Hunting Diary

September 21, 2002

Started out by Mrs. Good's in the 10 acre field north of the barn. Drew the tree line and the small cover circled by round bales. Hounds showing more enthusiasm, attacking the covers better. Charlie had been through but it was probably a night line.

Jumped into Mrs. Traubul’s, heading to the pond below the pinewoods. Again, there was lots of feathering but none of the hounds opened. On foot up-hill through the pinewoods, as the cover was too dense to go through astride. Crossed into Yellowwood, to the cover on Patty’s Hill.

Hounds spoke, a fresh line but the fox was already away. Kept putting pressure on encouraging the hounds to attack the line, lots of voice, some horn but needed them to figure it out too. Hounds circled north again then down hill to the wet weather creek. Crossed over into the hillside cover behind Kent’s and along Laycock’s. Hounds kept up the pressure, the line was freshening some.

Dropped down to the old Leesburg roadbed near the beaver damn in Yellowwood, turned back west pushing Charlie down the length of the roadbed. Came out at the wet weather creek working back Southeast toward Mrs. Traubul’s pond. The hedgerow along the wet weather creek is thick and ideal for the fox to navigate through.

Backtracked into Mrs. Traubul’s, following the hounds; the fox was steadily pulling the hounds into the pinewoods back down to the pond. Faulted, were now on spoilt ground. Hounds seemed to have made a loss, began to move away from the pond when Charlie ducked out behind the pack. As we turned about Loudoun and Irish opened and shot straight uphill on the line.

Cheered the pack on to a full cry and we are off in hot pursuit. The fox circled right- handed into Patty’s Hill cover. Down across the wet weather creek into the opposite cover. Hounds faulted on a covered line. Picked the pack up and moved into Laycock’s.

Drew the Laycock woods right handed. Hounds picked up a line in the wooded cover by Canby Road. A deer crossed and they faulted. Cast left handed through the deer line picking up the fox again at full cry.

Ran down to the coop between Yellowwood and Laycock’s, turned right-handed parallel to Yellowwood out the North side of Laycock’s into the bean field. The line faulted. Picked up hounds and called it a day.