Whosoever would hunt the Hart at force must understand three secrets.

 

Chapter 14.

How a man should enter his young hounds to hunt the Hart, and of the quarries and rewards he shall give them. 

When the hunter has taught his hounds to know and believe the halloo, and the sound of his horn, then the gallopers, prickers and huntsmen on horseback seeing their hounds strong enough and about seventeen and eighteen months old, shall begin to enter and to teach them; and they shall have them a-field but once a week at the most, for fear lest they mar them, for hounds are never sufficiently knit in their joints and members until they be two years old at the least.

Above all things, whosoever would hunt the Hart at force must understand three secrets. 

The first is he never accustom his hounds to run a Hind, nor give them any quarry or reward thereof; because there is difference between the scent of a Hart and a Hind, as you may see by experience that hounds do oftentimes single one from the other. And yet hounds are of such a nature that the first beast a man doth enter them at they first take pleasure in and have been therewith rewarded; they do always remember it most, and thereby you may be sure if you give them rewards or bring them to the quarry of a Hind, they would desire it more than the Hart. 

The second secret is it is not good to enter young hounds within a toil, for there a Hart doth nothing but turn and cast about, since he cannot run endlong when the hounds are in manner always in sight of him, and if afterwards you should run a Hart - with dogs so entered - at force, and out of a toil, the Hart took endlong, eloygning himself from the hounds, they would quickly give him over; and yet there is another thing which doth more hurt unto such hounds as are entered into a toil, for if a Hart do turn two or three times before them, they take as well the country as the right track, breaking their course and putting themselves out of breath, and neither learn to hunt nor to quest, nor to do any other thing but raise up their heads still to see the Hart.

The third secret is you enter not your hounds, nor begin to teach them in the morning if you can choose, for if a man do first accustom them to the fresh of the morning, if afterwards they chance to hunt in the heat of the day, they will quickly give over; but you may enter them and reward them in this manner.

First, you ought to have regard the Hart be in prime of grease, because then he cannot so easily convey himself nor eloygne himself before the hounds, as he would in May or in April, because they are heavier then, and cannot stand up so long. Then, may you choose out a forest wherein the relays be of equal proportion, and for your purpose place all your young hounds together with four or five old hounds to enter them. Then, lead them to the furthest and last relay, and cause the Hart ti be hunted unto them with some good kennel of hounds which may keep him from resting or staying by the way, to the end that when he shall be arrived and come unto them, and waxes now eary and almost spent, you may uncouple your old hounds first, and when they have well beaten and found the track or scent of the Hart, being well entered in cry, you may also uncouple your young hounds, and halloo them into the old hounds. You must have three good prickers, or huntsmen on horseback at the least, to the end if there be any young hound which would carry or hang behind, being opinionate or musing and plodding by himself, the horsemen may beat him well and make him come into the rest.

You shall understand that in what place soever you kill the Hart, you ought to flay his neck and to reward your hounds there with upon the grass all hot as it is, for so it shall be much better and more delicate, and profitable for your hounds than when it is cold.

You may also reward them in another manner. Take a Hart in nets or stalls, and cleave or split one of his forefeet from the twist of the clease unto the joint of the foot, or else cut off one of his feet or clease altogether. Afterwards, untangle him from the net or stall, and let him go; a quarter of an hour after, you may bring all your young hounds and assemble them together, then take your Bloodhounds and with them find out the view or slot of the Hart or Buck, and follow them with your young hounds. When you have followed them a crossbow shot, you may then halloo and blow for your young hounds. That done, you may uncouple your young hounds from the old, that the old hounds may first lead them. You must have good prickers and huntsmen on horseback in the tail of them, to make them hold in and close.

Yet another way to bring your hounds to quarry and to reqard them, you must have four or six huntsmen that be good and swift of foot, for else they may rather hinder than further the hounds; and to everyone of these you may give two couple of hounds to lead in liames. When the hounds have unlodged the Hart, they may go fair and softly, and not weary their young hounds before the cry; then, when they shall perceive the Hart has run two good hours, and that he begins to sink before the hounds, they may cast off their young hounds, but they ought to have good regard that they cast them not off when he is at bay, especially when his head is full summed, for in that fury he would endanger them or kill them.

Mine opinion is the best entering of hounds is at the Hare, for that is their very best beginning, as much as thereby they shall learn all doubles and turns, as likewise to know and to come to the halloo; also, they become very tender nosed and perfect of scent by accustoming the beaten ways and champagne country. Afterwards, when a man would enter or teach them to the Hart, they will quickly forget and abandon the Hare.

Here must be noted that all hounds ought to be well acquainted with their prickers or huntsmen on horseback which shall follow them, and therefore it is requisite when the huntsmen shall give them reward and they make the quarry, the prickers and huntsmen on horseback be there present to make much of them, and to speak to them, to the end they may the better understand and know them.