Fixture: Bonnydale, 9 a.m.

Riders: Lili, Todd Kern, Huntsman for Snickersville Hounds, Kate, Cheryl, Gretel, Vicky, Terri, Judy, Susan, John, Terry, Grover, Julia  Road Whips: Diane and Howard   Car Followers:  Brooks and friend

Weather: warm and sunny

Hounds: 15 couple

I.D. Awards: None!

Tailgate/Breakfast: Tailgate potluck

The Hunt:   Tuesday Oct.19 we welcomed Todd Kern and 14 of his PMD crosses to join us for a weekday hunt. Todd was coming this way with a horse for one of his whips, Julia Bayliss, who is currently attending Sweet Briar college and hunting with us. This was very exciting for Stonewall because we had never hunted our country with a joint pack. Adding his 7 couple to our 8 and 1/2 couple made for a nice size pack. Todd anticipated a good run on something besides red fox, his usual quarry. He wanted to get his hounds on game that they normally don’t hunt, such as gray fox or bobcat or coyote. We have that type of varied game (and even an occasional bear) in our Stonewall country and not many red foxes.

Of course, as fate would have it, hounds found a RED fox, quickly after the first draw. I believe Todd’s hound spoke first as I did not recognize the voice. They sounded pretty urgent! Then—silence. After a few moments of disappointment, hounds quickly confirmed and honored and the silence instantly became a roar of 31 voices of the great American and PMD bloodlines that made each of our respective hunts proud!

As I was deciding which way to go, whipper-in Gretel Mangigian who was positioned back in the field where we parked, heard hounds coming closer and their cries intensifying. She was not disappointed when a beautiful red fox broke covert and ran along the tree line in the field below her. She quickly came on the radio alerting the staff of her view. Then she cried her view halloa and the hair, which was already standing up on our necks, bristled further as we knew quarry had been viewed.

Todd, who did not have a radio, excitedly asked WHAT she viewed. “Red fox” I screamed and off we galloped. We took off to get to the field by a busy road, where we thought the fox was headed but he turned in the woods, and headed back toward the hay bale field. We went one way and Cheryl Microutsicos, our field master, led the riders back the way they came (as it would have meant all of us galloping down a busy road!). We heard on the radio another tally ho, the fox had crossed back over the gas pipeline into the area in which he started.

From all different areas, we galloped to the gas line, and heard hounds coming as they circled counter clockwise . We galloped down to the bottom where he might cross, just in time to hear the roar of the hounds and watched them cross the gas line again on the fox’s line, where whipper-in Kate Fairfield, had viewed a red blur. What a treat!

Of course this meant the fox was headed BACK toward the busy road. Road whip Howard Moore and Diane Burroughs were there just in time to stop hounds as the fox had crossed. Three hounds did cross and staff worked hard to get them all back. Later a report came in that a passing car stopped to ask what was going on and to say they had seen a fox cross in the direction of the meet.

Although Todd may have been slightly disappointed that it wasn’t a gray fox or a coyote, we were all truly thrilled after an hour-long run on a red fox, with all hounds on and working together. Throughout the morning hounds blended better than I had anticipated and this was a treat for me to be a part of.

We enjoyed the hunt breakfast reflecting and sharing our individual stories of the day. Great job to all the hounds and staff for providing such a fabulous day.

Submitted by: Stonewall Huntsman Lili Wykle

Fixture: Wallis Farm, 8 a.m.

Riders: Lili, Kate, Cheryl, Gretel, Jenner, Janet, Erin, Vicky, Terri. Road Whips: Mary K and Howard

Weather: cool and damp

Hounds: 10 couple

I.D. Awards: None!

Tailgate/Breakfast: Tailgate potluck

The Hunt: Saturday started out at 8am with wonderfully cool temperatures, 9 expectant riders and 10 couple of eager hounds (Jeremiah, Kaptain, Tenson, Solomon, Angus, Sargent, Sawyer, Jefferson, Texas, Bingo, Charlie, Clipper, Keysville, Sally, Adeline, Allison, Sarah, Jennie, Tequila and Bonnie).

