Drag-hunting squirrels is a true art and we’re only just beginning to learn its dark secrets. This is where we are so far…

First, you must prepare your “drag”. After various experiments, we discovered that it doesn’t need to look or smell anything like a squirrel. It just has to catch the hound’s eye. So we use an old sports sock.

Next, you must find a willing Huntsman to volunteer to run from the hound pulling the “drag”. This is called “laying a line”, so the professionals tell us. It’s a good idea to start slowly to catch the hound’s attention and then accelerate away. Usually, we ask the Huntsman to run in a curve to allow the slower followers to cut the corner!

Then comes the most important part: the release.

It’s a fine balance. Release the hound too early and the drag doesn’t last long enough to be exciting. Release him too late and he may lose the line. This can be quite embarrassing when he’s running through tourists and picnics in Hyde Park followed by dozens of panting followers.

And finally, the kill. A triumphant hound wrestles the sock to the ground and shakes its lifeless body until the hound’s victory is clear. Being a Jack Russell, this can take some time so we often try to distract him with a cleverly identical sock pretending to be alive.