Do read the books (I particularly recommend Hounds for a Pack), but maybe some ‘splainin’ on what to look for during your first hunt might be in order.
The pack is very much a team. A single hound, or even a few hounds, could find the line of the intended quarry- we’ll stick to fox here- but hunting by scent, at speed, is a very tricky thing indeed, and the fewer the hounds, the harder it is to keep track of that scent trail. In my experience, at least 12 couple of hounds (one counts them in couples so multiply by two and you know how many I’m talking about…12 and a half couple would obviously be 25!) is desired to find, and hunt, a fox for any meaningful length of time.
As a team, the pack has individuals with a variety of talents- some are better at finding the scent initially, some are better at following that scent at speed, but it is the ‘body’ of the pack that really counts for good sport. A too-fast hound will miss the point where the fox has changed direction, a steadier eddy in the middle of the pack will note that the leader has gone awry and will slow enough to puzzle out that turn in the trail. Hounds too slow on the whole- well, the scent will diminish in the tricky parts and they will lose their quarry more quickly than a pack that has the right speed.
For me, watching the hounds and the pack dynamics is what it’s all about. They do all have distinct traits, talents, and personalities. The macho young dog hound will say ‘hey, look at me, I found somethin’!’ The tried and true older hounds will be skeptical, and will check out Mr. Macho’s find for themselves before ‘honoring’ his voice. On the other hand, Mr. or Ms. Old Reliable Hound, who is ALWAYS right, needs only utter the slightest boo hoo and the ENTIRE pack will FLY to that point, trusting their colleague, and off they will go. Young Mr. Incompetent, who cannot find for himself, will get jealous of the success of others, and will cheat- cut a corner and get in front of the pack, so everyone thinks HE’s responsible for all the good fortune, but the pack, and more importantly, the huntsman, will know better, and that fellow will be scratched from the dance card. Liar Liar Pants On Fire will babble at ANY scent he/she comes across, fox or squirrel or turkey or skunk, and the pack will VERY quickly tune that one out as not worth the trouble. Marian the Librarian, the unspectacular, you wonder why she’s there piddling along, but- when no one else in the pack can find where that fox has gone, she puts on her glasses, does her detective work, and finds the unfindable, and away they go, again.
Of course the ‘leader of the pack’ is the huntsman- and a good one prepares the pack year 'round, and then gives them the freedom and trust to hunt with minimal interference. But- when they are well and truly stumped, his/her guidance puts them right, and they are eternally grateful. When he/she calls them off their quarry, they reluctantly comply, they trust him/her to take them where they can find another fox to hunt. If you stand two humans in a large yard at the kennels- the person who feeds them, and the person who takes them hunting, and then open the kennel door- they will stream toward the latter, every time.
Your first time out- pick out one hound, only one, recognize the coloring and pattern so you can keep track of that hound and note what he or she does throughout the day. It will give you a good introduction to the pack dynamics- and something to keep track of, which will relax you and your horse, and you’ll both have more fun.