First hounds worked hard and spoke briefly on an old line in the open hay field. As we moved on down the pine trail, Sally opened in the pines and worked her way out to Red Gate Rd. and ran out to the corn field with half the pack following but they lost. The other group composed of young hounds came out further down on a deer and were stopped immediately. I packed them up and quickly trotted down the gasline where Sally spoke again and ran in the woods parallel to us and toward 4 Post Rd. All crossed the gasline following Sally as she continued speaking with her short choppy voice. We heard Tenson open next with his loud multi-note voice before all the rest joined in and the air reverberated with hound music. Down, down to the creek they screamed. I was on the gasline with the field. Cheryl crossed Amazon and took up post on the Rt.600 side. Kate headed south and parked Jane on the Baldwin Rd. trail. The second flight was down from us near 4 Post. Gretel had Rt.601 covered. Howard and Mary K were in their trucks covering both main roads at different times.

The hounds never stopped for hours. Around and around they went on Robinson’s below what we call the zoo. Actually it is a small farm with a variety of animals. I galloped back and forth four or five times as word came on the radio that hounds were going here, not there! Huge loops were made over and over and on the hounds roared on.

There was only one time that I know where hounds shut up and I believe they ran up on him. Jenner and I were on the Three Bridges trail when all went silent and then we heard some strange screams. A few minutes later hounds crossed in front of us in full cry again. I think that right before hounds stopped, Janet and her daughter, Erin, who were standing quietly and still at the very far end of the 4-post road, viewed a huge black bear. He parted the bushes about 10 feet away, froze a second as he stared at them and turned and fled. Janet and Erin immediately made their way up and out with Clipper and Tenson following them. Tenson had a long gash and a smaller one and another 2 welts on his hind leg. We think he got a slice from a bear paw. Tenson has since been stitched up with 11 stitches( for those of you betting on how many) and is feeling much better; up and around and hanging out with me at the barn. Many thanks to Howard, Mary K and Kate who helped transport him to the trailers, to the vet and back.

This whole day was the best team effort for our club. After Tenson left, we were missing 8 couple. No one knew where they were. We rode back to Rt.600 and heard nothing so we came back to the trailers, put up the horses, ate some yummy soup and sandwiches that Jenner provided and headed out to track hounds. Hounds had crossed Rt. 601 at some point. We all missed it. We slowly picked them up in a large area to the west of Cheryl’s road with Angus being the last in at 4:45pm. How I depend this tracking system!

Everyone has a great story to tell and hopefully they will add on to this blog. Gretel also saw a bear. Another one perhaps as he was crossing the gasline after hounds were long gone. Or did hounds take off on another game, maybe a coyote?

Let’s hope for some good fox runs in the future. I’m looking forward to Saturday when all the unentered hounds head back to the foxpen.
Your Huntsman,
Lili

Fixture: Wallis Farm, 7:30 a.m.

Riders: Lili, Kate, Cheryl, Kay, Terry, Grover, Gretel, Liam Road Whips: Earl, Howard, Judy B

Weather: fairly warm and dry

Hounds: 8.5 couple

I.D. Awards: None! (Liam? did he make it 8 seconds?

Tailgate/Breakfast: Tailgate potluck

The Hunt: Hounds found briefly in Loee’s field and in the woods between there and Stanley’s gate, but couldn’t take it anywhere. We worked around back to Loee’s field and they seemed to find again in the little field by the rider coop, took it up toward the Bulldozer field. Sally kept speaking in the pines, but nothing much happened and we retrieved them all and headed to 3 bridges.

On 3 Bridges trail Clara spoke, then we heard Kaptain further up, in the direction of last week’s bear. Hounds honored and we hurried up the DR Mower trail, only to hear them going away down Crane Creek (as usual!)

They circled back toward the Bear Woods and 601, and then back around to the gasline, but apparently got a bit strung out. We collected as many as we could and headed in, with Lili, Howard and Earl going off to track.

As of my posting, 3 hounds are still out, keep your fingers crossed they are found soon.

Here is the GPS track.

Red path is where the field went. Approx. 9.5 miles, click for larger view.

If anyone wants the Google Earth file (kml) email me and I’ll send it.

Fixture: Wallis Farm, 7:30 a.m.

Riders: Lili, Kate, Cheryl, Road Whips: Earl, Howard, Judy B

Weather: fairly warm and dry

Hounds: 6.5 couple

I.D. Awards: None!

Tailgate/Breakfast: Informal grab bag at Cheryl’s

The Hunt: Last Tuesday started out really slow. Only 7 couple ( four older couple out with various issues and 4&1/2 first year couple waiting in the wings to start) and three riders, Cheryl, Kate and I attempted to find some sport in this warm weather. We were joined by 4 truck followers: Earl, Howard, Judy and Jake Baldwin who lives and deer hunts this area.

