Hunting the clean boot
Hunting the clean boot is a term that has been used in Britain to refer to the use of packs of bloodhounds to follow a natural human scent trail.
The 'clean boot' refers to the absence of either an artificial scent such, such as aniseed as used in drag hunting or the scent of a live quarry as used in fox hunting. Whilst today the term has become synonymous with the use of bloodhound packs, most breeds of dog can be taught the skill individually with varying degrees of success.
Typically, clean boot hunts are run along similar lines to fox or drag hunts, with a field of mounted riders following a pack of bloodhounds which trails the scent of runner. Like other forms of mounted hunting with hounds, hunting the clean boot usually occurs in the autumn, winter and early spring.
In order to improve the speed, agility and pack hunting instincts of the bloodhound, the Dumfriesshire Hound was used by several packs as an outcross.
