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98-498: First used in fox-hunting , it was adapted in the 19th century to describe some horse-drawn vehicles and in the 20th century to advise of enemy aircraft and space junk. Tally-ho dates from around 1772, and is probably derived from the French taïaut , a cry used to excite hounds when hunting deer. Taïaut may have originated in the second half of the 13th century by the concatenation of a two-word war-cry: taille haut , where " taille "

196-524: A category ( Data Deficient ). The species as a whole, however, is listed as least concern . However, this was based on the traditional classification of red deer as one species ( Cervus elaphus ), including the wapiti. The common red deer is also known as simply red deer. Selected members of the red deer species group are listed in the table below. Of the ones listed, C. e. hippelaphus and C. e. scoticus may be junior synonyms . Mature red deer ( C. elaphus ) usually stay in single-sex groups for most of

294-438: A distinctive roar during the rut, which is an adaptation to forested environments, in contrast to male American elk stags which "bugle" during the rut in adaptation to open environments. The male deer roars to keep his harem of females together. The females are initially attracted to those males that both roar most often and have the loudest roar call. Males also use the roar call when competing with other males for females during

392-421: A greyish-brown coat with a darker yellowish rump patch in the winter. By the time summer begins, the heavy winter coat has been shed; the animals are known to rub against trees and other objects to help remove hair from their bodies. Red deer have different colouration based on the seasons and types of habitats, with grey or lighter colouration prevalent in the winter and more reddish and darker coat colouration in

490-824: A law banning the activity in England and Wales came into force. A ban on hunting in Scotland had been passed in 2002, but it continues to be within the law in Northern Ireland and several other jurisdictions, including Australia , Canada , France , Ireland and the United States . The sport is controversial, particularly in the United Kingdom. Proponents of fox hunting view it as an important part of rural culture and useful for reasons of conservation and pest control , while opponents argue it

588-687: A pair sent by Lord Petre in 1851 from his herd at Thorndon Park , Essex, to the South Island, but the hind was shot before they had a chance to breed. Lord Petre sent another stag and two hinds in 1861, and these were liberated near Nelson , from where they quickly spread. The first deer to reach the North Island were a gift to Sir Frederick Weld from Windsor Great Park and were released near Wellington ; these were followed by further releases up to 1914. Between 1851 and 1926, 220 separate liberations of red deer involved over 800 deer. In 1927,

686-414: A population decline. The red deer is the fourth-largest extant deer species, behind the moose , elk , and sambar deer . It is a ruminant, eating its food in two stages and having an even number of toes on each hoof, like camels , goats , and cattle . European red deer have a relatively long tail compared with their Asian and North American relatives. Subtle differences in appearance are noted between

784-521: A short neck mane during the autumn. The male deer of the British Isles and Norway tend to have the thickest and most noticeable manes. Male Caspian red deer ( C. e. maral ) and Spanish red deer ( C. e. hispanicus ) do not carry neck manes. Male deer of all subspecies, however, tend to have stronger and thicker neck muscles than female deer, which may give them an appearance of having neck manes. Red deer hinds (females) do not have neck manes. Only

882-607: A significant road traffic hazard. In Argentina and Chile, the red deer has had a potentially adverse impact on native animal species, such as the South Andean deer or huemul ; the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources has labelled the animal as one of the world's 100 worst invaders. Red deer in Europe generally spend their winters at lower altitudes in more wooded terrain. During

980-617: A similar period in response to a State government bounty. The Adelaide Hunt Club traces its origins to 1840, just a few years after the colonization of South Australia . Fox hunting is prohibited in Great Britain by the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 and the Hunting Act 2004 (England and Wales), passed under the prime ministership of Tony Blair , but remains legal in Northern Ireland . The passing of

1078-481: A wide variety of horse and pony types. Draft and Thoroughbred crosses are commonly used as hunters, although purebred Thoroughbreds and horses of many different breeds are also used. Some hunts with unique territories favour certain traits in field hunters; for example, when hunting coyote in the western US, a faster horse with more stamina is required to keep up, as coyotes are faster than foxes and inhabit larger territories. Hunters must be well-mannered, have

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1176-670: Is cruel and unnecessary. The use of scenthounds to track prey dates back to Assyrian , Babylonian , and ancient Egyptian times, and was known as venery . Many Greek- and Roman-influenced countries have long traditions of hunting with hounds. Hunting with Agassaei hounds was popular in Celtic Britain , even before the Romans arrived, introducing the Castorian and Fulpine hound breeds which they used to hunt. Norman hunting traditions were brought to Britain when William