We started on the Wallis farm in the nicely cut and opened pine trail. Hounds did work well the first hour despite no dew on the ground with Clara speaking a few times. We hunted over to the gasline and down to the hay field area. Still nothing. I was thinking that this wasn’t going to be a good day.

Then we went down the briery 4 post road. A new voice that might have been Sargent spoke loud and clear off to my right. All hounds honored with some very loud music. Possible coyote I guessed. They went south and then north toward Robinson’s. Kate was on the three bridges trail when she tally-hoed a BEAR! He was running along the creek coming back south. Hounds not to far behind with super loud voices. Sounded very exciting but not that sweet music they make on a fox; more like coyote. That bear went around and around and made more circles than even a bobcat. Big circles and smaller circles.

I think we must have turned him numerous times. Cheryl and I never saw him, but Kate viewed him a second time when trying to get close enough to stop hounds. As she was galloping down the whip’s trail she had to stop suddenly cuz that bear was coming straight for her. The bear stopped and turned and fled. Then Kate’s horse, Lacy, smelled the bear and went into overdrive with her head and tail high!

Hounds ran so long, I became really concerned. I had to scream, crack whip and get right on top of them before they would stop. All but Melody and Sawyer listened and those two came back to the truck later. We figured they ran close to 2 hours without stopping and no checks.

My horse, Seattle, was really tired but it was one fun hunt. I’ve never known my hounds to run a bear. And I always thought a bear would just flat out leave an area and take hounds far away.

The truck followers helped locate the 2 missing hounds before and after lunch in Cheryl’s home. Thanks to everyone!

Fixture: Sunny Day Farm, 7:30 a.m.

Riders: Lili, Kate, Cheryl, Earl, Howard, Vicky, Hope, Anne, and Sandy

Weather: cool and dry

Hounds: 7 couple

I.D. Awards: None!

Tailgate/Breakfast: Chicken salad, crackers & cheese, rolls, chips & salsa and cookies.

The Hunt: Started on Vicky’s trail and worked our way toward the Mushroom trail. As we crossed the creek, hounds started to run without speaking. Uh-oh…that usually means coyote. We heard them start speaking, but it was getting faint (crossed 601).

So Lili went back to Vicky’s trail and through Mr. Pickett’s. The field made their way down the Triangle trail out to 601. I left them to help Lili find her way over to the far side of Pickett’s as hounds had crossed the road and Kate had already flown across the road by Mr. Chamber’s logging road.

We started to get them back at the top of the edge of Pickett’s, and I noticed Amber looked hurt, big swelling on her chest, so I radioed to Lili that she would want to check her, and continued to try and find hounds.

Meanwhile, Lili got off her horse and checked Amber who had a huge hematoma and we thought she had gotten a puncture wound. Kate told her “GO!” and she and Earl whisked Amber off to the vet.

All the field members and staff, along with Howard, put as many hounds as would fit in Howard’s dog box and slowly made our way with 5 hounds on the ground and 8 in the truck back toward my house. Hounds wanted to stay with Kate, but then would hear the hounds in the truck, and go back, so we all ended up in a convoy with Howard and Red (his truck) leading, Kate and I following with hounds, then the rest of the field, with Hope ponying Seattle bringing up the rear.

It turns out that Amber was bitten by a snake! Dr. Morris was optimistic and said her vitals were good and she should be OK, but she has a huge and very painful swelling on her chest which has spread to other areas.

Please keep your fingers crossed that she makes a quick recovery.

Thanks to everyone who helped today, it was a great amount of teamwork that helped get Amber off to the vet quickly and all the other hounds in safely.

Here is a GPS overlay of our short but eventful (and not in a fun way) hunt! Click for a larger view in a new window. I added some labels of the trails and areas where we were. The track is approximately 3.9 miles.

