Snickersville Hounds Hunt Report - February 5

Down through the ravine by the White Hall spring house, towards the Wacopin they worked. Casting about, Sanction (named after our little unpleasantness of late), spoke as he walked down on top of the stone wall until it played out. Then off the wall where Flora and Frenchie took over. Across the Wacopin and back up into Ball Hill again. As they worked northeast, they struggled to carry this line into the hog lot. Here they picked at it until whippers Alex and Julia view-hallooed south in the horse field. Sheila and I were on the north side. 

I raced around the east side of the woods, while Sheila moved back to the west to pick up in case they circled back that way. As I came south, I saw most of the pack come out of the woods and run east along a spring when the speaking stopped. Then, they cast back around west, where I saw, still coming through the woods heading south, Watson carrying the line. All rushed to honor him. Then out into the field they raced at full cry, with Yeager taking the lead. Across, west, into Ball Hill woods and out of sight. I went into the colt field, to the south where Alex had moved, and again saw the fox going south along the Wacopin. With Sheila on the north side and Liz with the hounds to the west, we sat on the south side waiting for the turn.

And we waited. They checked, then picked back up a couple of times but continued working west! We kept waiting to the south where the fox was viewed, but they kept pushing west. I even tried to cheer them up to me a couple times, thinking well, the fox had just gone farther and then circled south. But NO! I was ignored and should have kept my mouth shut and listened to what the hounds were telling me. They continued west up the ravine behind Wheatlands towards Polecat. Finally, I had to accept what they were telling me and go to catch up, as they had gone well west of me.

Our famous videographer, Chuck Woodworth, said the fox crossed Polecat. And of course, he has it all on film. When I got there, I saw the hounds crossing the road going into the woods near Glenwood Park grandstand.   Sheila was with them and let us know they had gone to ground in a rock outcropping. Somewhere in Ball Hill the pack had switched foxes, not surprising as so many are in there. When I arrived all the puppies were there. They were coming in and out inspecting the den.

We had been out just under two hours, we had all the hounds, no horses had gone down on the slippery ground, the Super Bowl was coming on, and we were at the meet. Gregg suggested this was a good time to go enjoy the tailgate where Tim was cooking burgers! It was a short, easy, fun day that gave the horses and hounds a little exercise, and the puppies another good lesson.

L'Audace L'Audace toujours L'Audace!