Bloodhound History

III   How were Bloodhounds used?

The Bloodhound was not originally bred to track man, but for hunting animals.  It was principally used as a ‘Limer’ or ‘Lyam-hound’.  Its quarry was the deer or wild boar.  Before the main part of the hunt the hound was taken out on a leash (‘lyam’) by its handler, who identified the animal to be hunted by its footprints or droppings.  The object of the hunt was not to kill any old animal, but a mature majestic stag, (a ‘hart of ten’ or a ‘warrantable‘ stag) or a large and fierce boar.  The Bloodhound and handler followed the scent until they ‘harboured’ the quarry, that is discovered where it was browsing or hiding, then the handler reported back to his lord.  The lord brought the pack of lighter, faster raches or 'running hounds' to run down the quarry on its hot scent, after it was unharboured, or ‘upreared’.  When the quarry was brought to bay, it was usually killed by the huntsman.  The leash-hound was especially prized for this ability to hunt a cold scent, and was the first hound to be rewarded after the kill with a choice piece of the carcase.  If the quarry escaped, perhaps wounded, or the trail was lost, the lord and his retinue would repair to the nearest village, or maybe set up camp in the wilds, to spend their time feasting, while the limer and his handler were sent out again to find the fugitive.  The hart (red deer stag), fallow deer buck, roe, and the boar, were the only animals hunted in this way.  The hare, fox etc.  were ‘upreared’ by raches, without involving a limer.

The use of the Bloodhound as a leash-hound was highly characteristic, so that in the 16th Century words ‘Bloodhound’ and ‘limer’ were almost synonymous (see Turbervile).  But not quite.  Sometimes the word ‘Bloodhound’ might be used to describe an animal which was not really a Bloodhound, because of its use, but there were also leash-hounds which were not called Bloodhounds.