1274-445: Is about 95 to 130 cm (37 to 51 in). In Scotland , stags average 201 cm (79 in) in head-and-body length and 122 cm (48 in) high at the shoulder and females average 180 cm (71 in) long and 114 cm (45 in) tall. Based on body mass, they are likely the fourth largest extant deer species on average, behind the moose , the elk and the sambar deer . Size varies in different subspecies with

1372-503: Is also one pack of beagles in Virginia that hunt foxes. They are unique in that they are the only hunting beagle pack in the US to be followed on horseback. English Foxhounds are also used for hunting mink . Hunts may also use terriers to flush or kill foxes that are hiding underground, as they are small enough to pursue the fox through narrow earth passages. This is not practised in

1470-543: Is also variously known as a Tod (old English word for fox), Reynard (the name of an anthropomorphic character in European literature from the twelfth century), or Charlie (named for the Whig politician Charles James Fox ). American red foxes tend to be larger than European forms, but according to foxhunters' accounts, they have less cunning, vigour and endurance in the chase than European foxes. Other species than

1568-433: Is faster than a fox, running at 65 km/h (40 mph) and also wider ranging, with a territory of up to 283 square kilometres (109 sq mi), so a much larger hunt territory is required to chase it. However, coyotes tend to be less challenging intellectually, as they offer a straight line hunt instead of the convoluted fox line. Coyotes can be challenging opponents for the dogs in physical confrontations, despite

1666-509: Is growing, it is covered with highly vascular skin called velvet , which supplies oxygen and nutrients to the growing bone. The antlers are testosterone -driven and as the stag's testosterone levels drop in the autumn, the velvet is shed and the antlers stop growing. With the approach of autumn, the antlers begin to calcify and the stags' testosterone production builds for the approaching rut (mating season). European red deer antlers are distinctive in being rather straight and rugose , with

1764-409: Is needed for the hounds to take the scent. Unlike the red fox which, during the chase, will run far ahead from the pack, the gray fox will speed toward heavy brush, thus making it more difficult to pursue. Also unlike the red fox, which occurs more prominently in the northern United States, the more southern gray fox is rarely hunted on horseback, due to its densely covered habitat preferences. Hunts in

1862-577: Is one pack of foxhounds in Portugal, and one in India. Although there are 32 packs for the hunting of foxes in France, hunting tends to take place mainly on a small scale and on foot, with mounted hunts tending to hunt red or roe deer, or wild boar. In Portugal fox hunting is permitted (Decree-Law no. 202/2004) but there have been popular protests and initiatives to abolish it. A petition was handed over to

1960-514: Is the cutting edge of a sword and " haut " means high or 'raised up'. So the original meaning might be something close to "Swords up!". The cry was made by the huntsman on catching sight of the fox to alert other members of the hunt. It has been used in similar circumstances for quite different quarries: It was used by RAF fighter pilots in the Second World War to tell their controller they were about to engage enemy aircraft. It

2058-460: Is the practice of many hunts not to actually kill the fox (the red fox is not regarded as a significant pest). Some hunts may go without catching a fox for several seasons, despite chasing two or more foxes in a single day's hunting. Foxes are not pursued once they have "gone to ground" (hidden in a hole). American fox hunters undertake stewardship of the land, and endeavour to maintain fox populations and habitats as much as possible. In many areas of

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2156-417: Is used with all but the most determined of predators with great effectiveness. Aside from humans and domestic dogs, the grey wolf is probably the most dangerous predator European red deer encounter. Occasionally, the brown bear will prey on European red deer. Red deer are widely depicted in cave art found throughout European caves, with some of the artwork dating from as early as 40,000 years ago, during

2254-629: Is usually undertaken with a pack of scent hounds , and, in most cases, these are specially bred foxhounds . These dogs are trained to pursue the fox based on its scent . The two main types of foxhound are the English Foxhound and the American Foxhound . It is possible to use a sight hound such as a Greyhound or lurcher to pursue foxes, though this practice is not common in organised hunting, and these dogs are more often used for coursing animals such as hares . There

2352-538: Is widely considered to be both flavourful and nutritious. It is higher in protein and lower in fat than either beef or chicken . The red deer can produce 10 to 15 kg (20 to 35 lb) of antler velvet annually. On ranches in New Zealand , China , Siberia , and elsewhere, this velvet is collected and sold to markets in East Asia, where it is used for holistic medicines , with South Korea being

2450-522: The Atlas Mountains of Northern Africa ; being the only living species of deer to inhabit Africa. Red deer have been introduced to other areas, including Australia , New Zealand , the United States , Canada , Peru , Uruguay , Chile and Argentina . In many parts of the world, the meat ( venison ) from red deer is used as a food source. The red deer is a ruminant , characterized by a four-chambered stomach. Genetic evidence indicates that

