This year I am a member of Southampton University Agricultural Society, and yesterday I went Beagling with them. We joined the Purbeck and Bovington Beagles in Dorset, the pack that my friend Christina is a very active part of. They are a military pack and are kept in kennels within the Bovington barracks. They are no longer cared for by the military, although they do have a military pack leader as well as a civvy pack leader.
Beagling involves a pack of beagles, hunted in pairs, in this case usually hunted in groups of around 20. It is also caught by the Hunting Act 2004, and to be able to hunt legally they are allowed to exercise the hounds, hunt rabbits and set a drag trail. They are not allowed to hunt hares.
The day began at Holwell Manor, Dorset, which the hunts are kindly allowed to use to meet. Port, cocktail sausages and cake were handed around in traditional hunt meet fashion. This English tradition is carried on very much as it has always done, traditional dress and horns included.
We were following a drag hunt, although it was possible that they hounds would set off on a 'line' after a rabbit. It was off to a great start with the hounds running around the hill that we were stood on, allowing us to have a fantastic view. When they get the scent they set off in full cry, which is a haunting sound from the past, add in the traditional cries of the whips and it is truely a traditional country scene. I was slightly nervous that something would be caught by them as I love rabbits, and am not a big fan of blood but it turns out that that worry was very much unfounded. In fact we saw several hares running in the opposite direction without the beagles even being aware of them. Beagling is perhaps the more fun, and least effective type of hunting, but actually thats how I like it.
After an hour or so they disappeared over the hills on a line and left us to attempt to follow on foot, over and under fences, over ditches, it was possibly the most fun I have had recently. Just getting out of the city and to the fabulous Dorset countryside was fantastic. I'm a country girl at heart!
The day ended with some of Christina's lovely cake, after some drizzle, alot of walking and quite a bit of contemplating whether they would notice if we stole a beagle. I have to conclude that perhaps the old countryside pursuits are some of the best.
Wikipedia defination of Beagling
Beagling article
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