scent.

[neil cooney 10,415]

During the Winter three times a week I speak to two gentlemen who between them have 130 years of hunting between them. When I ask them if scent will be good they both usually give me the same answer.

"I don't know."

I wait 'till hounds find their first fox and then wait to see if scent is good. Then you might find it's good in covert but not in the open, or vice versa.

It might be good on grass but bad on stubble or plough.

Then when you think you have it sorted temperatures will change and scent will change. Often half an hour is enough for scent to go from good to bad, or vice versa.

A few weeks ago an ex-huntsman (one of the best) said to me pointing at a hedge. "when you can see the drop hanging on the twig, scent is bad."

Hounds screamed for an hour without a check.

So if a man of his experience can get it wrong what chance the rest of us ?

A brilliant subject with no right or wrong answer.

[alimac 882]

Moo im afraid your wrong, again. It was infact emmerdale,it must have been a thought prevoking episode as i also came across the thought of how similar you are to sam dingle, spookly similar

Weasle the foxs definatly seam to have the ability to suck up there scent when headed/shot at. I guess its the same as the vixen uses to reduce the amount of scent she amits through cubbing. So why do we think this is? Do they have the ability to switch off there scent glads and after being headed etc only leave a line from the vegitation / earth they disturb, hence the sudden failer of being able to take the line on as they had just a minute previous?

are you saying when vixens are cubbing they give less scent if so i then i think thats very interesting another survival instinct of old charlie boy/ girl.great thread by the way

I personally think the majority do. Theres no getting away from it there a bit of a mystery, a bit lik the scent i guess, maybe we should just give up

Any way keep it up, 4 pages and 40 odd replies and not a wanker in sight

[weasle 1,119]

Deer have a scent that even a non hunting dog would want to hunt,but from talking to old lads otters have a stronger scent again.Another usless peace of information.

[MUDD 374]

Deer have a scent that even a non hunting dog would want to hunt,but from talking to old lads otters have a stronger scent again.Another usless peace of information.

Useless but true my friend.

[neil cooney 10,415]

But then again the Otter was hunted in a very wet enviroment.

Another thing I've noticed is when you see a fox leaving covert at speed you can be sure scent is good. When he leaves with no hurry you can be sure scent is bad.

Like the hound the fox is a hunter and he himself needs scent. He knows when it's good or bad.

[paulus 26]

But then again the Otter was hunted in a very wet enviroment.

Another thing I've noticed is when you see a fox leaving covert at speed you can be sure scent is good. When he leaves with no hurry you can be sure scent is bad.

Like the hound the fox is a hunter and he himself needs scent. He knows when it's good or bad.

the old saying you can smell the fear springs to mind

[stop.end 4,079]

very good thread and some good theories and suggestions... weasel i liked your one about the deer lol.. ....now not a big hound man at all infact only ever worked with what you would call local boys packs consisting mostly of springer hound cross types....but surely if its the big mounted packs in england wales ireland ....when all hounds are kennelled surely as been said before every hound will have its own ondividual scent....then after a hard days graft of drawing fox and they all stink of fox they obviously still must be able to tell in the kennell who is who with even the scent of fox...so when hunting a fox for a while on a line say and another fox is distubed and say crosses the line of the already hunted fox and pack splits or they take a different line then maybe each fox has its own individual scent aswell...surely they cant all be the same..... :icon_redface:

[Hawkeye. 26]

I'm affraid that fox scent , like a woman's mind , are both mysteries destined never to be understood.

[paulus 26]

4 pages and all valid and sensible posts must be a record http://www.newton.de...00/zoo00769.htm

[francolin 449]

whats peoples veiw on scent regarding temp change,for example as a cold morning warms in temp does the scent get poorer,and for the lads up north,is scenting better over scree ect when weather conditions have left the fells wet,so the fox is moveing over damp stones/rock.

[fat man 4,740]

Often heard it said that the sun will burn up scent,i think damp murky weather is the better scenting conditions.

[dixiebop 125]

whats peoples veiw on scent regarding temp change,for example as a cold morning warms in temp does the scent get poorer,and for the lads up north,is scenting better over scree ect when weather conditions have left the fells wet,so the fox is moveing over damp stones/rock.

Heard it said,Stone doesn,t hold scent aswell,abit similar to pine woods,seems to kill ground scent,but you would think Hounds are using Air scent more in these areas,Maybe wrong,but a Hunt surely is a combination of both Ground & Air scent ?

[lunita 57]

you get so many different days windy days when scent dont stick days when they stay on in cover then loose it when out..its worth all those days when you get a great day and they stay on and work it well and the sound ..some people hunted (pre ban) to see foxes etc or for how many can kill but for me its always been watchin the hounds work a scent ..facinates me and great adrenaline rush on good day..really enjoying this thread and hope to learn few things

[francolin 449]

whats peoples veiw on scent regarding temp change,for example as a cold morning warms in temp does the scent get poorer,and for the lads up north,is scenting better over scree ect when weather conditions have left the fells wet,so the fox is moveing over damp stones/rock.

Heard it said,Stone doesn,t hold scent aswell,abit similar to pine woods,seems to kill ground scent,but you would think Hounds are using Air scent more in these areas,Maybe wrong,but a Hunt surely is a combination of both Ground & Air scent ?

defo a combination of ground and air dixiebop,such as hounds with heads up winding into cover,as for pine woods ect,not sure seen some good hunting in forestry blocks ,when scent as been good,think thats what makes it special its diff every time hounds are loosed,scent is unpredictable ,long may it remain that way

[skycat 6,172]

My two oldest lurchers (11 and 9 years old) have been hunting fox all their lives. They are more successful now than at any other time in their lives, and I put this down to being slower and steadier (plus more experienced) than when they were younger. They know how to use a combination of air and ground scent: fascinating to watch them. The other day a fox came out of cover and neither dog had seen it go, but the younger bitch got on to its line and followed it across grass, then gravel then mud: I know she followed the exact line because I saw the fox take that line. What was interesting was that the lurcher lost the line momentarily on the gravel, had to search around a bit, then probably got a bit of lingering air scent because she ran head up until she got to the mud before putting her nose down again. I didn't see what happened after that as she disappeared into a reed bed.

 

Foxes often double back to confuse dogs don't they. Seen them do that no end of time. It must take a special hound to work out what has happened in that case, if a fox is running its own heel line!