2548-534: The First Field, that takes a more direct but demanding route that involves jumps over obstacles while another group, the Second Field (also called Hilltoppers or Gaters ), takes longer but less challenging routes that utilise gates or other types of access on the flat. In Great Britain, since the introduction of the hunting ban, a number of hunts have employed falconers to bring birds of prey to

2646-640: The State Forest Service introduced a bounty for red deer shot on their land, and in 1931, government control operations were commenced. Between 1931 and March 1975, 1,124,297 deer were killed on official operations. The introduced red deer have adapted well and are widely hunted on both islands; many of the 220 introductions used deer originating from Scotland ( Invermark ) or one of the major deer parks in England, principally Warnham, Woburn Abbey or Windsor Great Park. Some hybridisation happened with

2744-595: The Upper Paleolithic . Siberian cave art from the Neolithic of 7,000 years ago has abundant depictions of red deer, including what can be described as spiritual artwork, indicating the importance of this mammal to the peoples of that region (Note: these animals were most likely wapiti ( C. canadensis ) in Siberia, not red deer). Red deer are also often depicted on Pictish stones ( circa 550–850 AD), from

2842-416: The mammals exhibiting homosexual behavior . Dominant stags urinate on themselves and follow groups of hinds during the rut, from August into early winter. The stags may have as many as 20 hinds to keep from other, less attractive males. Only mature stags hold harems (groups of hinds), and breeding success peaks at about eight years of age. Stags two to four years old rarely hold harems and spend most of

2940-469: The "throw back" top tines of the North American elk ( C. canadensis ), known as maraloid characteristics. A stag can (exceptionally) have antlers with no tines, and is then known as a switch. Similarly, a stag that does not grow antlers is a hummel. European red deer tend to be reddish-brown in their summer coats, and some individuals may have a few spots on the backs of their summer coats. During

3038-481: The 125 miles (201 km) between London and Birmingham from 1823. The coach was operated by Sarah Mountain . Other fast coaches began to use the same name and it became a common description of a fast coach. In the United States, "tally-ho" can describe a large coach or a light passenger vehicle without roof or sides used for sight-seeing. Fox-hunting Fox hunting is an activity involving

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3136-680: The Assembly of the Republic on 18 May 2017 and the parliamentary hearing held in 2018. In Canada, the Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America lists seven registered hunt clubs in the province of Ontario, one in Quebec, and one in Nova Scotia. Ontario issues licenses to registered hunt clubs, authorizing its members to pursue, chase or search for fox, although the primary target of

3234-601: The British Deer Society records the red deer as having continued to expand their range in England and Wales since 2000, with expansion most notable in the Midlands and East Anglia . Caspian red deer are found in the Hyrcanian Forests . In New Zealand , red deer were introduced by acclimatisation societies along with other deer and game species. The first red deer to reach New Zealand were

3332-705: The Caspian red deer or those of the Carpathian Mountains, may rival North American elk in size. Female red deer are much smaller than their male counterparts. The male (stag) red deer is typically 175 to 250 cm (69 to 98 in) long from the nose to the base of the tail and typically weighs 160 to 240 kg (350 to 530 lb); the female (hind) is 160 to 210 cm (63 to 83 in) long and often weighs 120 to 170 kg (260 to 370 lb). The tail adds another 12 to 19 cm ( 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 7 + 1 ⁄ 2  in) and shoulder height

3430-581: The Conqueror arrived, along with the Gascon and Talbot hounds. Foxes were referred to as beasts of the chase by medieval times, along with the red deer ( hart & hind), martens , and roes , but the earliest known attempt to hunt a fox with hounds was in Norfolk , England, in 1534, where farmers began chasing foxes down with their dogs for the purpose of pest control. The last wolf in England

3528-534: The Eastern seaboard of North America for hunting. The first organised hunt for the benefit of a group (rather than a single patron) was started by Thomas, sixth Lord Fairfax in 1747. In the United States, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both kept packs of foxhounds before and after the American Revolutionary War . In Australia, the European red fox was introduced solely for

3626-464: The Hunting Act came into force, both by the hunts (through lawful methods) and landowners, and that more people were hunting with hounds (although killing foxes had become illegal). Tony Blair wrote in A Journey , his memoirs published in 2010, that the Hunting Act of 2004 is 'one of the domestic legislative measures I most regret'. In America, fox hunting is also called "fox chasing", as it

3724-439: The Hunting Act in England and Wales, only Masters and Hunt Servants tend to wear red coats or the hunt livery whilst out hunting. Gentleman subscribers tend to wear black coats, with or without hunt buttons. In some countries, women generally wear coloured collars on their black or navy coats. These help them stand out from the rest of the field. The traditional red coats are often misleadingly called "pinks". Various theories about

