Page 139 - Arabian Studies (II)

Hunting Techniques and Practices in the Arabian Peninsula 131

It may be that hawks and hounds are taken out separately to the
hunt. More commonly, however, they are taken together. Although
hounds are unleashed and a hare may be flushed at random, a great
deal of trouble is taken to read the tracks. It is probably the shape of
the hare’s form (juhul, daljal) which is spotted first. The salukis are
immediately called in and silence is observed. The reason for the
calling in of the hounds at this stage is, first, that the optimum
number for the course is two, possibly three, and to allow more to
pursue the hare means that they will get in each other’s way, the kill
will be delayed and they will tire themselves out needlessly. Also, if
the hounds are leashed, those which are to participate in the course
can be manoeuvred into the best position to sight the hare once it is
flushed. When the tracks of the hare walking slowly and thus moving
its legs independently* are spotted, as much noise as possible is
made, for the hare is close and will soon have to break cover. The
hare breaks and runs hard and straight*, while the hounds are
slipped, egged on with the cry ‘yah, yah, yah/’ The saluki, following
the game in total silence, is soon up with the hare which now begins
to dodge and jink* in an effort to shake off the pursuers. The hounds
cannot, however, be distracted and, working together as a team, they
close in when one is able to administer the coup cle grace, a snap of
the jaws which breaks the hare’s back. Any attempt to carry the hare
is met with the cry Ikhla, Ikhla (al-khala’) and the animal is quickly
retrieved and drained of blood.
If, for any reason, the hare is able to remain out of the grasp of
either hawk or hound for some time, the other may be released, thus
permitting both to work together and bring the chase to a quicker
conclusion. Again the saluki may be used to assist the hawk against
the hare in terrain likely to provide cover for the quarry. The role of
the hound is then to keep the hare on the move to enable the hawk
to take it and to prevent it from finding cover.

3. The Gazelle
Gazelle coursing is now almost entirely a thing of the past and we
have not been able to find a clear statement of its techniques. From
what little information is available,74 the form of gazelle coursing
may have been on the following lines.
Although we can be more confident in our assessment of the speed
of the saluki,75 that of the gazelle is less easy to calculate.
Harrison76 quotes a speed of 20-30 m.p.h. for the small species
gazella dorcas saudiya and Lunt7 7 mentions 20 m.p.h. for many
miles. Wentworth Day’s figure of 45-52 m.p.h.,78 taken from Arabs