The Shakerag Hounds of northeast Georgia brought East and West together in a remarkable gathering of hounds, huntsmen, masters and members for its 2006 hunt week, Jan. 19-23.

Fifteen members of the Caza Ladron Hunt in New Mexico journeyed to Georgia with a full pack of hounds and a trailer full of horses, and they met up with an equal number of hounds and members from the Red Mountain Hunt of North Carolina for some fast-paced hunting of gray fox and coyote. They left the Georgia countryside ringing with hound music and the hoof beats of nearly 70 horses on each of the four hunting days.

On opening day, the Shakerag and Caza Ladron hounds were cast at Shakerag’s south clubhouse fixture in the afternoon with Shakerag Huntsman Rod Swanson and Jt.-MFHs Sally Rasmussen and Richard Washburn. Caza Ladron Huntsman and MFH Guy McElvain and Jt.-MFH Brian Gonzales led the field of 65 riders on a steady pace through the brush and open fields of the northeast Georgia piedmont. Col. Dennis Foster, executive director of the Masters of Foxhounds Association, rode with the huntsman.

Soon after the first cast, hounds struck on a brace of coyote and ran them for more than an hour. The two fields galloped in pursuit through stands of young planted pines, horses changing leads left and right as riders dodged the rubbery limbs of the young saplings.

At one point, the entire field burst out in the open for a long gallop across Child’s fields, where huntsmen, masters and members of the first field were rewarded with a view of the brace crossing the road to out of the hunting country.

The field viewed the pair once again, within 20 feet of MFH Washburn’s horse as they crossed Sam Swindle Rd. and were lost for the day. With the two fields gathered in an open field, Swanson and McElvain blew end of the day as hounds were collected and everyone headed off for breakfast at the clubhouse. Col. Foster enjoyed meeting members of all three hunts and signing many copies of his new book Whipper-In.

More Coyotes
On the second day, hounds from the three packs were cast together in the morning at Roger Smith’s Royston/Goldmine Ranch property in Franklin County. Garry Riggs and Bruce Dalton, jt.-MFHs of Red Mountain, and Red Mountain Huntsman David Raley joined this time for a fast-paced morning that found the hounds running coyote twice.

The first strike produced a 45-minute run on a big, black coyote that has provided some fast runs and great views for Shakerag members in the past at this fixture. The quarry eluded the hounds by crossing U.S. 29 into non-permitted territory.

Hounds were cast a second time and produced a short burst of activity on another coyote that took the two fields through the bottomlands and up into the high brush before he was viewed as he headed into swampland just beyond a deep and muddy creek bank.

Riders from both fields galloped after hounds through this beautifully paneled hunt country. Thanks to open gates on most of the property, the hilltoppers were able to stay right up with the first field and keep pace with the action.

A Fox Full Of Meaning
The third hunting day opened cold and rainy. The three combined packs had their work cut out for them with poor scenting due to the downpours the day before and that morning.

But triumph was in store as the hounds struck on a gray fox within a half hour of the first cast and ran the fox for an hour and 10 minutes before they accounted for him in a patch of thick undergrowth at McClure’s Sandy Creek. The hardy 45 riders in the first and second fields, although wet and cold, were rewarded with a hunt to remember.

Several juniors joined the field that day, among them young Clayton McElvain, son of Caza Ladron MFH Guy McElvain. In a truly memorable moment, Clayton was blooded twice, first by his father and then by Swanson, who, some 30 years earlier had blooded Guy McElvain at exactly the same age as his son while hunting in Charleston, S.C.

Swanson’s relationship with the McElvain family and the Caza Ladron hunt goes back to its beginnings since he helped Guy’s father build their original pack of hounds in New Mexico. (Caza Ladron was established in 1999 and recognized in 2000.) It was a memorable occasion for the McElvain father and son, as well as for Swanson.

Still hungry for more hunting, the Caza Ladron and Shakerag packs hunted together one last time on Tuesday, returning to Shakerag’s east clubhouse fixture.

A field of 30 followed the keen hounds as they opened on another gray fox and ran it off and on for more than an hour, crossing Sam Swindle Rd., down and over Seagraves Mill Rd. and finally treeing the fox in a Georgia pine tree in Randall Wardlaw’s cow pasture.

The gray obliged the entire field with an incredible photo opportunity as he sat low on a large branch with hounds swarming the base and riders able to thank him up close for giving them a great day of sport. The huntsmen blew end of the day and left the fox for more sport.

This 2006 Shakerag hunt week was special in many ways: Because it brought together hunts from east and west and because it represented a reunion of generations who’ve remained steadfast in their love of hounds and hunting.

The Caza Ladron hunt members journeyed east at the express invitation of the Shakerag Hounds and Swanson to renew longstanding relationships and to build new ones. The Red Mountain staff and members have long been friends to Shakerag’s staff and members, and their presence during this memorable hunt week made the hunting all the more enjoyable.