by Graham Cox-5-
Limitations of The Drag
The foregoing shows why the claim that the modern chemistry of odours might enable draghunting to be made a more fulfilling challenge (Macdonald and Johnson, 1996, 204) cannot but help miss the point. For whilst advances in the chemistry of odours may have been significant they have not been matched by any obvious advance in our ability to control the weather in natural settings. So, although some odours are clearly much more pungent than others it remains the case that the odour is but one element in an a very complex situation. Associated practicalities, moreover, mean that some of the more extravagant notions envisaging competitive draghunting, possibly as a televisual sport, are almost entirely fanciful. It is impossible to lay drag lines closely adjacent and, even if it were, the commitment of broadcasting resources needed to cover a cross-country chase of many miles and of rather specialist interest would almost certainly be prohibitive. At a more modest level the sorts of video recordings which are routinely made at point-to-points and eventing competitions would doubtless be starightforward to make.
In a situation where debate seems so often to be irreparably polarised it is, of course, tempting to assert that it must be possible to develop the sport in such a way that a broader spectrum of hunters and others might find it attractive. It might also be possible for farmers and landowners to include the provision of facilities for drag-hunting in their portfolio of diversification possibilities (Professor David Macdonald, telephone interview 27 March 2000). But this 'in principle' argument rests on asserting that, logically, something must be the case. At a purely abstract level; as an exercise in ratiocination; the argument works well enough. When practicalities are allowed to intrude, however, such speculation appears less convincing. All manner of things are doubtless possible: but the greater the experimentation the more likely it is that the result will closely resemble the sport of team-chasing which already exists.
From a dogwork point of view what is missing from the draghunting experience is the uncertainty which is integral to work on natural quarry. The restrictions, and therefore the artificiality, of draghunting and hunting the clean boot follow from the limitations on the complexity of the lines that can be laid. The human quarry or person laying the line, whether mounted or not, is unlikely to be able to mimic the movements of an animal which, for instance, might well pass through an impenetrable hedge and then double back.
That is important because with draghunting the false scent is so strong that hounds cannot be taught not to work a heel line - that is to say, work the line backwards and away from the direction in which the quarry is moving - as is possible when a natural quarry is being hunted. So, whereas hounds may well discriminate between the two lines of a fox which has doubled back and run within six feet of its earlier path draghounds cannot acquire that sort of skill (Dr D. Hamilton Wallis, telephone interview 23 March 2000). In practice, therefore, it is crucial not to lay drag lines too close together: but in other respects such as the lifting of the line a relatively close similitude can be achieved. There are also, typically, limits to what the hounds can be encouraged to offer in the way of what the hunting community call 'music'. If hounds realise that the scent is a false one they are more inclined to work silently.
Nonetheless, good quality work in matters such as holding a line can be achieved. Moreover, the chance of that happening can be enhanced by adding a small amount of aniseed to the drag since that will hold the dogs irrespective of any other diversions for about ten minutes.
Generally, however, the drag consists of a rag soaked with urine or somesuch which is attached to a chain and pulled along. In the season just ended the Llynfi Dale in Wales have experimented by attaching the drag to a horse's tail (Dr D. Hamilton Wallis, telephone interview 23 March 2000) but have yet to decide about the effectiveness of the strategy. Hounds are, apparently, becoming mute so they will probably revert to the traditional practice. In general the potions used to lay a trail can be many and various, but most are aniseed based.