The Loudoun Hunt

September 2002

Hunting Diary

September 28, 2002

Cast hounds east along the school ring field into the woods behind the school ring. Hounds spoke but did not attack the line. Continued the draw along the creek bottom. The creek is flowing following the heavy rains from Hurricane Isadore.

Cut back up into the Punch Bowl field to get on the inside of the hounds. The line freshens but not sharp. Hounds pick up the line with more vigor still in the woods bordering the Punch Bowl. The line faults by the wide coop and gate out of the woods.

Let the hounds cast down to the creek, nothing there, draw them forward into the Punch Bowl circling clockwise toward the barns and down to the creek to make this ground good. No interest. Cross the creek and make good the cover that separates the two fields behind the Fox Glen house bordering the McIntosh farm.

Circle back to the woods along the second field heading toward the Snowy River coop. Staff sees the fox break across the field headed toward the Punch Bowl field. Hounds solidly pick up the line pushing the fox back into the Punch Bowl.

The line faults in the gorge in the Punch Bowl. Draw along the gorge to make good the length of it. Hounds find on the opposite side heading towards Light’s. Turn left down into the creek bottom. We are now on spoilt ground and the line thins out immediately.

Continued northeast along the creek, crossing over early to make good as much of the woods bordering Guggenheim’s. No interest. Come out of the woods into McIntosh’s hay field. Drop down to the creek when staff returns to say that one or two hounds are working the line forward. When they open. Hark the pack to honor the open. Hounds turn northwest headed toward the McIntosh farmhouse.

The line faults in the woods before the 20 acre field with the steers. Cast the woods counter-clockwise to make it good. Nothing. Come out of the woods with the intention of heading toward Milltown road and draw back along the creek.

Down at the creek drew back along the hillside thicket and picked up a line. Hounds are sharp but not overly aggressive, as the temperature has been rising for some time now. Push through the length of the thicket turning right handed into a long narrow gorge. About half way up the gorge the hounds are marking at an old oak tree that is hollowed out at the root bed. Blew to ground and picked up to move on.

Headed to the cornfield along Old Wheatland Road. Putting in at the Northwest corner. Hounds strike early pushing the fox the length of the corn, breaks out to the north swing right handed into a thin grove of trees. Hounds fault hard. Cast the length of the cover and find a den. Hounds not marking the den.

Scent has deteriorated. Call it a day.