Covert—A patch of woods or bushes were a fox might hide. Pronounced cover.
Cry—How one hound tells another what is happening. The sound will differ according to the various stages of the chase. It’s also called “giving tongue” and should occur when a hound is working a line.
Cub hunting—The informal hunting of young foxes in the late summer and early fall, before formal hunting. The main purpose is to enter young hounds into the pack. Until recently only the most knowledgeable members were invited to cub hunt, since they would not interfere with young hounds.
Dog fox—The male fox.
Dog hound—The male hound.
Double—A series of short, sharp notes blown on the horn to alert all that a fox is afoot. The “gone away” series of notes is a form of doubling the horn.
Draft—To acquire hounds from another hunt is to accept a draft.
Draw—The plan by which a fox is hunted or searched for in a certain area, like a covert.
Drive—The desire to push the fox, to get up with the line. It’s a very desirable trait in hounds, so long as they remain obedient.
Dwell—To hunt without getting forward. A hound who dwells is a bit of a putterer.
Enter—Hounds are entered into the pack when they first hunt, usually during cubbing season.
Field—The group of people riding to hounds, exclusive of the master and hunt stuff.
Field master—The person appointed by the master to control the field. Often it is the master him- or herself.
Fixture—A card sent to all dues-paying members, stating when and where the hounds will meet. A fixture card properly received is an invitation to hunt. This means the card would be mailed or handed to a member by the master.
Gone away—The call on the horn when the fox leaves the covert.
Gone to ground—A fox who has ducked into his den or some other refuge has gone to ground.
Good night—The traditional farewell to the master after the hunt, regardless of the time of day.
Gyp—Another term for a female hound.
Hilltopper—A rider who follows the hunt but does not jump. Hilltoppers are also called the “second field.” The jumpers are called the “first flight.”
Hoick—The huntsman’s cheer to the hounds. It is derived from the Latin hic haec hoc, which means “here.”
Hold hard—To stop immediately.
Huntsman—The person in charge of the hounds in the field and in the kennel.
Kennelman—A hunt staff member who feeds the hounds and cleans the kennels. In wealthy hunts there may be a number of kennelmen. In hunts with a modest budget, the huntsman or even the master cleans the kennels and feeds the hounds.
Lark—To jump fences unnecessarily when hounds aren’t running. Masters frown on this, since it is often an invitation to an accident.
Lift—To take the hounds from a lost scent in the hopes of finding a better scent farther on.
Line—The scent trail of the fox.
Livery—The uniform worn by the professional members of the hunt staff. Usually it is scarlet, but blue, yellow, brown, and gray are also used. The recent dominance of scarlet has to do with people buying coats off the rack as opposed to having tailors cut them. (When anything is mass-produced, the choices usually dwindle, and such is the case with livery.)
Mask—The fox’s head.
Meet—The site where the day’s hunting begins.
MFH—The master of foxhounds; the individual in charge of the hunt: hiring, firing, landowner relations, opening territory (in large hunts this is the job of the hunt secretary), developing the pack of hounds, determining the first cast of each meet. As in any leadership position, the master is also the lightning rod for criticism. The master may hunt the hounds, although this is usually done by a professional huntsman, who is also responsible for the hounds in the field and at the kennels. A long relationship between a master and a huntsman allows the hunt to develop and grow.
Nose—The scenting ability of a hound.
Override—To press hounds too closely.
Overrun—When hounds shoot past the line of scent. Often the scent has been diverted or foiled by a clever fox.
Ratcatcher—The informal dress worn during cubbing season and bye days.
Stern—A hound’s tail.
Stiff-necked fox—One who runs in a straight line.
Strike hounds—Those hounds who through keenness, nose, and often higher intelligence find the scent first and press it.
Tail hounds—Those hounds running at the rear of the pack. This is not necessarily because they aren’t keen; they may be older hounds.
Tally-ho—The cheer when the fox is viewed. Derived from the Norman ty a hillaut, thus coming into the English language in 1066.
Tongue—To vocally pursue the fox.
View halloo (Halloa)—The cry given by a staff member who views a fox. Staff may also say “tally-ho” or “tally-back” should the fox turn back. One reason a different cry may be used by staff, especially in territory where the huntsman can’t see the staff, is that the field in their enthusiasm may cheer something other than a fox.
Vixen—The female fox.
Walk—Puppies are “walked out” in the summer and fall of their first year. It’s part of their education and a delight for puppies and staff.
Whippers-in—Also called whips, these are the staff members who assist the huntsman, who make sure the hounds “do right.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
RITA MAE BROWN is the bestselling author of (among others) Rubyfruit Jungle, Six of One, Southern Discomfort, Outfoxed, and a memoir, Rita Will. She also collaborates with her tiger cat, Sneaky Pie, on the New York Times bestselling Mrs. Murphy mystery series. An Emmy-nominated screenwriter and poet, she lives in Afton, Virginia. She is master and huntsman of the Oak Ridge Foxhunt Club and is one of the directors of Virginia Hunt Week. She is also Visiting Faculty at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
Books by Rita Mae Brown
with “Sister” Jane Arnold in the Outfoxed series
Outfoxed
Hotspur
Full Cry
The Hunt Ball
Books by Rita Mae Brown with Sneaky Pie Brown
Wish You Were Here
Rest In Pieces
Murder At Montecello
Pay Dirt
Murder, She Meowed
Murder on the Prowl
Cat on the Scent
Sneaky Pie’s Cookbook for Mystery Lovers
Pawing Through the Past
Claws and Effects
Catch as Cat Can
Cat’s Eyewitness
Sour Puss
Books by Rita Mae Brown
The Hand That Cradles the Rock
Songs to a Handsome Woman