The Loudoun Hunt

October 2002

Hunting Diary

Drew the small corn strip by the tenant house going north. Hounds attacked the cover but found nothing. Crossed into the Grub Farm casting along the creek and picking up the spinneys nearby. Continued to draw toward the pond and old barn still nothing showing.

Put the pond on our left side and moved back around to the wooded area with the abandoned cars and old farm buildings. Hounds struck on a fresh line driving through the cover into the corn strip. Turn right handed toward the airplane field, running the length of the airplane field into Russell Brown’s corn strip along old Route 7 turning right handed.

The fox did not dwell long in the corn strip turning right handed again crossing over the hedgerow turning left and making a dash for old Route 7. Reaching the wooded cover along old Route 7 the fox turned right again. Hounds aggressively pushing, keeping the fox on its feet we crossed the driveway at Valley View Farm. The fox turned hard again dashing across an open field and went to ground in the old bank barn at the Grub Farm.

The field saw a second fox break out from the woods along old Route 7 headed toward the airplane field. We drew back toward that line from the old bank barn. We are 15 or 20 minutes behind and the wind is pushing the line around. Hounds are picking at it but cannot get a proper hold on the line. We keep casting forward to the airplane field.

Arriving at the woods that border the airplane field we cast in. Hounds open but it falters. At Digges Valley Road look to cast right handed when hounds open hard across the road by the abandoned barn near the coop. Encourage the hounds, the line breaks up and then picks up at the cornfield by the silo and pond on Digges Valley.

Cast counter clockwise into the wind along the corn strip. Hounds pick up the line again at the creek below the cabin on 704. The line hardens as the hounds push into the Cabin Woods bordering Hidden Valley. Hounds are hot on the line through the woods, past Wesley’s old house. The fox gains the advantage by Wesley’s new house as the tightly mowed yard does not hold the scent well. Into Anita’s woods across from the Overbrook drive the line freshens.

Hounds push hard through the woods into the Little Brook hay field charging down the hill to the creek. Turning left the line faults. Hounds recast in a circle at the creek and cannot find. Move forward toward Yellowwood, nothing.

Back track through the Little Brook barnyard into the hay field. Three large dens are in the hillside. Cast along the hillside, hounds mark on the second den. Great finish, call it a day.

Submitted by TJ.