A study of the history of hunting with hounds, the development of hunting breeds, and contemporary hunting practices in North America. Hunting with Hounds in North America is a unique study of what can be considered the world’s oldest team sport. History suggests that man has hunted with hounds for at least twenty thousand years. Using evidence from ancient Egyptian drawings to paintings by the great masters, Dr. von Recum traces the evolution of the hound, or free-hunting canid, and its place beside human hunters. While hunting dogs like pointers and retrievers assist the human hunter in locating prey, hounds instinctively know how to find, track, and even capture prey on their own. Dr. von Recum describes the two classes of hounds. Sighthounds, such as greyhounds, whippets, and borzois, are lean, fast dogs designed to chase down, or course, their prey. Scenthounds, including redbones and beagles, will follow a hot or cold trail until their quarry is caught, cornered, or treed. Discussions of different breeds, including hound-and-dog hybrids, are included. Dr. von Recum vividly describes contemporary American hunting practices, from the fast-paced fury of prairie coursing to the formalities of traditional fox hunting. He also addresses important concerns facing houndsmen today, from communicable diseases to game-management practices.

Hounds and Hunting through the Ages remains the definitive volume for the foxhunter of all skill levels. This primer of foxhunting covers all aspects of the sport, from the history and technique of hunting, to the development, selection, breeding and training of hounds. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this edition contains a complete glossary of hunting terms. It also includes a Foreword by Mason Houghland, the author of Gone Away and contributor of numerous stories on foxhunting to national magazines, as well as an Introduction by the Earl of Lonsdale, himself a keen sportsman whose name would later be given to the Lonsdale clothing brand. Authoritative and comprehensive, this great modern classic of the chase remains one of the most famous books of our time on the whole art and sport of Foxhunting. An essential addition to any sporting library.

Breeding & Training Versatile Hunting Dogs for Hunting and Hunt Tests is the first book covering both breeding and training of your versatile dog for upland bird hunting, waterfowling, shed hunting, blood tracking, along with numerous human interest chapters. This book starts with the most insightful and complete explanation of what a quality breeding program involves: how to breed better dogs, how to achieve genetic diversity, selecting the best stud dog, reading a pedigree including the different breeding coefficients and how to use Hunt Test information to support breeding decisions. Bob's Cedarwood Pudelpointers (clients purchasing pups) have seen nearly 400 NAVHDA natural ability test entries across North America with a 90% success rate passing this test since he began his breeding program. Also, 175 NAVHDA utility test entries had a 74% success rate. Bob gives outstanding coverage of how to train your dog for any of the Hunt Test organizations offering natural ability tests as well as their utility tests. Of the 106 dogs Bob trained/handled in NAVHDA's natural ability test he earned 81 Prize 1s and of the 49 dogs trained/handled in utility he earned 15 Prize 1s with all dogs prizing. He has paid his dues in the testing arena and his record speaks for itself. A hunter who sees 80 to 100 days annually in the field supports his knowledge to training for hunting wild birds. This book gives excellent advice on training your dog for hunting. Bob covers chukar hunting tactics, waterfowling from a blind, duck searches, tracking wounded big game and off season shed hunting. You do not want to purchase a versatile pup or plan to test your pup in any of the offered hunt tests without reading this book.

"Ed Vance, acclaimed hunter and expert tracker, hunted mountain lions, bears, and bobcats in the mountains and forests of California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Montana for 25 years. Featured in Bowhunters Digest 1st. edition, Los Angeles Times West Magazine (1967), Saga Magazine (1968), Western Outdoors (1968), Bow & Arrow Magazine (1971), Bow & Arrow Magazine (1973), and Western Outdoors News (1968 – 1973), Ed Vance risked everything to follow his dreams, and without knowing it, chiseled a name for himself and for his dogs in the history of these places. The bond between the hunter and his hounds was one of deep trust and reliance, in a time when the changing landscape threatened to take it all. Trained by a Hound Dog recounts the legends of the hunt, in the authentic voice of the man who was there, told as if the reader were sitting with him around a campfire. The true stories he tells of his hounds and the lions and bears they caught in some of the country's toughest terrain and conditions are a glimpse into an era of Western History that has faded from view"--Back cover.

A collection of thirty-two foxhunting stories populated by horses, hounds, challenging obstacles, and unforgettable personalities. Accompany Norman Fine to Ireland, England, Canada, and across the United States as he meets, hunts with, and is educated by the foremost Masters, huntsmen, hound breeders, and sporting historians of the last fifty years. Fine's stories, most of them previously published in the U.S. and England, are connected chronologically by new material in which the author explains how he came to meet these larger-than-life characters, what role they played in his development from horseman to foxhunter, and how he came to hunt with their hounds.

This heavily illustrated, full-color volume includes thorough discussions on seventh-six spaniel, retriever, pointer, hound, and versatile breeds. It also features tips on selecting a puppy, anatomy, pedigrees, and breeding.

The Plott bear hound, a dog originally from Germany and developed in the North Carolina mountains, is known as one of the world's best hunting dog breeds. Recognized now as one of the premier hunting dogs in America, the Plott bear hound is unique among hunting dog breeds because it descends from Germanic stock rather than the traditional English foxhound. The breed's story began when its original breeder, Johannes Plott, and his brother Enoch left Germany in 1750 with their prized hunting dogs. This trip across the Atlantic began the two-hundred-year journey that would culminate in the North Carolina mountains with the development of what is now arguably the world's finest breed of hunting dog. This fascinating story of the Plott family and the Plott hound is a classic American tale of adventurers and underdogs--a story that Bob Plott, the great-great-great-grandson of Johannes Plott, is uniquely qualified to tell.