Having had lurchers, longdogs,thoroughbreds,pedigrees, and worked them, for nigh on thirty-five years, I wondered if anyone actually has used or uses the traditional methods of working their hounds over ferrets or with gate nets, lamp or long nets? I had a 1st cross Deerhound/Greyhound, Ben, who was a master in the 80's. He was such a clever dog that we would work in complete silence - I would struggle to carry home our booty and he would never give tongue! I had my first Deerhound about that time but never worked him - fear of the big clumsy galute hurting himself! I have owned and worked Greyhounds that were quiet, methodical and ruthless in the straight chase. Another great dog in the late nineties, Robert, a Deerhound/Greyhound/WhippetxSaluki/Greyhound/Whippet, who although a small dog would work all of the above and would take anything, whatever its size, efficiently and silently.He would quarter a field to gate so that almost nothing would escape. Does anyone or has anyone used their Deerhounds to catch prey using these methods?
Love to hear
Dan

Hi Dan,

Mac is my 1st hound. I've always had gundogs (labs and spaniels) before.
When I got my deerhound, I had not intention of hunting with him, but I did like the sound of lure coursing as a hobby. During his puppyhood , I spent lots of time trying to find a club that did it, but couldn't find anywhere within 100 miles. So I gave up on that idea.

I have sporting permission on the farm next door, so I started taking him out with my spaniel and ferrets. Doing a mixture of bushing, netting, and general mooching. He obviously isn't as fast a lurcher/whippet, so he struggles in the day, especially in my area which is quite hilly and plenty of cover. He caught his first rabbit, while out ferreting. I'd left a couple of holes un-netted to give him some sport. The ferret did it's job and the rabbit bolted straight of the hole. Mac had been following the progress intently so was fully ready for it by the time the rabbit hit daylight. A short sprint and it was his. I have a sneaking suspicion that the ferret had delivered some damage before the rabbit had escaped, which had slowed it down somewhat, and that is the reason why he was able to catch it.

There was really no stopping him after that, we were both hooked. I decided to buy a lamp when I was at the midland game fair. Took him out lamping , and that was that. At first he was just exercising them, but each time we went out he would get closer and closer and then he got his first strike. At first he didn't want to give up his hard earned prize, but he soon realised that there was chance for more. I've not got him retrieving them yet, which is funny, because he used to be good at retrieving when he was a pup. Now he just pins them to the ground and waits for me to come and dispatch them.

Recently I got chatting with a guy from a hunting forum , who as luck would have it, lives only a few miles from me and he has lots of permission all around the local area. We went out lamping with him and his whippet not so long ago. The first catch of the night was a joint effort as it was in hedged field with a big, tied up gate. I couldn't lift Mac over, so he waited with us while the whippet went over for the chase. We watched intently while the whippet did her stuff, then to our surprise the bunny ran straight for us and under the gate ! Right into Mac's open Jaws !

Initially ,I was worried about Mac hurting himself running around in the dark, but he has proved to be quite sensible when he's working. He's a complete clown when he's playing with our other dogs, but he becomes very focused and dogged when he's working. He (We) still have a lot to learn and he still needs to perfect his strike on small quarry such a rabbits and he sometimes doesn't follow the lamp thinking he knows better, but that will all come with practice. My new friend was really impressed with him as he's never seen a Deerhound working before, and that was quite an accolade from someone who's worked some excellent Greys and whippets in his time. We plan to go out a lot more

Nice to hear that you work over ferrets; I know that our hounds should course deer; but that option doesn't exist any longer. I am convinced that at sometime the deerhound was the precursor to the lurcher - or - that they existed at around the same time, one for the rich, like the greyhound/deerhound, and one for the poor - the sight hound cross pastoral dog. It is my opinion that unlike the greyhound, the deerhound being a much more tractable animal was, if possible by the poor, crossed with a pastoral dog to produce an intelligent and athletic animal that was adaptable to hunt all quarry in all situations.
DSM