3822-671: The Hunting Act was notable in that it was implemented through the use of the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 , after the House of Lords refused to pass the legislation, despite the Commons passing it by a majority of 356 to 166. After the ban on fox hunting, hunts in Great Britain switched to legal alternatives, such as drag hunting and trail hunting . The Hunting Act 2004 also permits some previously unusual forms of hunting wild mammals with dogs to continue, such as "hunting... for

3920-938: The Norwich Staghounds only hunted hinds (female red deer), and in 1950, at least eight hinds (some of which may have been pregnant) were known to be at large near Kimberley and West Harling ; they formed the basis of a new population based in Thetford Forest in Norfolk . Further substantial red deer herds originated from escapes or deliberate releases in the New Forest , the Peak District , Suffolk , Lancashire , Brecon Beacons , and North Yorkshire , as well as many other smaller populations scattered throughout England and Wales , and they are all generally increasing in numbers and range. A census of deer populations in 2007 and again in 2011 coordinated by

4018-623: The UK, indigenous populations occur in Scotland , the Lake District , and the south west of England (principally on Exmoor ). Not all of these are of entirely pure bloodlines, as some of these populations have been supplemented with deliberate releases of deer from parks, such as Warnham or Woburn Abbey , in an attempt to increase antler sizes and body weights. The University of Edinburgh found that, in Scotland, extensive hybridisation with

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4116-583: The US and 11 in Canada In some arid parts of the Western United States , where foxes in general are more difficult to locate, coyotes are hunted and, in some cases, bobcats . The other main countries in which organized fox hunting with hounds is practised are Ireland (which has 41 registered packs), Australia, France (this hunting practice is also used for other animals such as deer, wild boar, fox, hare or rabbit), Canada and Italy. There

4214-437: The United States each have a Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA) which consists of current and past masters of foxhounds. This is the governing body for all foxhound packs and deals with disputes about boundaries between hunts, as well as regulating the activity. Mounted hunt followers typically wear traditional hunting attire. A prominent feature of hunts operating during the formal hunt season (usually November to March in

4312-457: The United States, as once the fox has gone to ground and is accounted for by the hounds, it is left alone. The horses , called " field hunters " or hunters, ridden by members of the field, are a prominent feature of many hunts, although others are conducted on foot (and those hunts with a field of mounted riders will also have foot followers). Horses on hunts can range from specially bred and trained field hunters to casual hunt attendees riding

4410-608: The aristocratic or poaching communities, and a licence was needed to sell it legally, but it is now widely available in supermarkets, especially in the autumn. The Queen followed the custom of offering large pieces of venison to members of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom and others. Some estates in the Scottish Highlands still sell deer-stalking accompanied by a gillie in the traditional way, on unfenced land, while others operate more like farms for venison. Venison

4508-473: The athletic ability to clear large obstacles such as wide ditches, tall fences, and rock walls, and have the stamina to keep up with the hounds. In English foxhunting, the horses are often a cross of half or a quarter Irish Draught and the remainder English thoroughbred. Dependent on terrain, and to accommodate different levels of ability, hunts generally have alternative routes that do not involve jumping. The field may be divided into two groups, with one group,

4606-513: The autumn, all red deer subspecies grow thicker coats of hair, which helps to insulate them during the winter. Autumn is also when some of the stags grow their neck manes. The autumn/winter coats of most subspecies are most distinct. The Caspian red deer's winter coat is greyer and has a larger and more distinguished light rump-patch (like wapiti and some central Asian red deer) compared with the Western European red deer, which has more of

4704-447: The ban on fox hunting in Great Britain, hunts switched to legal alternatives in order to preserve their traditional practices, although some hunt supporters had previously claimed this would be impossible and that hound packs would have to be destroyed. Most hunts turned, primarily, to trail hunting, which anti-hunt organisations claim is just a smokescreen for illegal hunting. Some anti-hunting campaigners have urged hunts to switch to

4802-517: The ban, "The aristocrats were understandably furious, but they could do nothing about the ban given the totalitarian nature of the regime." According to the Masters of Foxhounds Association of America , Englishman Robert Brooke was the first man to import hunting hounds to what is now the United States, bringing his pack of foxhounds to Maryland in 1650, along with his horses. Also around this time, numbers of European red foxes were introduced into

4900-719: The beginning of the Middle Pleistocene around 800,000 years ago. These earliest forms belonged to the palaeosubspecies Cervus elaphus acoronatus . Other palaeosubspecies are known, including those belonging to C. elaphus rianensis from the Middle Pleistocene of Italy, C. elaphus siciliae from the late Middle and Late Pleistocene of Sicily. The International Union for Conservation of Nature originally listed nine subspecies of red deer ( Cervus elaphus ): three as endangered , one as vulnerable , one as near threatened , and four without enough data to give

