'Match Hunt' 'Side Hunt' 'Hunting Match'

[Michael McKernan]

I'd greatly appreciate some help with the terms 'match hunt', 'side hunt',
and the probably related form, 'hunting match'.

In each case, I'm  referring to specific uses of these terms to mean a
particular form of animal-hunting  activity, where two teams (or, I
suppose, two individuals) compete based on their hunting success ('bagged'
quarry) over a set period of time (and perhaps, area).

AFAIK, 'match hunt' and 'side hunt' are Americanisms.

OTOH, 'hunting match' may have a quite ancient history in English, with
references (in English) going back to descriptions of Persian, Greek and
Roman practices, Mostly, however, 'hunting match' seems to have been used
in the UK in connection with large-scale, elite or nobility
social/political hunting events, including some infamously bogus 'hunting
matches' uses to lure enemies into gatherings where they might be captured,
killed, or otherwise manipulated.

At the moment, I don't have access to OED or HDAS or any of the best
standard references, so any information from such sources would be a great
help.

In order to avoid wasting people's time, allow me to provide more details
(than most of you want) on this topic:

European hunting, of course, was at various times and places a prerogative
of the elite/nobility, resulting in the criminalization of hunting by the
lower classes as 'poaching.'  (A number of people convicted of 'poaching'
were transported to the colonies--both North America and Australia, I
believe.) So it seems reasonable to assume that 'match hunts' in the USA
may have been to a certain extent celebrations of liberation from the
tyranny of European laws restricting hunting to the elite. And they may
have mimicked, to a certain extent the hunting matches of the European
elites.  But researching such a possible connection has so far been quite
difficult.  Any assistance or suggestions would be much appreciated.

Again AFAIK, USA match/side hunts were conducted afoot (rather than on
horseback, like 'foxhunting'), nor did they involve dogs, nor did the
entire hunt chase a single fox, rabbit, or other quarry (also  different
from foxhunting).  Instead, each hunter scored points independently on his
kills, which were then added to his team's score, to determine which side
won.

Based on my research, 'match hunt' was a much more common usage than 'side
hunt', but 'side hunt' was used in at least some areas around 1900 (with
the supposed derivation of 'hunting by sides' i.e., teams).  The Audubon
Society, in one of its origin stories, cites 'side hunts' as being the
impetus for the now nationwide and annually-scheduled 'bird counts,' which
were begun on a small scale in 1900 in an attempt to eliminate the
'senseless' slaughter of birds (and other wildlife) by a 'Christmas side
hunt' competition.

Many match or side hunts do appear to have been 'senseless slaughter', with
all kinds of animals being killed, ranging from songbirds to bison, usually
in a system where a varying number of points were allotted to each
different species, for scoring purposes.

Some of these hunts had a perhaps 'redeeming social value':  rat hunts, and
in some cases, rabbit hunts, were targetted at perceived pests.  Other
match hunts went for anything that breathed and was big enough to shoot.

Adding to the 'senseless waste,' in many cases, the 'game' from many such
hunts was not eaten (even if edible and choice), although there was usually
a celebratory meal following the event (paid for and served by the losers,
to the winners).

Googlers beware:  it's hard to eliminate phrases like 'the punishment did
not match Hunt's crime' and 'fearing a fire, we sent the children on a
match hunt all around the house...'  Also, sports teams are sometimes
reported as 'hunting matches' with certain rivals, etc.  Don't be surprised
if you and I match hunts.

Really extraneous details, for the addicted:

Match or side hunts were generaly distinct from 'ring hunts' (which refers
to a hunting strategy of trying to surround a large area with hunters, who
then drive the game into a small, roughly circulur kill zone), but it's
possible that there were some connections, since ring hunts required at
least a (singular) team, or even a team of 'beaters' and a (usually
smaller) team of shooters.  There are reports of this type of hunting
sometimes being practiced by Native Americans.  When Euros tried it, the
references I've seen described poor discipline and large holes in the
'ring' which allowed most or all of the game to escape.  There were also
'cross-fire' problems when the ring got small enough that the animals were
within range.

Once again, any help with the history/derivation of these specific usages
would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,



Michael McKernan