Masters of Draghounds & Bloodhounds Association
The Masters of Draghounds and Bloodhounds Association (MDBA)
Representing draghound and bloodhound hunting in the British Isles.
The Sport
Draghunting Explained
What is Draghunting?
Draghunting is a legal and transparent sport: nothing is chased and nothing is caught. Whilst it is an historic sport dating back nearly 200 years, it was fully compliant with the Hunting Act, 2004 before it was enacted. The aim of draghunting is to test the speed and ability of hounds to follow a scent laid on a pre-determined route, as well as the courage and skill of riders and horses to follow them across country.
Draghunting Protocols
Draghunting deliberately does not seek to closely replicate pursuit of live quarry. Draghunts use an artificial, non-animal-based scent. The day may consist of three or more ‘lines’. Crucially, each of these routes do not start with draghounds drawing coverts, hedgerows or crop, whilst the predetermined lines avoid areas of vegetation or undergrowth in which live quarry may be found. The scent is quite distinguishable for the hounds, so they are unlikely to ‘switch’ onto anything else.
A draghunting day is always carefully planned and fully mapped from start to finish, normally using the Ordinance Survey app. Both the Huntsman and the Field Master know every detail of the day’s route, and of each line. Routes are planned in consultation with the relevant landowners and farm managers. The aim is to provide good sport while avoiding disruption to wildlife, livestock, or crops. There is a rest period for hounds, horses, and riders between each line.
The scent is normally laid by a runner, or occasionally from horseback or quadbike. The scent-layer is sent the Ordinance Survey routes and can follow them using either a printed map or the mobile app (with GPS), to ensure the scent is laid accurately. If there is any deviation from the planned line by hounds, the huntsman will be immediately aware, enabling hounds to be stopped and returned to the predetermined route. Runners routinely share their ‘live location’ by phone too, enabling the Field Master and Huntsman to track their progress.
The date, time and location of draghound meets are published well in advance on a draghound pack’s website. In addition, what3words locations are usually provided to show where foot or car followers can get the best views of both hounds working and horses following.
Bloodhound Hunting Explained
What is hunting the Clean Boot?
Hunting the Clean Boot is a fully legal sport recognised by all as the hunting of human runners with Bloodhounds. The runner or runners are called the Quarry; they do not lay a scent but rather the bloodhounds are hunting the natural scent given off by these runners. This type of hunting has been in existence for over 100 years and is becoming more and more popular.
Clean Boot Hunting Protocols
Clean boot hunting is a sport where bloodhounds hunt human runners that are following pre-determined lines set out on a map. The human runners are given the map in advance. With the aid of phone technology and satellite navigation, the map can easily be followed and tracked by the runner on the day.
Before any running or hunting, the runners usually meet the hounds to give them their scent. The runners then move to the agreed start place and run. The length of their head start depends on the weather, the type of ground and the condition of the runners!
The huntsman then brings his/her bloodhounds to the agreed start point and the hounds are laid on. They should then hunt ‘their’ runners to the finish of that line. Bloodhounds are tenacious and want to stick to the scent they are hunting.
The huntsman and whippers-in will know the route of the hunt, but there are still plenty of challenges along the way to keep them interested. Any areas that are sensitive or that hold wildlife can easily be avoided when the map is drafted.
There are usually several hunts per day ranging from a mile to 5 miles or more.
As the runner runs, they get hot and sweat. That sweat is a scent and is left behind the runners. Bloodhounds hunt that natural scent from the men and women running in front of them.
Bloodhound hunt meets are published on the hunts websites; all are welcome to come and watch.
The History
Draghounds
Drag Hunting packs make use of The English Foxhound, a breed with a long documented history. There is proof that Foxhounds were the very first canines in Great Britain to be scientifically bred.
By 1710 hounds were to be found in packs, carefully bred and at this time some of the hunts had changed to hunting the fox. Mr Charles Pelham later the first Lord Yarborough was the first to start keeping lists of hound pedigrees and ages.
Drag Hunts generally make use of the Modern English type bred for speed and persistence; they can be a mix of colours from black, tan & white to lemon and white, and pie spotted coats. They are large dogs, powerful in build with large bones.
The English Foxhound makes an excellent Drag Hound they are bold passionate hunters who love to follow a drag line and also to bay – there is nothing more thrilling (except perhaps the Bloodhounds voice) than to hear a pack of Foxhounds pick up the scent of the laid line and voice their excitement and enthusiasm. They are, of course, pack animals, who must be trained to work together, obey their huntsman and whipper-ins, their natural instinct to scent makes them ideal for drag hunting and they soon learn to work to the artificial scent that drag packs use to lay a line.
Bloodhounds
The Bloodhound is of more ancient origin but at the end of the 17th Century a quicker hound was required to hunt wild deer and people devoted to the chase, mainly members of the nobility and large landowners, began to breed for this purpose.
Its long ancestry traced from France in Medieval Times, when the name ‘Chien de Saint Hubert’ was given to hounds kept by the monks of St Hubert’s Abbey. In the Ardennes on the Belgium/France border these large game hounds of St Hubert and Talbot and the white Southern hound were crossed. These hounds were much sought after and from 1200 onwards the monks sent some of their black hounds to the King of France.
Over the centuries and with the decline of the aristocratic pursuit of hunting due to the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars there were effectively no St Huberts left in France, and elsewhere they had been so much crossed that they had altogether lost their character. Throughout the world breeds such as the American Coon Hounds, Swiss Jura Hounds, Brazilian Fila Brasileiro, Bavarian Mountain Hound and many others trace their lineage back to this ancient scent tracker.
The British Bloodhound first arrived with the Normans and these hounds became particularly popular in the Borders used by protecting property against poachers and cattle thieves. Indeed such were their numbers that a special levy was raised to support the large packs.
Today Bloodhounds are black and tan, or red. The Bloodhound possesses the keenest sense of smell of any other dog breed and can track scent that is many days old over considerable distances.
A report in the Times 16 January 2024
A Bloodhound gets frienlsy with its prey at a meet of the New Forest Hounds, Near Lyndhurst Hampshire. The Bloodhounds track the scent of volunteer runners - known as "Clean Boot Hunting" with the horses and riders following behind. The Runners spend some time with the hounds bfore setting off so they pick up their scent to be tracked along an eight to ten mile run.
Photo credit Pauljacobs/pictureexclusive.com