4998-503: The closely related American elk ( Cervus canadensis nelsoni ) introduced in Fiordland in 1921. Along with the other introduced deer species, they are, however, officially regarded as a noxious pest and are still heavily culled using professional hunters working with helicopters, or even poisoned. The first red deer to reach Australia were probably the six that Prince Albert sent in 1860 from Windsor Great Park to Thomas Chirnside, who

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5096-402: The closely related sika deer has occurred. Several other populations have originated either with "carted" deer kept for stag hunts being left out at the end of the hunt, escapes from deer farms, or deliberate releases. Carted deer were kept by stag hunts with no wild red deer in the locality and were normally recaptured after the hunt and used again; although the hunts are called "stag hunts",

5194-768: The continent in the Atlas Mountains. As of the mid-1990s, Morocco , Tunisia , and Algeria were the only African countries known to have red deer. In the Netherlands, a large herd (about 3000 animals counted in late 2012) lives in the Oostvaardersplassen , a nature reserve . Ireland has its own unique subspecies. In France, the population is thriving, having multiplied five-fold in the last half-century, increasing from 30,000 in 1970 to around 160,000 in 2014. The deer has particularly expanded its footprint into forests at higher altitudes than before. In

5292-423: The cub-hunting season in Great Britain. Cub hunting is now illegal in Great Britain, although anti-hunt associations maintain that the practice continues. As a social ritual, participants in a fox hunt fill specific roles, the most prominent of which is the master, who often number more than one and then are called masters or joint masters. These individuals typically take much of the financial responsibility for

5390-532: The derivation of this term have been given, ranging from the colour of a weathered scarlet coat to the name of a purportedly famous tailor. Red deer The red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart , and a female is called a doe or hind . The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia , Iran , and parts of western Asia . It also inhabits

5488-409: The early medieval period in Scotland, usually as prey animals for human or animal predators. In medieval hunting , the red deer was the most prestigious quarry, especially the mature stag, which in England was called a hart . Red deer are held in captivity for a variety of reasons. The meat of the deer, called venison , was until recently restricted in the United Kingdom to those with connections to

5586-466: The early releases, but South Australia's population, along with all others, is now largely recent farm escapees. This is having adverse effects on the integrity of wild herds, as now more and larger herds are being grown due to the superior genetics that have been attained by selective breeding. Wild red deer are a feral pest species in Australia, do considerable harm to the natural environment, and are

5684-573: The eastern United States the coyote, a natural predator of the red and grey fox, is becoming more prevalent and threatens fox populations in a hunt's given territory. In some areas, coyote are considered fair game when hunting with foxhounds, even if they are not the intended species being hunted. In 2013, the Masters of Foxhounds Association of North America listed 163 registered packs in the US and Canada. This number does not include non-registered (also known as "farmer" or "outlaw") packs. Baily's Hunting Directory Lists 163 foxhound or draghound packs in

5782-491: The eighteenth century when Hugo Meynell developed breeds of hound and horse to address the new geography of rural England. In Germany, hunting with hounds (which tended to be deer or boar hunting) was first banned on the initiative of Hermann Göring on 3 July 1934. In 1939, the ban was extended to cover Austria after Germany's annexation of the country. Bernd Ergert, the director of Germany's hunting museum in Munich, said of

5880-495: The established sport of drag hunting instead, as this involves significantly less risk of wild animals being accidentally caught and killed. A controversial alternative to hunting animals with hounds. A trail of animal urine (most commonly fox ) is laid in advance of the 'hunt', and then tracked by the hound pack and a group of followers; on foot, horseback, or both. Because the trail is laid using animal urine, and in areas where such animals naturally occur, hounds often pick up

5978-477: The first successful one. There may be several more matings before the stag will seek out another mate in his harem. Females in their second autumn can produce one or very rarely two offspring per year. The gestation period is 240 to 262 days, and the offspring weigh about 15 kg (35 lb). After two weeks, calves are able to join the herd and are fully weaned after two months. The offspring will remain with their mothers for almost one full year, leaving around

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6076-616: The fourth and fifth tines forming a "crown" or "cup" in larger males. Any tines in excess of the fourth and fifth tines grow radially from the cup, which are generally absent in the antlers of smaller red deer, such as Corsican red deer. Western European red deer antlers feature "bez" (second) tines that are either absent or smaller than the brow tines. However, bez tines occur frequently in Norwegian red deer. Antlers of Caspian red deer carry large bez tines and form less-developed cups than western European red deer, their antlers are thus more like

