Norman hunting traditions began when William the Conqueror arrived, using Gascon and Talbot hounds. In fact, the cry of ‘tally ho’ is the Norman equivalent to the French ‘il est haut,’ meaning he is up.1534 marks the first known attempt at fox hunting, taking place in Norfolk, England. There, farmers used their dogs to chase foxes as a way of pest control.It wasn’t until the 17 th century that organized pack began to hunt hare and fox, while it those used specifically for the sport of fox hunting weren’t used until the 18 th century.

The Industrial Revolution saw people moving out of the country, instead settling in towns and cities where they could find work. Even though roads, rails, and canals split up the hunting land, it made it more accessible to people who wanted to hunt. Also, the improvement of shotguns during the 19 th century allowed for game shooting to gain popularityEven though it is viewed as a usually typical rural British sport, hunting using hounds does take place all over. Those hunts in the U.S., Canada, Ireland, and also India are considered to be, to some extent, a British Empire legacy. However, some do claim that the first pack that was used solely for fox hunting was in the United States