or thereabouts and have
a good idea what to do.
We have vivid recollections of a day on which hounds hit off the line
of an otter that had stolen away from a rock-holt without being seen or
tallied. She, for it was a young bitch otter, left the main stream with
a good start, and turned up a runner which lay in a deep, narrow valley.
At the head of this valley the otter turned left-handed and crossed over
more than a mile of open country comprising the watershed. Descending the
other side, she entered a stream via a hanging covert on the near bank.
When hounds hit off her line, they raced up the valley with evidently a
screaming scent. At the top they hovered for an instant, then swept on
left-handed over the hill. The huntsman, who was convinced that they were
running riot, attempted to stop them, and succeeded in getting hold of
some of them, but the others went on, and we could hear them speaking
merrily in the direction of the stream in the valley below. We passed the
huntsman, blowing his horn, with a couple or two of hounds round him, and
on asking him what was the matter, he said hounds were rioting. Seeing we
did not believe him, he reluctantly followed on, and to cut a long story
short, hounds eventually killed their otter handsomely, after dusting her
up and down the stream for some three-quarters of an hour. We can see the
expression on that huntsman's face yet, when hounds collared their otter,
and he was obliged to acknowledge he had been in the wrong, while his
hounds had been right.
Now the first lesson a huntsman, professional or amateur, has to learn is
to _trust his hounds_. If he can't do this, he had better leave hunting
alone, and look for another job. Once your hounds are properly entered,
and you know their individual traits and idiosyncrasies, always trust
to what _they_ say about it, and pay no attention to the utterances of a
sceptical field, many of whom know little or nothing about the science
of hunting. The line hounds are running may perhaps seem a very unusual
one, even to you, but if Rouser, Thunder, Marksman, and a few more of
your trusted favourites are voicing the fact that an otter is in front
of them, then you can bet your life it is so, and your job is to keep
in touch with them if possible. Always remember that an otter may be
found anywhere, and may do anything once he is afoot or afloat. The only
certain thing about him is his variability. You will learn something
new about him every day you go out with hounds, and if you store up the
information thus obtained, it will come in mighty useful on many a future
occasion.
The Master who hunts his own hounds should study the habits of otters
in winter as well as in summer. After a prolonged snow-fall a visit
to one or other of his rivers, lakes, etc., will afford a variety of
useful information regarding the whereabouts and the doings of otters.
Their tracks will be plain enough in the snow, and by following these
footprints a knowledge of the various routes traversed by otters will be
gained, and many a long forgotten drain or other hiding-place discovered.
The lessons thus learnt will come in mighty useful when the hunting
season again begins. When thus scouting his country, he should not forget
to drop in at the mill, or the various farmsteads near the river. The
miller can be a good friend, or, if he likes, a bad enemy, and the same
applies to farm-hands, and other people who work on the land. A chat with
the farmer and his wife goes a long way towards smoothing the ground for
hunting, and a friendly word and a pipe of baccy with the river-watchers
and labourers ensures amicable relations, and paves the way towards
encouraging an interest in hounds and hunting.
It is the Master who is thus on the job in winter as well as summer who
gets plenty of good walks for his puppies, and is free to hunt when
and where he likes during the season. On his journeys he will hear
much about otters and their doings, a great deal of which information,
however, he will take with the proverbial pinch of salt. Half the people
you meet, even those who live near rivers, have never seen an otter,
although there are, of course, certain individuals whose information
is to be depended on. These are few and far between, however, and the
wise Master will trust to his own powers of observation, rather than to
reports of hypothetical otters, which in the end turn out to have been
black cats, or some other animals seen near the water at dusk.
