Hunting Sunday Feb 19, 2006 12PM
From the kennels toward the east.

Huntsman: Eleanor Hartwell
Whips: Jill Wagenknecht, Gene Deutch, Lee Deutch
First Field: Tess Fleishli (field master), Eddy Beyers, Stephanie Millbaugh, Jane Liesman, Sarah M, Leslie Granger
Car Followers: Mary Hensel, Leslie Ayers

I didn’t get a hound list but recognized, Kestrel, Patton, Scooter, Jive, Welcome, Wise, Inky, Nettle, Tanker, Things, Jester, Racer, Kiwi, Freedom, Nabisco, Beauty, Twilight, Truffle, Wanda, Daphne.

GPS readings 10.78 miles 1 hrs 51 minutes moving 36 minutes stopped. Max speed 23.8 mph
Moving average 5.1 mph

We started two hours late and waived proper hunt attire due to cold temperatures. Temperature started at 16 degrees, and climbed gradually to 19 degrees F. We started at 12PM and returned at 2:15PM. Barometric pressure was gradually falling, it was sunny with some clouds most of the day. The ground was hard from the recent cold weather. Winds were mostly from the West North West and started calm and stayed pretty quiet most of the day.

I left the farm at 11:30 and hacked over to the kennels. We started off from the kennels and headed into the east woods about in the middle next to the horse pasture. Eleanor then drew north in Elgaser’s orchard while we stayed on the woods trail on the Bridlespur side. We paralleled her as she drew through the orchard. Eleanor has seen signs of a fox that lives there but we’ve never been able to kick him up. Today was no different. At the end of the trail Tess jumped the downhill coop from Bridlespur to Brommelsiek’s old cow pasture. Jane Liesman became a casualty there falling after the fence but she gamely got back on and finished the hunt. I saw Jane come off and my horse was misbehaving so I thought it best to take the next trail over which has a nice open gap in the fence. I was around before Jane was back on her horse. Eleanor came out of the orchard and crossed the pasture to draw the small creek in the old cow pasture and worked toward Schwede Rd. As we were almost to Schwede we heard some hounds speaking in the creek across Wilson Rd. We doubled back across the creek, crossed Wilson Rd. and jumped the coop into Brommelsiek’s lower hay field. We ran the length of field and jumped the coop at the far end toward Alexander’s. The coyote then vaporized even though both Lee and Gene had viewed him in the creek. Mary never saw him cross Schwede so he must have found a good place to hide. Eleanor brought the hounds back to the west and crossed Schwede and drew the woods along the edge of the cow pasture in front of Patterson’s. Mary came bringing Kiwi, one of the puppies, whom she had found down near DD highway. We soon heard the hounds speaking again in the woods around Patterson’s lake. We headed through the woods and then down Toedebusch road and crossed the creek. The creek was frozen over and had to be crashed though, something my horse was not excited about. We turned back toward Patterson’s and drew the woods along the creek. We were in the woods up the hill near Duggan’s when Lee reported a view of a coyote on the opposite side of the creek in the field below the levee headed back toward Schwede Rd. We doubled back and crossed the creek and headed to the west end of the field. Then Jill viewed a coyote in the yard at My Half Farm. We were very close so we headed that way. Before we got there she had viewed two more and said she almost ran over one. Eleanor dismounted and walked into the horse pasture to get the hounds to find the line. Stephanie ponied Eleanor’s horse around so that Eleanor could pick him up at the bottom of the pasture. They didn’t hit on anything though. Eleanor then drew up and back in Huffmeier woods but nothing much was found. She came out in the Gathering field and gathered hounds. This is where I excused myself and ducked back to the farm. The rest hacked back in.

Leslie Ayers made a great brunch with sloppy Joe’s, Cole slaw, and fruit salad. It tasted great and was warming on a cold day. It was nice to have a warm place to sit down and eat.