Hunting Wednesday December 26th, 2007 10:00AM
Valley Green Farm

Huntsman: Eleanor Hartwell

Whips: Jill Wagenknecht, John Korenack, Tess Fleishli
First Field: Mary Hensel (fieldmaster), Stephanie Mihlbaugh, Sarah Zenisek, Jean Mutrux, Abby Mutrux, Leslie Ayers

Second Field: Werner Kugler (fieldmaster), Gerda Kugler, Michael Murphy, Debbie Hogan, Leslie Granger

Jr. Field: Lei Ruckle (Fieldmaster), Cissy Calvrid, Joy Yates, Ron Ausman

14 ˝ couple hounds

GPS readings 7.62 miles 1 hour 26 minutes moving 2 hour 3 minutes stopped. Total time 3 hrs 29 minutes. Max speed 19.2 mph
Moving average 4.9 mph

It was only 25 deg. F when I loaded up the horse at the barn. The weather prediction was for a high of 50 degrees so it promised to warm up fast. By the time I got to the clubhouse it was mid thirties in Temperature. The footing was sloppy and although rain had been forecasted, it held off and was actually sunny most of the morning. The ground was frozen underneath with mud on top. The north slopes still had traces of snow in the shade. The temperature was 36 deg. F when we started out and warmed up to 47 deg. F. The Barometric pressure was falling and clouds started closing in the afternoon. Everything was very wet as the humidity was high. Winds were light and from the east.

We headed North from the clubhouse and then turned East into the wind. The hounds found a line and started speaking almost immediately. John saw Tanker in the lead. The coyotes must have split as he had one part of the pack that continued east and another that headed more north. We headed down the pipeline and headed east to the corner of the property. Eleanor headed on down the driveway after the hounds and we waited there at the gate. Eleanor gathered most of the hounds back and drew the woods south of the Dark house. We followed Jill down the woods trail along the property line heading due south. We then circled around and headed for the hog farm. We were standing on a hill as Eleanor was in the woods and watched as Nabisco picked up a line almost right in front of us. The rest of the hounds with her honored and they took off down the hill into the woods. They lost the scent and circled back around to where we were. The hounds started speaking again and headed Southeast into Welsh’s. Eleanor tried to follow but was thwarted by old fence lines. We waited just off the corner of the property hoping they would circle back around toward us but they went the opposite way. Eleanor gathered up the hounds and brought them back. We had a lovely ride back to meet her on the “river trail” which I don’t think I had been on before. We met up with Eleanor and brought the hounds in.

We met for lunch at the Diamonds Restaurant after loading up our horses. It was nice good country food.