Hunt GPS from 9/11/10

Cheryl

www.mfha.com
MFHA website, remodeled and updated. Consider becoming a subscribing member if you are not already. You will get Covertside magazine and also support MFHA’s efforts to protect our sport.

www.ecovertside.net
Web companion to Covertside magazine, sign up for free email list.

www.foxhuntinglife.com
Comprehensive site and lots of great pictures… check out the Genesee Valley photos. Click on Horse & Hound then Photo Gallery to see all the galleries. (FYI  It is a subscription website, but at this time the photo galleries are open for all. You don’t have to join to see them, but certainly can subscribe if you want, or sign up for their mailing list. )

www.foxhuntva.com
Cindy Morton (Rockbridge Hunt) and I put this together awhile back, it’s a good site but needs more content, so everyone post your articles and hunt reports, and send photos anytime! The calendar shows lots of foxhunting and hunter pace events. This is free and useful for all Virginia Hunts.

and of course…  www.stonewallhounds.com we also have a photo gallery and calendar to keep up with our club.

Enjoy these and feel free to add comments with links to your favorite fox hunting websites!

Hounds found in the Church Pines, true to form, and went around in there a bit, then we figure the fox crossed the road, but hounds had a little trouble following. They finally struck again in the pines over on the other side of Plum Branch. I stayed at the end of farm road watching up and down Plum Branch Rd., and our road whip, Howard, was up further where a dirt road goes in the other side (normally Kate’s spot but she was back on the power line in case they went toward the woods).

I was watching intently sure I would see the fox come out. Judy and Susan came down behind me to watch too. I started thinking about moving to a non-covered area (the vineyard). I told them to watch up the road in case Howard can’t see down here. I turned my head, and heard, “Tally Ho!” Howard viewed a gray crossing back into the church pines. Susan caught a glimpse of it too! RATS I just missed the view.

Then all of a sudden I thought, I better get to the farm road to see if it crosses there. I galloped up to a place where I had a good view up the farm road and watched, and wondered…. would the fox cross, and would it be the same path he went in the other side?

Sure enough, after a just a bit it darted out and crossed the farm road in a straight and fast line right from where he came. WHEE!!! Up I go to see which hounds come out first. Allison was first on and came out to where it crossed, but she didn’t find the line on the other side right away. Lili came up and blew doubling and cheered the hounds onto the line. Then I saw Jazz coming up the farm road after Lili, and I thought, great, Jazz (the old lady) will help find it.

Just at that moment I noticed a little game trail going into the woods—and so did Jazz. Her nose went down, then up went her head and her beautiful booming voice echoed the call… “I found him I found him” and all hounds honored. Off they went.

I galloped up to the top and made a right toward the snow covered field up top and we listened to them go round and round trying to keep track of the fox, but he gave them the slip down in the snowy woods. At one point I was able to look down in the woods and see them all against the snow covered ground. Great sights and sounds for all of us who have missed hunting so much over the past month! Can’t wait to go again Saturday.

After we jumped over the log and coup jumps for the second time, Kate came over the radio with a detailed description of the small light red fox coming straight toward her and peering up at her from under Stanley’s gate. He was checking out her pretty green tie. Then he backed up and took off down the hill along the old wire fence to the cedar stump field. I asked Seattle, my mount of the day, to sprout wings and fly up the hill. Arriving in an ecstatic state of mind, with heart pumping from holding on,  I blew doubling on the horn. Allison was the first to respond with all the others showing up within seconds. They worked hard with all their noses down and picked up the scent. How happy I was to have Sally back in the pack! She and Kaptain were outstanding today in their determination to hunt.

By this time, I think the fox had put alot of distance between himself and the pack. They screamed down through the woods but when they came into the cedar stump field the blowing wind really messed up the line. We gave them plenty of time to find the line before collecting them and coming in with Soldier being a bit hardheaded to follow. Seattle was white with sweat and I was so excited I couldn’t think straight. It was a great day! Maybe the best this year from my perspective.

Our tailgate included some yummy hot soup brought by Cheryl’s parents who were visiting from Florida and Kate’s, now famous, chicken salad. The weather was colder than when we started so all were anxious to get in their warm trucks and head home. Oh, now to relive the day as Jenner so happily requested!

P.S. Others: Please add and post your unique experiences, too!

We collected all hounds, crossed back over the gasline and hunted above the cemetary. This is where the day fell apart. Hounds spoke off and on and it didn’t sound as good. Some hounds came out to me like Dawson use to. Oh! Deer? Some hounds took off and we never knew where until much later. Other hounds, stayed in the pines speaking off and on. A gray fox? How I wish they wouldn’t split up. We spent the rest of the afternoon collecting hounds with Roo Roo being the last. She had crossed 2 roads and was heading to the Appomattox River when Earl and I tracked her to the Hix‘s cow pasture. Hoorah for shock and tracking collars!

Submitted by Lili