Reassessing the Rationale and Ritual of Hunting in the Changing Natural World of Post-Restoration England

In the sixteenth century, deer hunting was the most prestigious type of hunting. The monarchy and the aristocracy spent large amounts of time and money to pursue this slow, ritualistic hunt that could be considered akin to a court masque in its script and symbolic demonstrations. It was also a chance for members of the court to distinguish themselves as brave and noble, and thus fit to rule or govern their respective territories. By the eighteenth century, deer hunting was no longer the most popular or prestigious hunt. The fox had become the premier prey, a distinction that it maintained even into the twentieth century. Most of the scholarship on this transition glosses over the seventeenth century and indicates that the transition can be simply explained by the changing landscape of the English countryside. This is an overly simplistic explanation. This paper will examine sporting and social concerns to explore what else could have encouraged the movement away from deer to fox. The wealth, status and social demonstrations that deer hunting provided were transferred to fox hunting. The fox hunt was also faster and more chaotic, which coincided with the general movement away from staid, performative court rituals. The growing popularity of racing also helped encourage the breeding of horses with improved speed-endurance qualities, which could be used for both hunting and racing.