Holy cow, we had our fastest run this season this morning. A slight thaw-the temp was 33 degrees when we met at 8:15am. The forecast promised temps to rise to the upper forties later in the day, and sunshine warmed once-frozen ground quickly.
We had 17 couple out, including 4 couple of guest hounds including several puppies. Hounds were walked towards the designated covert, but Bobby's and my hounds opened on the edge of the woods , less than 100 yards from the road. They trailed the line into the woods and soon all hounds harked . The best chase of the season was about to unfold.
Seriously, scent must have been very, very good because the hounds FLEW without checking for 2 1/2 hrs until Charles finally presented a puzzle which the pack just couldn't figure out. We were pretty much doing all we could to just stay up with the hounds all morning, and therefore, didnt see whether the fox had entered a small covert after crossing a big irrigation ditch, or whether he had, instead, run the adjacent open wheat field when they finally did check. Curtis, Tommy and Bobby walked in three directions to try to help them recover the line, without success. Hounds' tongues were hanging to the ground, and since another hunt is scheduled for tomorrow, they were walked out to the road.
34 hounds began the chase; only 20 were still on the ground at the loss. Young puppies and older hounds were being picked up and turned back out during the latter hour and a half when they got too far behind. 3 of my 4 hounds (Reno home, in heat) didnt make it to the end. Only my puppy, Reilly stayed on the ground for the entire chase. And she was always right up there!! I think she lost 3 pounds today, lol!
My camera battery died during the first hour, and the pace was so fast I had trouble getting it focused in time to catch the fox the times I was able to get a view. And at least twice, I thought I had the camera on, but it wasnt.. So, all of the video you see of the hounds running (hard!!) was taken all within the first hour. The remaining ninety minutes, as the ground continued to warm up, was just as good.
I thought Tommy was joking when he stopped me as I was leaving to tell me we are hunting again tomorrow. Rest up, bitches, rest up!!
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