Hunting Saturday October 17th, 2009 - 9:00AM
Valley Green Farm (Bridlespur Kennels)

Huntsman: Eleanor Hartwell (Jack)

Whips: Gene Deutsch (Waffles), Tess Fleishli (Belle), Jill Wagenknect (Camo), Mary Hensel (fieldmaster) (on Toby),

First Field: Leslie Granger (Maurice) Fieldmaster, Lauren Reitz (Floyd), McKenzie Bussard (Bert) Ron Ausman (Lark)

Second Field: Leslie Ayers (PT), (fieldmaster), Beverly Stevens (Courtney), Kevin Parentin (Izzy). Sue Marshall (Stretch)

15 1/2 couple hounds

GPS readings 11.7 miles. Max Speed 25.3 mph Moving time 2 hr 12 minutes, stopped time 64 minutes. Total time 3 hrs 16 minutes. Moving average 5.3 mph.

Lunch/Brunch – Provided by Deborah Daugherty. Very yummy stuffed peppers.

The morning was cold and overcast. Temperature ranged from 38 to 50 deg. F. Wind was from the Northwest at 0-4 mph. The Barometric pressure was rising.

They were short of whips so it was decided that Mary Hensel would whip and I would be first field fieldmaster. Sue Marshall was assigned to be second field master. Unfortunately Sue found he had a rock in his foot which she cleaned out but he was still a little off so Leslie Ayers took over leading the second field.

We headed south across the main creek crossing and hacked all the way to the Hog Farm. This was a good thing to do on a cool crisp day to take the edge off the horses and would allow the hounds to work into the North wind from the South.

We continued South from the Hog Farm almost to highway Z. There we turned northeast and stayed along the edge of a field as we worked our way toward Tim Browns. We went for a ways and Eleanor wanted to take the hounds into the woods on foot so I held Jack for her and she went into the thick woods. I could hear her working her way North so I followed along with Jack. She came out blank and we continued toward the corn field in Tim Brown’s property. We then headed down the hill and headed through the woods to the pipeline. We were down in the bottom there when we heard the hounds start speaking and Eleanor took off back down the pipeline and made a tight turn into the woods. We had a tough creek crossing to negotiate and then we took off after her. I didn’t see her make the turn but pulled up there and Ron spotted her tracks on the trail so we took off galloping through the woods up the hill and back down the driveway to Tim Brown’s and back to Highway Z. I saw Eleanor galloping Westward down Z. We followed at a brisk trot to make sure everyone was safe on the road. We turned down the hog farm road after Lauren made a great demonstration of side-passing with Floyd to open the gate. As we were heading down the driveway I could see Eleanor had turned and was coming back our way so I stopped and waited.

She was heading down to go further West on Z but suggested we stay inside so we headed toward the corner of the property and listened for the hounds which we could hear really going.

When we couldn’t hear the hounds anymore we headed back the silo and soon Eleanor came back down the driveway with the hounds and a couple of whips.

She wanted to work the woods just to the west of the hog farm and we stayed on top of the hill where we would have the best vantage to watch. She worked the edge of the woods and soon the hounds started speaking and heading back to the east. We took off to follow and had a good gallop up the hill and on to the trail to nowhere, into the woods and back toward Tim Browns. Hounds had split and some could be heard to the west of us in the woods.

Hounds and horses were tired by this time so Eleanor gathered them up and we headed in.

Jane Liesmann had shown up while we were out and kindly headed up the lunch that Deb Daugherty had brought. It was very good and I went back for seconds.