The Minkhound?

As much “homework” as we do about dogs, we’re always learning – and when we came across a reference to “Minkhounds,” we assumed it was the latest designer breed. Imagine our surprise to investigate photos of Minkhounds and think, “Wait, aren’t those Otterhounds?”

Long story short: Yes, yes they are.

As this post has to do with hunting, a caveat: Our readers hold diverse opinions on hunting, ranging from accepting it as necessary for protecting livestock and livelihoods to abhorring sport hunting, with various viewpoints in between. We’re just passing along information.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

In the early 1970s, British hunters noticed a dramatic drop in the number of otters they were seeing in rivers. A study concluded that between habitat-destroying farming practices and wide use of chemicals, otters were in serious decline, and this lead to the mammal’s placement on the list of protected species in Britain. Otter hunting was banned in 1978, and the Otterhound found itself without a job.

At the time, there were nine registered packs of Otterhounds still in existence. After the ban, many of the packs were disbanded, others were “repurposed” (more on that in a minute). And like that, the breed was at risk of going the way of otters.

To preserve a breed of ancient ancestry (almost all monarchs since Henry II maintained a Royal Master of Otterhounds),  the Masters of the Dumfriesshire and the Kendal & District Otterhound packs worked with breeders and the Kennel Club (Great Britain’s counterpart of the AKC).  All remaining purebred Otterhounds of breeding age were registered with the Kennel Club. The dogs were rehomed with respected breeders and private owners, all eager to ensure the continuation of valuable genetic lines.

Packs that had not been disbanded were “repurposed.”  Some packs switched over to hunting coypu, a variant of a nutria; other packs were converted to hunting the invasive American mink.

An American mink in Britain?

Introduced to Britain in 1929 for fur farming, American minks had become the major source of income for 400 known fur farms in the UK by the 1950s. When mink began escaping from these farms and establishing themselves in the wild, they became a big problem. Minks were the primary reason for the British water vole population declining by a staggering 90%. Minks could decimate entire populations of ground-nesting birds, and may have accounted for a large proportion of salmonid mortality in some river systems. By 1967, wild mink were present in over half the counties of England and Wales, and in much of lowland Scotland.

In 1978, the Masters of Minkhounds Association was formed in 1978 to govern and promote mink hunting in the UK to combat a growing problem. The earliest “minkhounds” were repurposed Otterhounds for obvious reasons: A keen sense of smell for tracking along waterways, water-resistant coats suitable for aquatic work, stamina, and the ability to work and play well with others, usually in packs of 8 to 10 couples, or around 16 to 20 hounds.

As of 2025, there are 22 packs of minkhounds registered with the Masters of Minkhounds Association in the UK and four packs in Ireland registered with the Minkhounds Association – but – because of the UK’s Hunting Act of 2004, mink hunting has changed.  Traditional mink hunting with hounds is out, but allowed is the use of up to two dogs to flush out a mink to be shot under certain conditions. Recapture of escaped captive mink is allowed, as is the rescue of injured mink, and the capture of mink for research and observation purposes. Some former mink hunts have also adapted to follow artificial scent trails much in the same way that fox hunting now pursues scents.

As for dealing with the invasive mink, recent innovations have improved mink control efforts:  “Smart traps” with remote monitoring technology,  the Waterlife Recovery Trust to protect water voles and other native wildlife, and coordinated control programs to manage mink populations.

And finally, it should be noted that over the last several decades, the term “minkhound” has come to denote a dog’s function rather than a specific breed. New generations of “minkhounds” came to be a mixture of Otterhounds, Foxhounds, and Foxhound crosses.

Image: From the book, All about Airedales by Robert Manning Palmer (published in 1919)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*
*
Website