Harking back to our hunting, however, hounds have marked their otter in
his holt in a root or some other retreat, and the next job is to evict
him. Hounds are called off and taken back out of sight in a nearby field,
and the terriers come on the scene. Vic or Vengeance is sent in, and
very soon there are sounds underground betokening "something doing." The
barking ceases for a moment, and then a dark brown object glides out
through the tangled roots, there is a slight splash, and a long chain of
bubbles as the otter takes to the river. A shrill tally-ho! brings hounds
pell-mell to the scene of action, and the hunt is on. It all sounds very
easy, and sometimes is so, but on other occasions the otter refuses to
bolt, or the terriers cannot bring sufficient pressure to bear, so there
is nothing for it but send to the nearest farmhouse for tools. Spades,
pick, and crowbar are soon on the spot, and there may then ensue some
strenuous digging, before the terriers are located, and finally the
otter. Occasionally, when the terriers are sent in, a rabbit or rabbits
may bolt, or even as has happened before now, a fox. Then is the time you
are likely to hear subdued remarks from sceptical members of your field.
Take no notice of that. Your hounds say their otter is there, believe
them, no matter how many rabbits appear. Otters lie very close at times,
often till you dig right up to them, and on such an occasion you will
have the laugh on the "doubting Thomases," when you pull little terrier
Vengeance out by the stern, and your otter takes to the river. If a
terrier can get behind his otter, he will generally persuade the quarry
to bolt, but if the otter backs up into a cul-de-sac, the dog is obliged
to face him in front, and if the terrier is a real "sticker" he will hold
his otter there until the diggers work down to the spot.
Otters will lie up in rabbit burrows, drains, tree-roots, and sometimes
in fox or badger earths. Rock-holts are also favourite places on the
north country rivers. Where there are several side-drains branching off
a main drain, it is often difficult for the terriers to locate their
otter. Some rock-holts, too, are practically impregnable, and the same
applies to many a big head of earths in covert. Occasionally an otter may
be persuaded to bolt when other means have failed, by getting a number
of people to jump on top of the holt, the party doing so in unison. When
digging or terrier operations are going on, someone should be stationed
where they can keep watch for the otter bolting. If the quarry can slip
out under water, he may get away undetected, unless a bright look out
is kept. During the time that digging is going on, the field should be
made to stand well back from the scene of operations. When they crowd
round the place, as the average field so often does, they are a nuisance
to the diggers, and talk so much that it is often impossible to hear the
terriers underground. Again, should an otter bolt from a drain, and have
some distance to go before reaching the water, the field are nearly sure
to start halloing, with the result that hounds break away and arrive on
the scene ere the otter has had fair law.
Once the otter is afloat, the next thing is to keep him going until
hounds tire him out, and at last gain their reward. The field should now
spread out at intervals, along the bank, and _stand still_. By doing so
each individual can watch the water in front of him, and tally when he
is certain he sees the otter. When the field persists in rushing up and
down the banks they are a nuisance to both hounds and huntsman. Standing
still, and keeping a bright look out, they can be of the greatest
service, and at the same time they see more sport than when constantly
shifting their positions. After he has been hunted for some time, the
otter will begin to show himself, and it is then perfectly legitimate
for the watcher to tally-ho if he sees the otter. Unless, however, he is
sure that it is the otter, he had best keep silent. A salmon in rapid
water, or a moorhen crossing a pool, has often deceived a watcher on the
bank, therefore make sure before tallying. Also, never tally because
someone else says he has seen the otter, see it yourself first. It may
be necessary to send some of the field to form a "stickle" across the
shallows, above or below the scene of action. These people must keep
a sharp look out, watching the water carefully. If they do their work
properly, the otter should not get past them without being seen. If the
hunt gradually works up-stream, the people on the lower stickle should
not be forgotten. Some signal, say a few notes on the whistle, should be
given in order to let them know that they are at liberty to leave their
posts.
[Illustration: No. 5.
TALLY-HO!]
In rapid, or deep water, an otter will often pass an experienced hunter
without being tallied, particularly if it is moving close to the farther
bank. The angle at which the light falls on the water often makes
it extremely difficult to detect an otter as it passes. After being
hunted for some length of time, the otter shows himself more and more
frequently. He may vary the water work by making an excursion overland,
or running the length of a nearby wood. Perhaps he takes refuge in a
holt, and is then bolted by the terriers. Anyway, if things go right, the
time comes when he can do no more, and he dies fighting on the shallows,
leaving his mark on nearly every hound. The huntsman at last gets the
pack to leave him, not using a whip, but pushing hounds off with knees,
hands, and pole, after which he slips the carcass under water for a
minute or two until he recovers his wind, and then carries it ashore.
