How to Play Fox Hunt/Hare & Hound Darts

Fox Hunt Dart Game Rules

Fox Hunt is a competitive chasing dart game where one player chases the other around the dartboard. It is also known as Hare and Hound dart game. The only difference between the two is the name of the player being chased. In Fox Hunt the player being chased is called the Fox, while in Hare and Hound they are called the Hare. In both games the chaser is referred to as the Hound.

The following rules will say Fox for consistency.

Number of Players

Two players can play Fox Hunt. It's best suited for players of a similar skill level.

How to Play

In the dart game Fox Hunt, the Fox must work their way across the dartboard to get back to their "burrow" before being caught. The Hound must try to catch the Fox before that happens. Each player has a chance to be the Fox and the Hound.

The Fox starts on the 20 segment as their burrow, and their goal is to work their way around the board clockwise until they get back to 20. Their first target is 1, then 18, and so on.

The Hound starts on 5 and their goal is to land on the same segment that the Fox is on before the Fox makes it around dartboard back to the 20 segment. If the Hound manages to lands a dart on the same segment the Fox is on, the Fox has been caught.

Both players get three throws per turn and each segment only has to be hit once, which means a player can move several segments in one turn.

If the Hound catches the Fox, or the Fox makes it to 20, then the first round is over, the roles get reversed, and a new round starts. The new Fox has to make it past where the previous Fox was caught to win. If both Foxes make it back to the 20 then it is a tie unless another game is played. 

Optional Rules and Handicaps

It’s very easy to implement handicaps for Fox Hunt. The Hound could be required to start on the 12 or 9 so they are even further away from the Fox. More skilled players can also be limited to two, or even one dart, depending on the skill gap. 

To increase the challenge even more, players could be limited to only hitting doubles or trebles to advance. This can also be another way to handicap more skilled players.