The hunt started slowly, as two hours went by and the hounds had hardly made a noise. The deer hunters to whom we sub-lease the territory were riding around checking their stands, and it seemed that the extra activity would dampen our prospects.
Fred worked the hounds along the edge of a large field and the pack perked up as a few hounds began to speak. After a few minutes, more hounds joined in as the pack started to follow the line. The hounds ran past Chris M., Lloyd's whipper-in in training, and into the woods. Fred followed and he and Chris M. took off after the hounds as they ripped through the countryside.
After about 15 minutes, the hounds had made a large loop and Fred guessed it was a red fox. But this changed as their direction straightened and the pack moved off the farm. Fred and Chris followed for another 20 minutes, trying to get in front and stop the hounds, navigating a fallen timber moonscape and not knowing exactly where they were. They got within a few hundred yards, saw the pack running along a ridge and tried to blow the horn and shoot to get them to stop, but the hounds were locked on and kept going.
At about this time, the field, led by the other whipper-in Chris M., somehow caught up without a radio and the group tried to follow the hounds through the thick woods. It was getting dark and thankfully the hounds had slowed and we bumped right into them. The run had lasted at least an hour and Fred was convinced it had been a coyote.
We brought the hounds back and had all fifteen couple. Everyone went to Claude and Jan’s house afterward, where they had a great dinner prepared, taking the tailgate to another level.
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