Hunting Saturday February 11, 2012 – 11:00AM
Shawnee Hunt Denmark Pyramid Fixture

Huntsman: Jim Beisel (Ranger) with Mark Smith

Whips: Lee Carson, Courtney Carson, Lei Ruckle, Connie Marshall, and more.

I rode Babu in first field with a nice lady from Mission valley named Patty. Gail Petrenkis led the field.

Started at 11:00 AM

GPS readings 8.57 miles. Top speed 26.7 mph. Moving average 6.7 mph. Time moving 1 hrs 12 minutes. 58 minutes stopped. Total time 2 hrs 10 minutes.

Narrative by Mark Smith MFH

Saturday, we hunted Mission Valley’s pack at 11 am at Denmark. Many were suggesting we cancel as at start time while it was sunny, there was a 15-20 mph NW wind with gusts to 30mph or better and the temperature was 19 degrees. There was a light dusting of snow from the previous evening on the ground. Despite the cold(and some grumbling), we all bundled up and went hunting. Jim took his 13 couple west from the trailers. They hit almost immediately and ran west along the big strip cut lake nearly a mile, where the game then went out of country and we had to stop them. We crossed the creek to the south , but because he was missing a hound that had gone on west, we just hunted west along the opposite side of the creek to hopefully get back the lost hound. In a few minutes the pack hit again and screamed to the west to the next road where they checked briefly, then found and raced southwest. The pack was fast and first field had stayed back at a check then lost site of the pack and by the time they realized we had gone on, we were nearly a mile away racing across the NW cow pasture, about a half section in size. The quarry took us into a small grove of trees in the corner of the pasture ,right to an injured doe that had been bedded down. The doe stumbled up and out of the cover too sick to run, and it was too much for some of the hounds, who switched to the deer. We stopped the pack there and collected stragglers and allowed the field to catch up.
From there we hunted south and east toward the twin cow ponds. Lee was ahead and to the south and radioed two coyote had been pushed out up ahead and were heading north between the cow ponds. The pack was already on the east side of the cow pond so we just hunted around it to try to pick up the line. They voiced tentatively but were having difficulty lining it out. To the north was wide open country and we could see whips and second field up there and knew they had not seen the coyotes. Jim and I reasoned they had gone around the pond and went back south into the thick cover under the power lines. Jim was working the pack that direction when off to my left about a quarter mile away in the SE cow pasture I saw what I thought was a coyote. Then I saw a pair of deer jump up running north in front of it. Connie, Richard and Mark Harris (visiting from Memphis) were close to the scene and talleyhoed, confirming a coyote. Jim picked up the pack and raced a quarter mile to Mark Harris who was standing on the line pointing the way. Apparently the pair of coyote had gone into that covert, but had split with one racing north, following the two deer. Despite the wind, the Mission Valley pack found immediately and the race was on. We raced across the pasture and as hounds ran under the fence, Jim, the first and second fields and I detoured a hundred yards to the nearest gait. The hounds raced across the east- west road into the next cow pasture and we followed taking the coop into the pasture then another detour around some fence and on we raced. They hit the woods in the north part of the big pasture, while Jim and I skirted the woods and caught up with the tail of the pack. On they went north across the big cut corn field and headed for the creek. They swam the creek just west of the creek crossing and as Jim and I crossed and came up the hill form the creek crossing, the front of the pack was across the next field heading for the big strip lake. They ran to the edge of the lake and turned back east, running at full speed along the lakes edge, heading straight toward our trailers about a 1.5 miles ahead. We had run this coyote on exactly this course in the past, so I knew what he was going to do. As we galloped I yelled at Jim that the coyote would turn south just before the trailers and go into posted land. He would then either run across it , forcing us to take a big detour and possibly lose the pack or he would double back and run the same course in reverse. Sure enough, as if the script had been written, the coyote did as I said. When the pack arrived at the boundary of the posted land, Jim said stop them. We tried, but the coyote apparently did plan B and doubled back. The packed picked up the line and screamed north to the strip cut, where they went to ground in some thick phragmite grass along the lake’s edge. Jim got off and blew to ground then got most of the pack gathered up there. Then I believe the coyote snuck out of the grass and a few of his hounds followed back west on his line, but were shortly gathered up by the whippers-in.
We had an all out gallop for several miles and the coyote had the decency to deliver us right to our trailers. So after only 2 hours of hunting we called it a day. Oh, and no one complained about the weather. In fact, most of us said the weather had been quite pleasant. With the non stop action provided by Mission Valley, nobody could have gotten cold.
We then all went home and cleaned up for the gala event at Richard’s, where we all enjoyed good food, good drink and good company. After the meal, Silver Springs Pony Club members Natalie and Megan (ages 12 and 15) presented a short talk, telling us about the new pony club foxhunt pin, as Megan has just earned hers and Natalie will get hers shortly. Lei Ruckle explained about the Live Oak Challenge. Silver Springs Pony Club is participating with the cooperation of Shawnee Hounds, so that they can compete for the annual prize of $10,000.
Finally, colors were awarded to Whitney and Cindy Amelong, and Amanda Buday. Richard and I, in awarding colors, inadvertently( and inexcusably) left out a young lady who has been an enthusiastic member of our hunt for 3 years. She turns 18 this month and so effective our next Saturday hunt, will be awarded her certificate and allowed to wear the colors. I believe she still has her mother’s hunt coat with colors already attached. That young lady is Kalie Wallace. By the way, Kalie has caught the hunting bug so bad, she was out hunting this week despite a badly injured knee. I might also mention that she did not get her doctor’s permission to ride yet as he had suggested she probably shouldn’t hunt the rest of the season with that injury. I know this because I am her doctor.
Richard and I deeply regret that she was overlooked, and we owe Kalie our apologies. So congrats to Kalie and the others who have earned their colors with Shawnee. It is members like them who make Shawnee the hunt we are today. We have 7 weeks of great hunting ahead and this is our best time of year, so you won’t want to miss any hunts.