6174-413: The fox and the riders follow, by the most direct route possible. This may involve very athletic skill on the part of horse and rider, and fox hunting has given birth to some traditional equestrian sports including steeplechase and point-to-point racing . The hunt continues until either the fox goes to ground (evades the hounds and takes refuge in a burrow or den) or is overtaken and usually killed by

6272-634: The head ( mask ) as trophies, with the carcass then thrown to the hounds. Both of these practices were widely abandoned during the nineteenth century, although isolated cases may still have occurred to the modern day. In the autumn of each year, hunts accustom the young hounds, which by now are full-size, but not yet sexually mature, to hunt and kill foxes through the practice of cubbing (also called cub hunting , autumn hunting and entering ). Cubbing also aims to teach hounds to restrict their hunting to foxes, so that they do not hunt other species such as deer or hares. The activity sometimes incorporates

6370-409: The hounds are put, or cast , into a patch of woods or brush where foxes are known to lay up during daylight hours; known as a covert (pronounced "cover"). If the pack manages to pick up the scent of a fox, they will track it for as long as they are able. Scenting can be affected by temperature, humidity, and other factors. If the hounds lose the scent, a check occurs. The hounds pursue the trail of

6468-401: The hounds. Social rituals are important to hunts, although many have fallen into disuse. One of the most notable was the act of blooding . In this ceremony, the master or huntsman would smear the blood of the fox onto the cheeks or forehead of a newly initiated hunt-follower, often a young child. Another practice of some hunts was to cut off the fox's tail ( brush ), the feet ( pads ) and

6566-577: The hunt, due to the exemption in the Hunting Act for falconry. Many experts, such as the Hawk Board, deny that any bird of prey can reasonably be used in the British countryside to kill a fox which has been flushed by (and is being chased by) a pack of hounds. The main hunting season usually begins in early November, in the northern hemisphere, and in May in the southern hemisphere. A hunt begins when

6664-560: The hunts is coyotes. The red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) is the normal prey animal of a fox hunt in the US and Europe. A small omnivorous predator , the fox lives in burrows called earths, and is predominantly active around twilight (making it a crepuscular animal). Adult foxes tend to range around an area of between 5 and 15 square kilometres ( 2–6 square miles ) in good terrain, although in poor terrain, their range can be as much as 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi). The red fox can run at up to 48 km/h (30 mph). The fox

6762-459: The largest, the huge but small-antlered deer of the Carpathian Mountains ( C. e. elaphus ), weighing up to 500 kg (1,100 lb). At the other end of the scale, the Corsican red deer ( C. e. corsicanus ) weighs about 80 to 100 kg (180 to 220 lb), although red deer in poor habitats can weigh as little as 53 to 112 kg (120 to 250 lb). The males of many subspecies also grow

6860-402: The northern hemisphere) is hunt members wearing 'colours'. This attire usually consists of the traditional red coats worn by huntsmen, masters, former masters, whippers-in (regardless of sex), other hunt staff members and male members who have been invited by masters to wear colours and hunt buttons as a mark of appreciation for their involvement in the organization and running of the hunt. Since

6958-479: The objectives of fox hunting is to control fox populations, cubbing is a highly effective way of reaching this as more than one fox could be killed in a covert. Cubbing is also an effective way of dispersing fox populations. Young hounds which do not show sufficient aptitude may be killed by their owners or drafted to other packs, including minkhound packs. The Burns Inquiry , established in 1999, reported that an estimated 10,000 fox cubs were killed annually during

7056-502: The overall management of the sporting activities of the hunt, along with the care and breeding of the hunt's foxhounds as well as control and direction of its paid staff. In addition to members of the hunt staff, a committee may run the Hunt Supporters Club to organise fundraising and social events and in the United States many hunts are incorporated and have parallel lines of leadership. The United Kingdom, Ireland, and

7154-429: The practice of holding up ; where hunt supporters, riders and foot followers surround a covert and drive back foxes attempting to escape, before then drawing the covert with the young hounds and some more experienced hounds, allowing them to find and kill foxes within the surrounded covert. A young hound is considered to be entered into the pack once they have successfully joined in a hunt of this fashion. Since one of

7252-793: The primary consumer. In Russia , a medication produced from antler velvet is sold under the brand name Pantokrin ( Russian : Пантокри́н ; Latin : Pantocrinum ). The antlers themselves are also believed by East Asians to have medicinal purposes and are often ground up and used in small quantities. Historically, related deer species such as Central Asian red deer , wapiti, Thorold's deer , and sika deer have been reared on deer farms in Central and Eastern Asia by Han Chinese , Turkic peoples , Tungusic peoples , Mongolians , and Koreans . In modern times, western countries such as New Zealand and United States have taken to farming European red deer for similar purposes. Deer hair products are also used in

