Hunting Saturday January 5th, 2008 10:00AM
Hill ‘n Hound Farm

Huntsman: Eleanor Hartwell

Whips: Jill Wagenknecht, Gene Deutsch, Lee Deutsch, Tess Fleishli

First Field: Mary Hensel (fieldmaster), Sarah Zenisek, Leslie Ayers, Leslie Granger, Charles Burch

Jr. Field: Lei Ruckle (Fieldmaster), Cissy Calvrid, Joy Yates, Diane Begemann, Ron Ausman, Beverly Stevens

14 ˝ couple hounds

GPS readings 7.08 miles 1 hour 19 minutes moving 57 minutes stopped. Total time 2 hrs 26 minutes. Max speed 23.1 mph
Moving average 5.4 mph

There was a slight mist in the air when I left for the farm in the morning to pick up my horse. The footing was sloppy and although a chance rain had been forecasted, it held off and was overcast and breezy most of the morning. The ground was frozen underneath with mud on top. The north slopes still had traces of snow in the shade. The temperature was 42 deg. F when we started out and warmed up to 52 deg. F. The Barometric pressure was falling . Everything was very wet as the humidity was high. Winds were gusty and from the South.

We headed West from the silo down the field road toward the XC course. Eleanor took the hounds and headed due south from the Silo. She drew along the covert but found nothing. So she lifted the hounds and headed North past the dressage arenas and into the cow pasture. She drew the drainage ditch along the field near the Macoupin river with no luck. We then headed back north and started to work the “fingers”. Mary was off her horse adjusting her saddle when Gene viewed a coyote coming out of the cover. We waited for Mary as she jumped on her horse and took off down the hill. We crossed two ditches and were waiting along the edge of a field. The hounds were really screaming. Out of the cover between the Junior field and the First field popped a coyote with one of our young entries Dancey not 30 feet behind his tail. About 30 seconds later the rest of the pack appeared on the line with Daphne in the lead position. The coyote ran due east and we headed southeast and ran down the road trying to cut off the coyote before it crossed the highway. Unfortunately the coyote continued on across the highway and the hounds had to be turned for their own safety. It was a great run and the hounds were all on. Since it was so breezy and we were unlikely have such a good experience if we kept hunting, Eleanor gathered up the hounds and we headed for home. I think everyone viewed the coyote except for Tess who was whipping and too far away to see from her vantage point.
Anne Hoagland brought lunch with a choice of sandwiches and soup. We had a good time discussing the run and our various views of the chase.

Patton and Tanker retired on a good note and went home to live out their days on Jill’s Dad’s farm. I know I will miss them as these old campaigners were easy to pick out from the rest of the pack.