The Hon. Mr and Mrs M Baring not only welcomed us to hunt on their beautiful estate at Itchen Stoke, but also supplied generous refreshments at the meet at their house. It was also good to see the Collins family - of Hampshire Hunt fame - at the the meet, but Bob looked a bit worried when the Master asked him if he would like to run for us. Fortunately regular quarry Chris Lee turned up, having been working a night shift to 4.30 am! We also had a good number of people come to see the hounds on foot, or probably more likely to enjoy the Baring's legendary hospitality! It was a bright breezy day, not always the best conditions for following the vague scent of man. A hospitable meet, good country and good company, what more could we want? Good hunting. Did we get it? Read on.

The first hunt started behind the house and, after an initial foray 100 yards in the wrong direction, hounds returned to settle to the line across the grass and water east of Lynch Row. Crossing onto winter wheat, hounds ran well up to and parallel with the Northington Road, before turning into the big woods. Woods are always difficult for a quarry to run in if he has not been there before, and this very large wood was to prove to be quite a test for Chris. After making the first two turns in the wood according to plan, the hounds deviated from the planned route. The Master decided that the hounds looked right and left them to it. It became apparent that our quarry had left the main track and then returned to it. By some miracle - or as Chris would say, as he planned - Chris managed to get back on route for the last 100 yards of the wood exiting by the Lodge east of Grange Farm. Hounds were then away over more winter crops to enter the woods and cross country jumps at Northington. Leaving the woods onto grass, hounds checked among the car followers while Sultry 03 hunted up to our hidden quarry.

Starting from where we finished the last hunt, hounds were soon hunting away over arable ground for the stables in Grange Park. Six roe deer were seen to run over the quarries line before hounds got there, but the hounds managed to stick to the line, and were soon crossing The Grange drive and down to the water at the northern end of Grange Lake. Running parallel to Grange Lake, hounds overshot the turn and ended up behind a herd of fallow deer which they followed off the line by Northfield Plantation. The Master and whipper-in, Kim Thayer, had the hounds stopped very quickly and brought them back to pick up the line by the Lake House drive. From here hounds ran hard back by Lynch Row to catch their quarry back by the meet.

The third hunt started by the farm buildings at Lynch Row, and hounds were quickly away to cross the Oxdrove Way. The fallow deer had been seen to run exactly the same route before the quarry, so Mrs Baring kindly took Kim a different route to be in front of the hounds just in case they should become confused again. However hounds had no problem this time, probably because this time Chris's scent was on top of the deers' instead of vice versa as earlier. Hounds hunted very well on the winter crop while the Field enjoyed a nice line of jumps, until they came down to the intersection of the Oxdrove Way and a foot path. Initially hounds had trouble finding our quarry's line with so much human scent around on this intersection of paths, but it was Nonsense 03 who was first to speak to the line. The Field were now treated to a feast of jumps as the hounds ran round Abbotstone Down to catch their quarry outside Northfield Plantation. There was a short fourth hunt, starting by the Lodge at the eastern end of Northfield Plantation running south back to the meet.

All in all this was an excellent day proving that hunting with bloodhounds is neither predictable nor easy, especially when hunting a single quarry. Hounds, and thereby the Master, had to deal with a number of distractions - deer, other humans and even a quarry off route. This was not a good scenting day by any means, but it certainly was one of the most enjoyable days we have had this season. We are most grateful to the Baring family for their hospitality as well as to farm manager David Gray, who gave so much help to the Master in organising the day. Quarry Chris Lee texted the Master the next day and said, "I hurt today, great hunt!" And the Master says, "When we have a day that tires Chris, know we've had a good day!"

Photographs by Ann Brewer and Fran Baker (Click to enlarge)