7350-509: The purpose of enabling a bird of prey to hunt the wild mammal". Opponents of hunting, such as the League Against Cruel Sports , claim that some of these alternatives are a smokescreen for illegal hunting or a means of circumventing the ban. Hunting support group Countryside Alliance said in 2006 that there was anecdotal evidence that the number of foxes killed by hunts (unintentionally) and farmers had increased since

7448-519: The purpose of fox hunting in 1855. Native animal populations have been very badly affected, with the extinction of at least 10 species attributed to the spread of foxes. Fox hunting with hounds is mainly practised in the east of Australia. In the state of Victoria there are thirteen hunts, with more than 1000 members between them. Fox hunting with hounds results in around 650 foxes being killed annually in Victoria, compared with over 90,000 shot over

7546-534: The red deer, as traditionally defined, is a species group , rather than a single species, though exactly how many species the group includes remains disputed. The ancestor of the red deer probably originated in central Asia. Although at one time red deer were rare in parts of Europe, they were never close to extinction. Reintroduction and conservation efforts, such as in the United Kingdom and Portugal, have resulted in an increase of red deer populations, while other areas, such as North Africa, have continued to show

7644-564: The red fox may be the quarry for hounds in some areas. The choice of quarry depends on the region and numbers available. The coyote ( Canis latrans ) is a significant quarry for many Hunts in North America, particularly in the west and southwest, where there are large open spaces. The coyote is an indigenous predator that did not range east of the Mississippi River until the latter half of the twentieth century. The coyote

7742-445: The remaining members eat and rest. After the rut, females form large herds of up to 50 individuals. The newborn calves are kept close to the hinds by a series of vocalizations between the two, and larger nurseries have an ongoing and constant chatter during the daytime hours. When approached by predators, the largest and most robust females may make a stand, using their front legs to kick at their attackers. Guttural grunts and posturing

7840-422: The route can be tailored to keep hounds away from sensitive areas known to be populated by animals which could be confused for prey. Similar to drag hunting, but in the form of a race; usually of around 10 miles (16 km) in length. Unlike other forms of hunting, the hounds are not followed by humans. Clean boot hunting uses packs of bloodhounds to follow the natural trail of a human's scent. Fox hunting

7938-400: The rut on the periphery of larger harems, as do stags over 11 years old. Young and old stags that do acquire a harem hold it later in the breeding season than those stags in their prime. Harem-holding stags rarely feed and lose up to 20% of their body weight. Stags that enter the rut in poor condition are less likely to make it through to the peak conception period. Male European red deer have

8036-399: The rut, and along with other forms of posturing and antler fights, is a method used by the males to establish dominance. Roaring is most common during the early dawn and late evening, which is also when the crepuscular deer are most active in general. Female red deer reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age. Red deer mating patterns usually involve a dozen or more mating attempts before

8134-407: The scent of live animals; sometimes resulting in them being caught and killed. An established sport which dates back to the 19th century. Hounds follow an artificial scent, usually aniseed , laid along a set route which is already known to the huntsmen. A drag hunt course is set in a similar manner to a cross country course, following a route over jumps and obstacles. Because it is predetermined,

8232-405: The size advantage of a large dog. Coyotes have larger canine teeth and are generally more practised in hostile encounters. The grey fox ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus ), a distant relative of the European red fox, is also hunted in North America. It is an adept climber of trees, making it harder to hunt with hounds. The scent of the gray fox is not as strong as that of the red, therefore more time

8330-725: The southern United States sometimes pursue the bobcat ( Lynx rufus ). In countries such as India , and in other areas formerly under British influence, such as Iraq , the golden jackal ( Canis aureus ) is often the quarry. During the British Raj , British sportsmen in India would hunt jackals on horseback with hounds as a substitute for the fox hunting of their native England. Unlike foxes, golden jackals were documented to be ferociously protective of their pack mates, and could seriously injure hounds. Jackals were not hunted often in this manner, as they were slower than foxes and could scarcely outrun greyhounds after 200 yards. Following

8428-409: The stags have antlers , which start growing in the spring and are shed each year, usually at the end of winter. Antlers typically measure 71 cm (28 in) in total length and weigh 1 kg (2.2 lb), although large ones can grow to 115 cm (45 in) and weigh 5 kg (11 lb). Antlers, which are made of bone, can grow at a rate of 2.5 cm (1 in) a day. While an antler

8526-447: The summer, they migrate to higher elevations where food supplies are greater and better for the calving season. Until recently, biologists considered the red deer and elk or wapiti ( C. canadensis ) the same species, forming a continuous distribution throughout temperate Eurasia and North America. This belief was based largely on the fully fertile hybrids that can be produced under captive conditions. Genetic evidence clearly shows