There it is weighed, mask, pole, and pads are severed, the carcass is
slit up, and tossed to the eagerly expectant pack. "Hi, worry, worry,
worry," "Who-whoop! tear him and eat him." After blowing the "rattle,"
and cheering hounds to keep up the excitement, the various trophies are
distributed, and one's thoughts then turn in the direction of certain
bottles which are snugly reposing in a friend's car on the nearest
highway.
[Illustration: A Kill with the K. & D.O.H.
(_Copyright by Mrs. R. F. Lees, Blackpool_).
]
[Illustration: Hi, Worry, Worry!
(_Copyright by R. F. Lees, Blackpool_). _To face p. 102._
]
Early, or late in the season, when the weather is boisterous and the
water cold, it pays to hold up a few couples of hounds, reserving them
until the working pack has had about enough of it. Then at the right
moment, throw in your reserves and make a quick finish. This plan is
especially applicable to lake hunting, when hounds are continually
swimming in deep water.
When hounds are on a drag, or have put down their otter, the huntsman
should encourage them, cheering them on to any particular hound which has
made a hit, and the same when they mark solidly at a root. There is no
need to be noisy, but hounds work all the better for encouragement, and a
bit of excitement at a holt teaches young hounds to mark their otter. To
make a success of otter-hunting, or any other kind of hunting for that
matter, a man must use his brains, and to some extent call on his powers
of imagination.
A chapter on hunting is hardly complete without some mention of that
elusive mystery called scent, so a few words will be devoted to it here.
You get good and bad scenting days in otter-hunting just as you do
when hunting fox or hare, but the chase of the otter has the advantage
of being conducted both on land and water, and if scent is bad on the
latter, it may be quite the reverse if your otter takes to terra firma.
Sometimes it is good on both, though it may happen that an otter which
has been hustled about the woods or across country apparently gives off
little scent when he returns to the water. A bitch otter in cub, or one
with a young family, appears to often give off little or no scent, and
where hunting takes place on a river polluted by oil, or other foreign
matter, scent is generally conspicuous by its absence. Scent varies too
at different times of day. In the early morning, before the sun has
dispelled the dew, it is generally good, but dies away as the atmosphere
becomes warmer. When the sun begins to sink and the air becomes damp
again, scent is likely to freshen; while a shower of rain may affect it
in the same way. The vagaries of scent are impossible to foretell with
anything like certainty, and perhaps it is as well so, otherwise sport
would become too cut and dried, and would lose much of its interest on
that account.
Occasionally an otter takes refuge behind weiring or in some other
retreat, that necessitates pulling down a certain amount of the
obstruction before he can be evicted. In this case, permission from
the owner or tenant of the place should be obtained before beginning
operations. In the same way, should the owner or tenant object to the
presence of hounds on his land, always be civil, no matter what he
says, and take hounds away without any argument. The life of the sport
depends upon the existence of amicable relations between the Hunt and
the owners of the land which they cross. Although terriers can as a rule
bolt an otter if they can get to him, ferrets have been used for the
same purpose before to-day. Both otters and foxes have on occasion been
bolted from rabbit burrows during ferreting operations. In some countries
artificial drains or holts have been constructed for the use of otters,
but there is usually a good deal of uncertainty as to whether the otters
will take to such abodes. Where old drains run a long way into the land,
with possibly a number of branch drains, it is often wise to place iron
gratings at some distance from the mouth, in order to facilitate matters
when it comes to bolting an otter. As the great charm about otter-hunting
is its freedom from artificiality, _made_ holts or drains need hardly be
encouraged, except perhaps in extreme cases where there is no suitable
lying-up place for otters over a long stretch of water.
When hunting hounds, the Master will be assisted in the field by two
whippers-in, which may consist of the paid kennelman, and an amateur.
