Hunting Sunday January 13th, 2008 10:00AM
Valley Green Farm

Huntsman: Eleanor Hartwell

Whips: Jill Wagenknecht, Gene Deutsch, John Korenack, Tess Fleishli

First Field: Mary Hensel (fieldmaster), Bob Wilmott, Jean Mutrux, Abby Mutrux, Sue Marshall, Deb Hogan, Roger Smith, Leslie Ayers, Leslie Granger, Shelby O’Leary, Anne Hoagland, Sue Hamilton

Jr. Field: Lei Ruckle (Fieldmaster), Cissy Calvrid, Joy Yates, Diane Begemann, Mackenzie Bussard, Morgan Goe, Katie Young, Ron Ausman, Beverly Stevens

15 ½ couple hounds

GPS readings 9.55 miles 1 hour 38 minutes moving 1 hr 10 minutes stopped. Total time 2 hrs 26 minutes. Max speed 23.2 mph
Moving average 5.8 mph

It was a cold morning with flurries in the air when I hitched up the trailer. The temperature was 27 degrees when we started and never got above 29 degrees. The wind was from the North and was quite chilling. The sky was overcast although the sun did come out a few times. The Masters allowed parkas for those that wanted them.

Since the wind was coming from the north it was decided we should hack to the hog farm and start there. Eleanor took the hounds down and drew the woods just above the creek. We followed but stayed on the high ground out in the open. The hounds started speaking and we headed toward the road to nowhere and took it out to the open fields down below and came back up the hill to the hog farm again. While we were waiting there two coyotes came out of the woods and crossed the field and headed back into the woods. The hounds were screaming behind them and sounded great. It was neat to watch Truffle follow the exact line of one of the coyotes and jump the log jump in the same exact place. We went down the hill and waited as we heard the hounds streaming along the bluff. We got to the creek just in time to watch a coyote cross the field on the other side. Eleanor was behind us and came into the field. She gathered the hounds and tried to show them the line we had seen the coyote on. Hounds were still speaking on the other side of the creek as the coyotes must have split. Some of the hounds picked up the line. We had several more runs. It seemed like wherever Eleanor cast the hounds they would start speaking and take off. One time four deer came out of the woods and we were delighted to see not one hound behind them. It was a marvelous day but people were getting cold and dropping out a few at a time. We called it quits and headed for the trailers.

Our junior field (with some assistance from their parents) prepared the lunch. It was delicious with several salads, pork sandwiches, and a selection of desserts, including ice cream.