8624-455: The summer. The European red deer is found in southwestern Asia (Asia Minor and Caucasus regions), North Africa, and Europe. The red deer is the largest nondomesticated land mammal still existing in Ireland . The Barbary stag (which resembles the western European red deer) is the only living member of the deer family native to Africa, with the population centred in the northwestern region of

8722-555: The time the next season's offspring are produced. The gestation period is the same for all subspecies. All red deer calves are born spotted, as is common with many deer species, and lose their spots by the end of summer. However, as in many species of Old World deer, some adults do retain a few spots on the backs of their summer coats. Red deer live over 20 years in captivity and in the wild they live 10 to 13 years, though some subspecies with less predation pressure average 15 years. Male red deer retain their antlers for more than half

8820-427: The tracking, chase and, if caught, the killing of a fox, normally a red fox , by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds . A group of unarmed followers, led by a "master of foxhounds" (or "master of hounds"), follow the hounds on foot or on horseback. Fox hunting with hounds, as a formalised activity, originated in England in the sixteenth century, in a form very similar to that practised until February 2005, when

8918-1083: The various subspecies of red deer, primarily in size and antlers, with the smallest being the Corsican red deer found on the islands of Corsica and Sardinia and the largest being the Caspian red deer (or maral) of Asia Minor and the Caucasus Region to the west of the Caspian Sea . The deer of central and western Europe vary greatly in size, with some of the largest deer found in the Carpathian Mountains in Central Europe. Western European red deer, historically, grew to large size given ample food supply (including people's crops), and descendants of introduced populations living in New Zealand and Argentina have grown quite large in both body and antler size. Large red deer stags, like

9016-833: The wapiti and red deer form two separate species. Another member of the red deer group which may represent a separate species is C. corsicanus . If so, C. corsicanus includes the subspecies C. e. barbarus (perhaps a synonym of C. e. corsicanus ), and is restricted to Maghreb in North Africa, Corsica , and Sardinia . A 2014 mitochondrial DNA study showed the internal phylogeny of Cervus to be as follows: C. elaphus ( European red deer ) [REDACTED] C. hanglu ( Hangul ) [REDACTED] C. albirostris ( Thorold's deer ) [REDACTED] C. nippon ( Sika deer ) [REDACTED] C. canadensis ( Wapiti ) [REDACTED] Rusa (outgroup) [REDACTED] Cervus elaphus appeared in Europe by

9114-401: The year, and are less gregarious and less likely to group with other males when they have antlers. The antlers provide self-defence, as does a strong front-leg kicking action performed by both sexes when attacked. Once the antlers are shed, stags tend to form bachelor groups which allow them to cooperatively work together. Herds tend to have one or more members watching for potential danger, while

9212-437: The year. During the mating season, called the rut , mature stags compete for the attentions of the hinds and will then try to defend the hinds they attract. Rival stags challenge opponents by belling and walking in parallel. This allows combatants to assess each other's antlers, body size and fighting prowess. If neither stag backs down, a clash of antlers can occur, and stags sometimes sustain serious injuries. Red deer are among

9310-495: Was also used to announce to the squadron leader (or other person of command in the flight) the spotting of an enemy aircraft. The British T-class submarine HMS Tally-Ho was named after the hunting cry. It is the only vessel to bear the name. It was launched in 1942 and scrapped in 1967. "Tally-ho" is also used by NASA astronauts in audio transmissions to signify sightings of other spacecraft, space stations, and unidentified objects. A fast stagecoach named Tally-ho plied

9408-484: Was increasing. With the onset of the Industrial Revolution , people began to move out of the country and into towns and cities to find work. Roads, railway lines, and canals all split hunting countries, but at the same time they made hunting accessible to more people. Shotguns were improved during the nineteenth century and the shooting of gamebirds became more popular. Fox hunting developed further in

9506-663: Was killed in the late 15th century during the reign of Henry VII , leaving the English fox with no threat from larger predators. The first use of packs specifically trained to hunt foxes was in the late 1600s, with the oldest fox hunt being, probably, the Bilsdale in Yorkshire . By the end of the seventeenth century, deer hunting was in decline. The Inclosure Acts brought fences to separate formerly open land into many smaller fields, deer forests were being cut down, and arable land

9604-489: Was starting a herd at Werribee Park , south west of Melbourne in Victoria. Further introductions were made in New South Wales , Queensland , South Australia , and Western Australia . Today, red deer in Australia range from Queensland south through New South Wales into Victoria and across to South Australia, with the numbers increasing. The Queensland, Victorian and most New South Wales strains can still be traced to

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