Their job is to keep hounds in check when necessary, prevent rioting,
if any, and keep in touch with the pack should hounds go off across
country with a screaming scent. Taking it for granted that the paid hand
knows his job, the amateur should be equally proficient. He must keep a
keen look out as he goes for signs of otters, as well as hidden drains,
etc., and he must know the names of all the hounds and their individual
idiosyncrasies, so as to tell instantly if they are inclined to riot, or
they show an inclination to mark at roots, or take a line away from the
river. Speaking broadly, the whippers-in prevent hounds going too fast
and outpacing the Master and the field, but it should be remembered that
hounds can be kept _too much_ in check, and by so doing they are balked
in their desire to hunt, as well as drive on when scenting conditions are
good. In fox or hare hunting, the huntsman's place is with his hounds,
whether they are drawing or running, and there appears to be no good
reason why an otter-huntsman should not "get a move on" when his hounds
push ahead on a hot drag, or drive along across country. It is quite
as necessary to run, and often run hard, with otterhounds, as to ride
hard with foxhounds, and the huntsman who takes his own time whilst
his whipper-in is bursting himself across country is surely lacking in
keenness.
Although otter-hunting does not call for as much quickness on the part
of the huntsman as fox-hunting, we still must confess we like to see
a huntsman of otterhounds show some agility when his hounds run fast.
This particularly applies to hunting in the north, where otters so often
cross steep watersheds. A great deal of valuable time is frequently lost,
simply because the huntsman prefers to take his own time, instead of
attempting to keep in close touch with hounds, and thus be on the spot
should they momentarily require his assistance. As far as the field are
concerned, it is their own fault if they are left behind when hounds
run. When travelling with hounds on the highway, however, the huntsman
and whippers-in should go at a reasonable pace, so as to give the field
a chance--particularly the ladies--to be there when hounds are put to
water. Racing ahead with hounds on the roads gets the pack into the habit
of pushing on when there is really no need for it, so a reasonable
walking pace should be aimed at.
When hounds have put their otter down, or "hit him abroad," to use an old
expression, and are swimming him, the huntsman should keep on the shallow
side of the river, more particularly if the farther bank is thickly
overgrown with willows or other cover. From the shallow side he has a
clear view of what his hounds are doing, and if it is necessary to pole
the farther bank if an otter persists in hanging there, he should ask one
of his whippers-in, or some experienced member of the field to do it for
him.
With regard to clothing and etceteras for otter-hunting, little need be
said here. Hunt uniforms are usually made of woollen serge material,
which dries quickly, and withstands a lot of rough usage. Shorts are
sometimes worn, but in our experience loose knickerbockers are much
preferable, particularly for hunt officials who may have to force their
way through briers or other undergrowth in the execution of their duty.
Bare knees and thorns do not associate well together, while breeches of
the semi-riding type are too tight-fitting, and retain water. Boots or
shoes should be well nailed to prevent slipping, preferably with soft,
wrought-iron hobs, which get a better grip on rocks than steel nails.
An iron-shod pole of ash or hazel--the latter is light yet strong--is
necessary for crossing deep or swift water, and in some districts as
an aid to jumping wide ditches and open drains. A pole shod with a
double-pronged spike is less liable to slip than one armed with a single
spike. Likewise a pole cut from the growing tree or sapling looks more
workmanlike than a "made" one, ornamented with a fancy metal head or
other embellishment. With regard to the whip, for use by Hunt officials,
one with a short lash is to be preferred, for it can be far more easily
cracked when the user is standing in water than a long-lashed affair.
The huntsman who cannot blow an ordinary horn without unnecessary
discords will be well advised to secure a reed-horn. Every call can be
sounded on this, with the exception of that "to call hounds away," and
for this quite a good substitute can be blown. When using the horn, he
should employ distinct calls, then both hounds and field know what he
means. Some huntsmen blow the same note all day long, and hounds take no
heed of it, while the monotonous sound gets on the nerves of the field.
Nowadays the otter-hunting season extends from April to September, but in
the fourteenth century it lasted from February to June.