Buckhound

		Buckhound
		He is not recognized by the F.C.I.


Origin			Great Britain
Translation			Francis Vandersteen
En français, cette race se dit			Buckhound
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar			Buckhound
En español, esta raza se dice			Buckhound
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd			Buckhound

The Buckhound is an extinct breed of English hound, formerly used in packs for deer hunting. It is distinct from the larger Staghounds. Renowned for its speed, agility, and exceptional sense of smell, this dog was central to the Royal Buckhounds, established by Edward III (1327-1377). It was often described as a swift hunter with a yellow piebald coat. It was used in packs for deer hunting. From the Middle Ages onward, deer hunting in England varied depending on whether it was the red deer (red stag) or the fallow deer (male). The use of different breeds of dogs for hunting different deer species is documented at least since the reign of Henry III (1216-1272). Packs of Staghounds were used for deer hunting, while fallow deer hunting was carried out by packs of Buckhounds.

English, and later British, monarchs maintained the Royal Buckhound Pack well into the 20th century. When Queen Anne became too frail to keep up with the hounds on horseback, she had paths laid through Windsor Forest so she could watch the hunts from a carriage. Due to dwindling game, during the reign of George III (1760-1820), the Royal Buckhound Pack was one of the last of its kind in England. The hunt for bucks evolved into the hunt for transported stags. A semi-domesticated stag was released and chased by the hounds and riders, but the hounds were forbidden to harm the animal, which was then recaptured and returned safely to its deer pen to be hunted again later. Finally, in 1901, the pack was disbanded by Edward VII for reasons of economy. The hunting of male deer was supplanted by the hunting of white-tailed deer and the pack of Buckhounds disappeared.