Horse_amp_amp_Hound__06_February_2018

adge holders only” meet on the
card around Christmas was
always greeted with glee, while
the traditional Christmas Eve
meet for many is second only
to the opening meet in terms of
a compulsory appearance.
SO HOW DOES IT ALL
COME TOGETHER?
“ULTIMATELY, it comes down to
the planning,” advises Sam Butler,
chairman of the Warwickshire.
“Like many packs, our outline
draws would stay largely the same
each year, but we always ensure
we ask for shoot dates well in
advance to minimise the risk of
any clashes and we usually have to
factor in numerous other requests
throughout the season too.”
The relationship between
those organising hunting and
The importance of creating
a meet card that satisfies
the desires of followers,
landowners and the
shooting fraternity cannot
be underestimated
those involved in shooting is vital
and the arrangements between
the two varies dramatically even
within the same hunt country.
Some landowners with vast
commercial shoots welcome
hounds throughout the entire
season, while some prefer to
limit access until after the
season finishes, hence the reason
why new doors open from the
beginning of February.
Some expect the meet dates
to be organised around their
shooting, while others will “fit in”
once they know when the hunt is
in the area.
The same applies for smaller,
family-run or syndicate shoots,
of which there are an increasing
number to consider. Their requests
and those of every landowner
should all be treated with the same
respect and consideration.
Knowing whose responsibility
it is for finding meets and
organising the days should be
established early on among the
mastership and secretariat, many
of whom also have their own busy
lives and need to factor hunting
in wherever possible. Getting the
first draft produced can be the
most challenging, but it works as
a useful framework to build upon.
It would be fair to say that
the majority of packs would have
certain dates and associated
meets that are set in stone, such
as the opening meet and Boxing
Day, which form the basis for the
meet card.
“We organise our meet card in
three parts — autumn hunting,
shooting and after-shooting,”
reveals Charles Carter MFH,
joint-master and huntsman of
the Middleton.
“We start with drawing up a
‘Saturday skeleton’ then stick with
our pattern of hunting where we
hunt different parts of the country
on specific days of the week.”
In addition to knowing shoot
dates in advance, a memory
for significant birthdays and
anniversaries can be a great
advantage for a master when the
planning process is in its infancy.
Receiving a call to ask that “our
meet takes place on a date after
Christmas this season” instead of
its traditional date in November
can throw a few additional balls
into the air.
LANDOWNERS ARE KEY
MODERN methods of
communication, concerns about
meet security and a requirement
to be more flexible means that
fewer packs print a traditional
meet card that arrives through the
post. Printing off an emailed list
of meets or taking a screen shot
having logged on to the dedicated
secure zone on a hunt website
might not be quite the same as
the more traditional type of card,
but the information is still held in
equally as high regard.
Some packs plan an entire
season’s card in advance, but an
increasing number of packs now
advise their supporters of meets
only a few weeks at a time, often
with an outline of the area to be
hunted but with meet details to
be advised nearer the time. This
allows for readjustments if meets
are lost due to frost, snow, fog or
other unforeseen circumstances.
“We plan our card in two
halves — up until Christmas and
then the second card to the end of
the season,” explains Ryan Mania,
joint-master of the Berwickshire.
“However, we let our subscribers
know two weeks in advance
because the weather can be an
influencing factor and it means
we can be more flexible if we need
to reschedule meets.”
Gary Thorpe, huntsman at the
East Essex believes that “planning
meet cards for the entire season is
great for subscribers but it can be
a nightmare for masters.”
Landowners are always the
key to piecing together the draw
for a hunting day. A number of
packs are reliant on large blocks
of land owned by different bodies
such as the Forestry Commission,
the Ministry of Defence, United
Utilities and the National Trust,
land where licences are required
before being granted permission
to conduct legal hunting activities.
This season the licensing terms
were amended in relation to the
National Trust, which caused
a delay in the application process
for some packs.
“We’ve been operating without
a meet card as such so far this
season,” says Charlie Watts,
master and huntsman of the
Western in Cornwall. “A lot of our
hunt country is National Trust
land and we’ve been working it
out on an ad hoc basis while the
application goes through.”
Although not everyone has
the pleasure of still being able to
place their hunt logo-embossed
meet card on the mantelpiece
for all to see, whatever form it
takes, the meet card should still
be seen as an object of pride, both
by those receiving it and those
producing it. H&H
8 February 2018 Horse & Hound 49