T IS a busy ole job," says the Four Burrow Hunt's Paul Hancock, as he takes me on a tour of his Kennels based in Pink Moors, near St Day, Cornwall.

With ten horses on the yard and 44 couple of hounds to look after, understandably there is never a dull moment for the Hancock family, who live and breathe hunting.

I visited on a non-hunting day yet the inquisitive hounds, resting from the previous day's work, all jumped up from their respective quarters to see who the latest visitor was, lapping up the attention as we passed by.

"They're like a big pile of kids," smiles the Cornishman, who admits to having a soft spot for hounds and, naturally, he knows each and every one of them, working with them morning, noon and night.

Mainly of Cattistock and Berkeley blood crossed with an American import Midland Hardaway, the pack serves the hunt well. "We have to try and breed a hound that is quick – with all the sprays and artificial fertilisers used these days which confuse the trail, today's hound has to be quick to make up the ground he has lost," he explains.

First job of the morning is to wash them out, which is done three times a day as "cleanliness is key" and when not hunting they are taken up the field for exercise.

"It gives you a chance to see who is lame and who will not be hunting the next day. The daily exercise entertains their minds and loosens them up a bit especially if they've been hunting the day before."

During their career, hounds run up thousands of miles on the clock. "They cover vast distances for up to seven hours a day, three times a week during a season so I wouldn't like to say how many miles that is – but they love it and this is what they are bred for," says Paul, who relies on the familiar baying of the hounds as his wake-up call on hunting mornings. "They know their hunting days just as the horses do."

Next job for the morning is making sure everything is right for tomorrow's hunting.

"We do as much work as we can on our hunting country. This usually involves me poking about, perhaps taking down a bit of wire and putting in gates or jumps for access. It's important to keep the finances going to keep improving the country which hopefully pays off in the end – the more you've got, the more people will want to come – they don't want to clatter down the road.

"At the end of the day we are an entertainment business and if you keep people coming then everything should stay in a good financial way," explains Paul, who was delighted with the turnout for the New Year, seeing more than 200 gather for the first three meets.

Paul, who came to the Four Burrow in 1982 and has been a master since 1990, says trust between a master and the hunting country is important.

"If we want to keep coming back next week, next month and next year, good relations are essential. We are only allowed to hunt thanks to the goodwill of the landowners and therefore we have to know our limits."

He adds: "None of this would be possible without the support of joint masters Tony Blumenau and Melroy Francis, as well as a great hunt committee."

Four Burrow country covers from Padstow to Camborne and Paul's master duties cover Truro and Redruth.

"We card all our farmers a week ahead to say where we are meeting and it gives them time to get back to us with any problems – there is nothing worse than looking in a field and suddenly seeing 60 plus horses galloping by – most people are tolerant but it must be done on a highly organised basis."

After dinner Paul has to get on with his knackerman duties and is helped by daughter Nikki who also has her licence. In his specially adapted pick-up van he wends his way to numerous farms to collect dead stock. We are a collection service for farmers 365 days a year. It's something that the hunt can do for the countryside and it is a great link as we are on farms talking to farmers everyday," says Paul.

He finds this part of his job most exhausting – up until 10pm most nights skinning calves, sheep, horses and such like to provide meat for the hounds. He says only the best of the flesh is used, with the rest being discarded into skips to be taken away. "We have to be very careful and we rely on the animal keepers to be honest about any medication it has had, but more importantly if it has been put down by injection," says Paul. He once had a hound die and several others collapse due to consuming barbiturates from a carcass.

When it comes to the horses Paul admits handing over the reins to his wife Susan and daughters Katie and Nikki. "We all muck in but ten horses is a fair old undertaking and when it comes to turning them out for the hunting field, the rest of the team do a proper job. I would like to think we can stand ours up against anyone else's in England," says Paul who is not popular for his love of "persil-white" greys.

However, he bemoans the lack of stamina in today's horses. "The ones I grew up with were hard as nails and would last 12 seasons, but you just can't get them anymore."

He adds: "They did so much work and barely ever saw a vet but now there is nothing half as good and they are ten times dearer with vet bills."

As huntsman, Paul is responsible for controlling up to 40 hounds in the field, compare that to most of us who have enough difficulty controlling one dog off the lead. "This is what our summer work is about – teaching them what not to do – not to look at chicken, or a goat. In the press world, hounds are perceived as attacking anything when in fact they attack very little," explains Paul, who is quick to point out that there are more labradors in Redruth that cause trouble.

Commenting on the hunting ban, Paul is clear that it has to be got rid of. "The law is so badly made as we are always liable for prosecution. However hard you try to keep the hounds within a laid trail, if they leave it, it becomes a minefield for barristers – did you do it on purpose or not – clearly it can't go on."

So why does he do his "busy ole job?" – "The love of hunting, the hunting days, the great friends and the privilege of living and riding in countryside that is not otherwise accessible to any but the few that own it – it's definitely not because I want to be a knackerman."