“In every hunt there are one or two people, particularly terriermen, who get a sadistic pleasure from tormenting foxes.”
Paul Woodhouse, Huntsman to the Derwent Foxhounds
The role of the terriermen within a fox hunts is fundamental to the ‘success’ of the hunt. Their function is to deal with foxes which find an underground refuge from the dogs — foxes that have ‘gone to earth’.
Whilst it is accepted that most people who ride with fox hunts do so primarily for the ‘thrill of the chase’, socialising, equestrian interests, or simply watching the dogs work, there are a minority, including the terriermen, whose enjoyment comes purely and simply from killing foxes.
For the terrierman, the ‘hunt’ only starts when the huntsman’s horn signals that a fox has gone to ground. Small terrier dogs are entered into the fox’s refuge to locate the sheltering animal. If the fox does not ‘bolt’ there can be an underground battle between the fox and terrier in which both may receive serious injuries.
The terriermen listen for the snarls and growls underground and then, with spades, dig down to expose the combatants or use a locator if the terrier is fitted with a radio transmitter fitted to their collars to help locate the fox’s position. This may take hours, during which time the huntsman, his dogs and the riders will have moved off to seek another fox. It is uncommon for the average rider or hunt follower to be in close attendance at a dig-out.
Once exposed, the terrified fox can either be dragged out and shot, or killed with a blow from a spade. If the hounds are still in the vicinity, they may be brought back and given the live fox as a reward. This is in total contradiction to the ‘rules’ of the Masters of Foxhounds Association but undoubtedly occurs even the most prestigious of hunts.
Almost forty percent of all foxes killed during fox hunting are by terrier work. Apart from the pain of injuries from fighting underground, sometimes a dog entered may encounter a wild animal with its back to it, and therefore that dog will rip at the backside of the wild creature. This cruelty can last for several hours, and there are accounts of foxes having parts of their back passage and abdomen ripped out while in this position.
The Burns Inquiry into Hunting with Dogs examined terrier work and concluded, “…the activity of digging out and shooting a fox involves a serious compromise of its welfare, bearing in mind the often protracted nature of the process and the fact that the fox is prevented from escaping.” The Committee advised that, even in the absence of a ban on fox hunting, “serious consideration could be given as to whether this practice should be allowed to continue”.
In recent times terrier work has developed into a ‘sport’ divorced from hunting with dogs.