The Longacre Hunt goes out every other weekend from around September 1 through March something. But, from others posting about weekday hunts, I am beginning to suspect that other hunts are much more active. What about your hunt club?
Twice a week
From mid-september through March 31st. Wednesdays and one weekend day. Days are missed though due to weather, deer season, etc.
My beagle hunt also trys to go out twice a week. We usually get at least once accomplished.
Most hunts around where I live go out 3-4 times/week. Depends on the hunt though. Might also depend on how much territory each hunt has. I’ve been a member of two hunts and both go/went out 3-4 times/week, weather depending.
Do they go out during normal business hours? I would think that would really cut down on the number of attendees.
During the weekdays there is not a huge field, but it will vary between 10-30 members in the field during the week. During cubbing season, they usually meet at 7, 8, or 9, depending on the day, weather, etc., and then during hunting season they meet anywhere between 11-1 and stay out for a few hours. So yes, during regular business hours. And it does cut down on the field size, but there are still usually quite a few in the field.
3 days a week is the norm here in Virginia.
And ‘regular business hours’ barely applies when you’re talking about a field made of mostly professional horsemen + farmers and farmer types + kids ditching school + students + flex time workers + retired sorts + slackers of all natures. Sure weekday fields are smaller, but we use our ‘lesser’ fixtures for Tuesdays hunts so that is also a ‘reason’ for smaller groups.
In the pastwe’ve gone out 3 times a week. This year, due to the fuel costs, we’re cutting back to twice a week. It is wednesdays and Sundays with the occassional saturday tossed in.
“Lesser fixtures” meaning jumps that aren’t as good?
Do your hunts employee full-time on-site employees and hounds?
I am a member of a volunteer hunt. No paid staff. We hunt once a week on a Saturday. I am in the Bible belt and there is grumbling if hunts occur on Saturdays.
We hunt for a few hours and then we have tea for a few hours. Seems right to me:D
I think you meant grumbling if they are on Sundays (?).
“Tea”! Our tea consists of cold beer and wine!
I don’t know if our staff is volunteer or not, but there’s no one on our hunt land until the day of the hunt. Then the dogs and whips and huntmasters show up. I’m guessing that places that have multiple hunts per week don’t operate in that fashion.
The hunt I belong to goes out four times a week September through the middle of March. I do not hunt four times a week!
But I think I am so lucky to be in a hunt who does, and with such a varried fixture.
From the beginning of September until the end of March, we go out 3x/week. I love it! :)
We are in snowy New England so we have some spring hunting mid May and June but cubbing starts first week in August.
We hunt twice a week through the end of November.
You’d be surprised how foxhunters can makeover their work schedules to hunt mid week! Where there’s a will there’s a way:yes:
Some of the best hunting days are mid week, in the rain, when only staff and a few die hards show up to see the hounds work! It’s flasks all around:)
[QUOTE=Hunter’s Rest;3503519]
3 days a week is the norm here in Virginia.
And ‘regular business hours’ barely applies when you’re talking about a field made of mostly professional horsemen + farmers and farmer types + kids ditching school + students + flex time workers + retired sorts + slackers of all natures.[/QUOTE]
:lol:Funny stuff but spot on the truth.
Here in CA, we hunt 2-3 times per week from Nov. to Apr., averaging 40 hunts per year because of weather.
So do your hunts have staff and hounds that live on-site? Or does everyone show up on hunt day from somewhere else?
My hunts goes out 3x/week.
The hounds are at the kennels, and are brought by the huntsman with whatever horse he is using that day to the meet. The staff all have their own horses and trailer to the meet.
By ‘lesser meets’ I mean smaller territory-fixture or rougher terrain (not as well paneled or less gates and more ‘going around’ or whatever.) Just that the Tuesday fixtures tend to be territory we hunt less, and when we do, its on the ‘smaller’ day of Tuesday. Plenty of game, and its of course the same 'hood, just a different hopping off spot.
Re: ‘on site’ etc: Our huntsman and his wife-first whip live at the kennels, which is dead center of our ‘main’ territory. There are 2 dozen meets that are within hacking-home distance of the kennels (or running home, for those hounds that get lost during the day.) Of course the huntsman-whip-horses-hounds either just suit up and head out (if we meet at the actual kennels) or ship to the meet (all are within 10 miles of hte kennels). The 2 dozen near-ish the kennels they tend to hack back to hte meet and ship home, but if we end up hunting towards hte kennels of course they hack in and we proletariat face a daunting ride back to the trailers and the meet.
Re: food and drink - not near enough at my hunt for my taste. We of course do high holy days and scheduled fancy breakfasts that are carded, but rarely potluck tailgates, even just someone with a 12-pack adn some water bottles. I understand many hunts do that with regularity.
That said, though, the weekday hunts are mostly professionals (either pro. horsemen or pro. something else who’ve taken the morning off to hunt) so I suppose that explains the hunt-and-get-outta-there mindset. Weekend hunts are hte ones that often offer kibble afterwards. Those I especially like. :o)
Wow, that sounds like quite a hunt you belong to, Hunter’s Rest. 
All the hunts in Va. are like that. Mine’s great, but nuthin’ special 'round here …
“So do your hunts have staff and hounds that live on-site? Or does everyone show up on hunt day from somewhere else?”
We hunt seven or eight different territories but none are attached to the kennels. Our travel radius is up to 50 miles, by truck, from the kennels.
All our staff is voluntary and use their own horses.
The Huntsman brings hounds and horse to each meet.
We usually have a short “meeting of the minds” 1/2 hour before the hounds are released to go over our plans for the day’s hunting and landowner considerations etc. Then there are a few introductions and we are off.
Tailgate breakfasts follow all hunts during cubbing season. Pot Luck style.
When we start our formal season we have different members assigned to provide the breakfast after each hunt. Often two or three will team up to take on those provisions.
Our hounds do not wear radio collars but it is a common practice in several of the New England hunts.
