Old Berkeley Beagles

 

 

 

Beagling is a form of hunting that does not involve any horses - the hounds are followed on foot. This makes it accessible to all. A pack of small hounds, consisting of beagles around 16 inches in height are used for beagling and are known as the ‘pack’. The hounds are taken out from a ‘meet’ to hunt in the surrounding ‘country’ and traditionally hunted the hare.

 

However, since the enactment of the 2004 Hunting Act, the hunted ‘quarry’ has been a ‘trail’; an artificial scent. It is also legal to hunt rabbits so live quarry continues to be hunted. There are 60 packs of beagles in Britain, each occupying a distinct ‘hunt country’ of their own, which can vary greatly from one pack to the next.