Day 69 of the Hunting Season - March 2nd, 2011

Day 69 of the Hunting Season - March 2nd, 2011

Meet: Herr's Stone Lane

Temps: 40's

Couples: 16.5

Staff: Huntsman- James Paxson MFH, Whippers-in- Priscilla Godsoe, Hoppy Stearns, Field Master- Gary Kennedy

Start: 10:00am
End: 12:00 pm



Great - Great Day!



We started out along the fence line towards Barkers Woods and the hounds picked up an early line through the woods. The fox went right, deeper into Barkers Woods and in the direction of the Park. Hounds made pretty good speed following the fox through all of the cat briers. The puppies had a good taste of staying with the pack and going through thick and thin!



As soon as the hounds hit an open road they were flying. They took off along the road in the Park into the ravine paralleling West Ridge and the Blue Building. Keeping a steady canter I could keep up with the hounds along the edge of the woods in the fire break as the hounds headed towards the Brick House and then on towards the Church.



The hounds dropped left through the wash in the woods on the Radio Tower side heading towards the old quarries. From the quarries the were still going fast until the fox jumped back into the cat briers and slowed the hounds up a bit. I galloped from the ridge above the hounds near the quarry, all the way around to the Monument but never quite caught up.



As I came from the Monument the hounds were ahead of me heading towards Jims Woods, along McPhearson Lake. A good fast gallop around the lake put me on Park Road were I saw hounds still running up behind Jims House. I waited for a second or two to see if the fox would cross the drive at Jims but instead the fox crossed through Jim's back yard, along the pond, and up on the bank towards the horse pasture.



Full speed ahead and then silence! I cantered up through the horse pasture to find all the hounds at the hole. It must have been a well used den, because the hounds covered the two on the bank and got a good sniff of fox in their lungs. MFH Jimmy blew the fox in and praised the hounds for all their effort. We pulled the hounds back to let the fox be in his den unharmed and ready to play another day.

We packed up with a bunch of tired hounds, happy horses, and I'm sure some riders who will be feeling stiff in the morning!

Cheers!