Autumn hunting: are you ready?

Those of us who have remained optimistic about the start of the season throughout lockdown should soon be rewarded for our positivity with the start of autumn hunting hopefully just around the corner for the majority of packs of hounds. The combines may have stopped rolling temporarily this week thanks to Storm Francis, however that doesn't mean that preparations are not well underway.

Hounds and horses have been increasing their workload over the past few weeks so they are ready for the season ahead while those who haven't yet dared to try on their tweed coat in fear of it shrinking since it was last used haven't got long to find a way to make it fit again. Hunt secretaries have been busy finding ways to go "cashless" to assist with biosecurity measures while others have embraced the use of event scheduling apps to help with keeping records for the purposes of the NHS Test and Trace service.

The first early morning is always eagerly anticipated but this year there seems to be a greater than usual level of enthusiasm to watch hounds work. This is in no small part because of a lack of summer activities that have meant that many hunting friends have not seen each other since the end of last season, but also due to the fact that just a couple of months ago it was almost impossible to believe that the season would go ahead at all, yet alone soon after harvest as is traditional.

Following receipt of detailed guidance from the Hunting Office earlier this week about how autumn hunting can commence safely, hunts and their supporters can be confident that they can participate while minimising the risk of transmitting Covid-19 to other people out hunting or to the wider community. The format of our hunting days may look and feel a little different to usual, with social distancing and booking in advance a necessity along with many other adjustments to the way a day is conducted, but these adjustments are a small price to pay to ensure that the hunting community continues to act responsibly as we emerge from this worldwide crisis.

The recently-formed Hunting Joint Committee is developing a strategy to secure the future of hunting with hounds based on science, standards and social license. The lead that Masters and other hunt officials give during this time, and the way in which hunt supporters follow that lead, could have a particular impact on the third strand of that strategy which is the public perception of our activities.

Hunts work incredibly hard throughout the year to engage with local communities and it is during the first few weeks of autumn hunting that we have to ensure the activities and actions surrounding every hunt's response to Covid-19 guidance is acceptable to those who we encounter, whether that be when crossing the country or accessing public highways.

The countryside may be a very different place this season, with more people than usual working from home - and with more leisure time to exercise outside - so this could lead to them encountering hounds during the week when usually they would be sitting in an office. Many of these people may never have seen hounds or any hunting activities before, previously unaware that hunts operate in and around their homes while they're usually at work.

This gives every one of us that follows hounds the opportunity to help demonstrate that hunts are responsible organisations and that hunt supporters are an integral part of local countryside communities. We're ready and hope you are too.