Cast hounds into the cedar grove at the right side of the entrance to the Hume. Hounds struck almost immediately. Young entry opened, older hounds showed limited interest and then owned the line. The whole pack tightened up and we were off.

Parallel to Thomas Mill road to the first creek crossing, hounds stayed in the woods west of the corral. Burst out into the power line just east of the old Leesburg Road bed. Faulted slightly but found quickly following the old roadbed, hard cry at a good galloping pace.

Exited the roadbed at the meeting place by the 15-acre woods. Charlie gets an advantage in the 15-woods with the leaves down and wet. Hounds have faulted. All three options are open right, left or forward. We cast in a circle from left to right to try and re-cross the line.

Near the top of the hill in the 15-acre woods hounds find again and break out across the lane into the woods by Mark Anderson’s house. Hounds own the line again driving down the hill toward the creek across up along path by the pond on Woodburn Road. Staying in the woods they came out at the top of the hill across the power line driving into the over grown covert next to the field rented by Randy Broaddus.

Hounds push into the Hunt woods above Dry Mill Road and turn right toward Woodburn Road. No slacking in the pace so far we are at full cry and a steady gallop. Down and up the hill getting closer to Woodburn Road. Just behind the houses along the Woodburn Road hill coming off of Dry Mill Road the hounds turn north toward Dry Mill Road.

The hounds have us at an advantage in the woods and get ahead of us. They push on hard heading back toward the kennel. We drop down to Dry Mill Road and come back into the Hunt woods adjoining the Hume. The pack has faulted we have been at it for almost 40 minutes. We have three couple and blow for the remainder of the pack. Three couple are ahead in the wooded cover just below the kennel.

We draw toward the lead hounds to pick them up and try to re-find the line. Across the coop above the kennel hounds pick up the line again. Dropping down to the creek crossing over into the cedar grove by Thomas Mill Road. Hounds fault at the road we cast right and left nothing.

In all likelihood the fox has crossed the road. However hounds swing backwards and pick up a line. They are not holding it well it feels like heel but then older true hounds open on it. We probably have switched fox. Hounds are not as sharp on this line. We are on spoilt ground and the conditions have deteriorated further.

We take this line up again toward Woodburn Road turning left into the Hunt Woods and dropping back down to the creek behind the kennel.

The weather has worsened and we are blowing hard. Pick up hounds and call it a day.

Submitted by T.J.