Cast hounds north across Pyletown Road into the wooded cover behind H.K. Benham’s along the gas power line. Hounds opened on the west side of the cover pushing Charlie out across the gas line. A lone hound had come from the east side and covered the line.

Hounds came to the holloa, could not make out the line in the clearing but picked it up in the woods. Pushed out of the woods toward the Page Brook barnyard. The line faulted in the field before the farmhouse. Cast hounds left, nothing. Hounds last spoke in the farmhouse yard. Picked up and cast along the driveway and forward into the field by pond.

The wind is making scent hard to hold in the open. Pushed east across the open field by the Page Brook pond into the field with the power lines. Drew north along the cover, hounds spoke but the line seems cold. Crossed under the power lines and drew back south. Hounds opened almost immediately and then split, two foxes. Staff viewed one by an old barn pulled the pack together onto the line but again the wind meant scent was not holding in the open.

Cast onto the other line, which was in the wooded cover and hounds found. The fox turned right handed back under the power line, popped out of the cover in the open field at the Page Brook pond and ducked back into the cover. Hounds kept working forward on the line, pushed back across under the power line toward Pyletown Road. The line faulted in a thick cover. Cast right handed when a holloa came from behind, the fox had circled back and popped out again by the old barn.

Harked hounds onto the line and driving it east parallel to Pyletown Road into a field with sage grass, great fox cover. The hunted fox stuck to the thick cover along the road. A mangy fox lying low in the grass jumped up in front of the pack and was chopped, mercifully. Cheered the hounds on the kill and then cast back onto the hunted fox. We are about 10 minutes behind it now.

Hounds pick up the line. The fox had not gone far but it was running a circuitous route in the thick wooded cover, zig-zagging west, north and back east. We finally get it up on its feet and are now driving it. Heading straight for Rt 340. Staff gets on the road to keep hounds off. The fox crossed Rt 340 and then came back almost immediately. Hounds fault at the pond on the west side of 340 just outside of Boyce as the line stops at the road and then pick it up again back into the open field.

The fox is now running south toward Huntingdon, parallel to Rt 340. Through the front fields at Huntingdon it swings right handed back toward Page Brook across the creek by the pond toward the Page Brook Farm house. Staying to the south side of the farm house hounds cross the open field toward the gas power line where we started the day. Into the cover we are now on spoilt ground. The line faults, we pick it up the fox has the advantage ducking in and around this large wooded cover. We push it out put it is not under any pressure. It crosses the open field behind H.K Benham’s, through the field with the osage orange trees into the back of Tom Walker’s and the Sower’s land. The fox turned sharp west and is headed toward Salem Church Road and the Opequon Creek. We pulled hounds off as the creek is up and running fast.

Crossed over Pyletown Road down Salem Church Road west. Cast hounds in the field at the corner of Pyletown and Salem Church Road drawing west. Hounds picked up a line running south-southeast, pushing the fox out into the open pasture. Hark the hounds on the holloa. The hounds own the line and are driving the fox across the fields behind the Hunting Box, through the woods at Vaughan and Wendy Clatterbuck’s new farm headed toward Summerville Farm.

Hounds drive the fox into the cedar grove where the fox gets the advantage with the thick undergrowth. Cast forward and right but the line has faulted. Circle back clockwise but now the line is deteriorated.

Out for nearly three hours. Call it a day and pick up hounds.

Submitted by Solo Lord.