If you’ve been out in the countryside on a Saturday morning and heard the distant baying of dogs you may have stumbled across a horse and hound hunt.  The Northern Hunt Club has been running for about 50 years, continuing an English tradition, albeit with a few differences.  “We’re the only club in all of Australia that has no live hunting,” Northern Hunt Club master Cameron Thompson said.  “We ride following hounds over a course of carefully prepared jumps, which are mostly logs or brush fences … our hounds are actually following a scent, which is an aniseed scent.” The hunts usually last for two the three hours, and consist of 15 minute runs with rests in between.  “The scent gets dragged by someone that has it attached to ... their horse and they go ahead and then I’m the master so I have the hounds and I control them, I put the hounds onto the scent and they follow the scent that’s been prepared,” Mr Thompson said.  “After the hounds have gone I head off and then the rest of the field and all the riders they follow me and that way they get to hear the hounds, what they call voicing, which is barking when they're onto the scent.” The club has 10 foxhounds, cared for by the master of the hunt, namely Mr Thompson.  “I took over the hounds about three years ago so I care for all them … we breed them ourselves, the hunt club does, we breed a litter every couple of years,” he said.  The Northern Hunt Club is one of only two in Tasmania, and Mr Thompson said it is a family friendly club, with children to 70-year-olds taking part.  “A lot of people perceive [it] as a dangerous sport and something they could not do, probably because of the idea of what it is in England ... but we try to have beginners days so people can see we’re nothing like that,” Mr Thompson said. “We work around people’s abilities, so as long as people can ride a horse they can come along. As long as they can trot we say we’re happy to work with you and build your confidence up.” The hunt season kicked off at the end of March and will run until August, the best time for the horses and the hounds to avoid heat stress.  On Monday of the June long weekend the club will hold its annual childrens hunt. Open to everyone, children will take on the hunt roles and there will also be a trail ride.  Mr Thompson said the event is a great way to try a hunt. Also in June is the club’s Christmas in winter dinner where people can also learn more.  Interested parties should visit the Northern Hunt Club Facebook page for details and to RSVP.