Tuesday, October 18, Bobby and I took our little pack of 5 1/2 cple to the C& R Center in Delaware. Deer laws in Maryland and Delaware are hampering everyone's foxhunting pursuits during the month of October. This week, we can't run hounds in Maryland, but we can hunt in Delaware any day except Friday and Saturday. ( should clarify that we hunt a trencher type private pack and during the week only a few of us are getting out this early. By November, our combined pack will increase to anywhere from 15 cple during the week to upwards of 20 or more cple on weekends)
Tuesday was a beautiful fall morning. The temp was 51 degrees when we pulled up to the state-owned forest and the winds were calm at 7:45am. This was to be our second time hunting this country and although the corn was standing during our first visit, it had been partially harvested and the equipment was sitting in the fields when we pulled up to Cye Haines' gate. We knew we had but a few hours to get in a chase before the harvest was to begin again.
The wind was to blow out of the N/NE, so we left Cy Haines' and drove into the forest via the only dirt road that cuts through it. Our plan: we would draw around the small pond here:
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| there's a small pond right in front of this tall grass, it cant be seen, as it's in a low spot |
and head through those woods. The old Cy Haines homestead lay about a mile on the other side, with
cornfields between it and the covert.
We unkennelled the hounds and walked no more than 50 yards when the entire pack opened in unison.
In a flash they were off in full cry. The time: 7:52. They walked right on top of a hot trail that began towards the right side of this photo. Reynard must have been visiting the pond for a froggy breakfast !
Although a third hunter was suposed to join us, he had not yet made an appearance and it appeared as if Bobby and I would have to stay on top of the pack ourselves. I headed out the forest lane to position myself on a bad bend in a paved road that would put me downwind of cry . Bobby headed through Cy Haines' gate and past the homestead to position himself as close to the pack as he could. get . As I stood on the road taking in the sound of 11 Pennmarydel voices screaming behind their pilot, Donny , our third hunter, finally pulled up. "Hurry, drive down Cy Haines' lane and you can get your hounds in!" .... But, alas, he had brought none. Too bad, but at least we now had another pair of eyes and ears to keep the roads covered.
Donny was wishing he had his hounds as he listened to ours run this fox through the still-standing corn, making one wide swing towards the road I was on, but down a good mile from where I had sat at the bend.
I was able to stay alongside of them until they bore back from the road and into the woods behind the Center Lodge. From there our fox made a run alongside a ditch until he found an earth about 80 yards from the old farmhouse ruins. Our chase lasted 40 minutes. Not as long as we had wanted, but all hounds were on and we felt fortunate to have had the chance to run them in this last stand of corn. But we werent ready to call it a day just yet!
Heck, we had an extra person to road whip! We knew we needed to move farther into the state forest and draw away from the corn. Halfway along the dirt lane there is a bridle path, albeit a very soggy one, that leads through another covert and into some fields behind the Center Lodge. Bobby would start the draw from the dirt lane and walk the pack through the woods, while I headed around to the Lodge. We both knew that this cast would probably be blank, as we never , ever jump a fox in this area. But, there's always a first time! And if nothing else, we would get the hounds out for a bit more exercise.
We had sent Donny to sit at the locked gate in front of the Lodge. I waited a few minutes where we turned out and then headed that way, too. I unlocked the gate and positioned my hound truck as far back behind the Lodge as I could get it. It was only a few minutes before we could hear Bobby coming through the woods and into the clearing behind the lodge. Not a peep out of a hound, but then, hey, we kinda expected that! By 9:30, all hounds were back in the trucks and the only decision left was where to have breakfast.
Next Tuesday we will have at least 2 other hunters joining us when we return here, and that means I will be able to hunt mounted. The state of Delaware only mows the ditch banks every other year, and unfortunately, this is NOT the year. I had been reminded of that fact last Sunday when I hunted Rap at Taber Woods. The weeds and brush were chest high on my horse there, and the ditches here dont look any different. Fortunately, the chiggers seem to have abated for the season. Regardless, it's gonna be great hunting this country on a horse again!
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