The Loudoun Hunt

November 2002

Hunting Diary

Hacked up Holmes Mill Road to Hillbrook across to the new ground and woods on the east side of the pond field. Cast hounds in the north end of the pond field woods. Struck almost immediately, turn down to the creek heading toward Taylor’s bottom. The fox turned left up the hill coming out into the pasture along the abandoned road bordering Thunder Run. A brace of fox crossed the open field splitting by the round bales next to the Straw Ring field.

Stayed with the fox in Hillbrook, it has run through the cattle fouling the line. We cast forward but the weather has turned worse suddenly and the scenting conditions are nearly shot. Push on to the Johnson field but the fox has gotten the advantage.

Cast back to our draw down the abandoned road along Thunder Run. Hounds pick up a fresh line in the thick cover above the creek on the south side of the road. The fox pops out and makes a bee line toward the main house, turns right handed through the horses turned out in the adjoining field and drops down to the creek by Packard’s bottom.

The line breaks up, we cast right to left, nothing. Forward across the creek the lead hounds open but it does not sound true. We cast forward to pick up that line, the weather has worsened further with the barometer dropping fast. It has rained, sleet and snowed in the past 20 minutes. The wind is gusting up to 35 mph.. We pick our way through the woods into Janney’s Mill. Hounds are speaking occasionally but the scenting is spotty at best. Hounds are enthusiastic, clearly if the scent improves they could own the line.

At the road, turn left along the creek, the line is still not much better. The wind has picked up considerably and now it is sleeting and snowing. This blows over in about fifteen minutes. The temperature has dropped 10 degrees in a matter of minutes. We draw back toward Hughesville road along the creek opposite David Moyes’s and Anne Ma’s farm. The line is patchy still, recross the creek below the driveway and follow it out along the woods.

Hounds are definitely showing interest across the yard and up to Hughesville Road but still the scenting is poor. Jump the coop off of Hughesville road into Thunder Run casting into the thicket on the opposite hill side drawing toward the main house. Pick up the wooded spinney and then on to the round bales behind the barns at Thunder Run, nothing.

We then draw the big woods at the back of Thunder Run. Hounds found, the voice is much sharper, scenting is better. The fox turns sharply left heading toward Holmes Mill Road, dropping down right handed to the creek, crossing the creek and back tracking toward Tiffany’s bottom. The line faults we cast left into the woods behind the Pitz’s circling counter clockwise. In the field directly behind the Pitz’s, Charlie dives out of the hedgerow directly in the front of the hounds working the line. The whole pack opens, driving hard on the fox. Down hill fast and furious to the creek, turning right along side the creek into the woods below the power line. Cutting catty corner through the woods up hill to the power line the fox comes out into the field and thinks better of that and back into the woods making a beeline for the old Riggs place and Hughesville Road.

In behind the old Espy property, the fox gets into the thick undergrowth. Now that scenting is better hounds keep pressure on and push the fox out across Hughesville Road heading straight for Sam Welsh’s dairy farm. Across the open field we are flying into the woods along the Welsh’s farm. The line faults in the open behind Sam’s brother’s place. We cast back into the woods. Charlie has turned back toward home taking us on a dead run down the power line bordering Betty Simm’s and back across Hughesville Road.

Turning right up the hill following the power line back into Espy’s circling around clockwise and putting Charlie ground. Forty-five minutes and hounds, horse and the field have had a thrilling finish to the day.

Submitted by Solo Lord