Hunting December 21st 9AM
Kennels to Billy Busch’s

Huntsman: Eleanor Hartwell
Whips: Gene Deutch, John Korenak, Jill Wagenknecht, Lil Lewis
First Field: Werner Kugler, Robert Mihlbaugh, Sue Marshall, Lei Ruckle, Jean Mutrux, Jane Liesman, Jean Mutrux guest (Sarah), Leslie Granger
Hilltoppers: Leslie Ayers, Tess


GPS readings 17.13 miles 2 hrs 36 minutes moving 1 hour 4 minutes stopped.
Max speed 22.7 mph
Moving average 6.1 mph

Temperature started at 26 degrees and increased to 38 deg. F. We started at 9AM and returned at 12:30PM. Barometric pressure was falling, it was partly cloudy with sun at times. Humidity was high and there was heavy frost on the grass and some snow on the ground in places. Winds were from the WNW from 2-8mph.

It was pretty brisk in the morning and my horse was shivering as I was putting his studs in. I hacked over from My Half Farm to the kennels. I noticed that several people had decided not to go warmer than proper hunt attire would allow. Sue Marshal had a ski jacket on over her coat. Lei had a Barbour coat on, and Robert had a marvelous wool cape with fox fur collar. We started off across the dam and Eleanor drew the hounds into the woods across the lake. The hounds spoke and crossed back again behind the lake to the east. We again crossed the dam and headed up toward the driveway to the woods. Eleanor was not happy with this and called the hounds back and we headed across the dam again. She drew the woods again and we headed west across Huffmeier Rd. into Billy’s. Eleanor drew the woods behind the old white farm house while we went around and jumped the coop into the cow pasture. Then we went down the woods trail and jumped the coop into Mike’s place. I managed to miss the locust branch coming out of the creek this time although I saw Jane get it right across the head. Thank goodness for hard hats. I had slowed considerably to miss the branch and my horse was pulling like a son of a gun to catch up. It was then that I discovered that the little bit of frost on the frozen ground was extremely slick. My horse was slipping, even with studs in. We went up the hill and back around behind the white farmhouse again. This time we followed Eleanor on the woods trail. The hounds struck and split on what had to be two coyotes. We spent the rest of the day trying to follow what hounds we had. The footing continued to get more slippery and Eleanor took a header off Wakeyan at the coop at the west end of Billy’s big lake. Wakeyan slipped and fell as he approached it. Several field members had problems there too. It was slightly downhill and very slick. I was grateful that my horse was listening this time. Lei Ruckle and Sue Marshall decided to head in at this point. Lei had lost a shoe somewhere along the way. Gene viewed a coyote and we headed back toward him. We ran back up to the cattle pasture and then back down the hill to the creek. Eleanor drew the hounds back up the hill through the woods while gathering hounds but they were struggling to pick up a scent. John reported that he had seen a fox.
We then headed back toward the club. I hacked on back to the farm from there and drove back to the club. Gene had prepared biscuits and gravy which were wonderful. He also had fruit and coffee cake.