HUNT REPORT: 10/3 Meet at Hunters Creek Farm The beagles had a 90-minute screamer at Carol Donaldson's Hunters Creek Farm today. Traditionally, this has been a slower-moving fixture for us, so I only took 5 couple of beagles, most of them less confident or less experienced, in the hope that our shy guys wouldn't push the quarry too hard and we might get some good runs. With rain yesterday and cool overnight temperatures, our shy hounds couldn't help but pick up the scent of some lines. We put in at the thick patch just east of the farm and the beagles immediately had a nice elliptical run, but they lost somewhere halfway down the eastern pasture fence line where the covert thins a bit. We continued south through the back woods and had music here and there in the thickets alongside the riding trails. We managed to get about 3/4 of a mile out of bounds when the entire pack hit on a fox line. We had strong cry and a tight pack, but needed to call them off the illegal quarry. Every one of today's whippers-in; J. Roslan, S. Kroschell, R. Mock, and J. Dickson managed to stay with the pack and were successful in refocusing them with a few well-timed "Leave It!" commands. Thoroughly turned around in the riot, I had to consult the compass to get us back to the farm, but once we got close the back yard of the house there, the hound music started again. J. Roslan got a view that we encouraged them onto. S. Kroschell viewed the rabbit again and confirmed that the pack was mere seconds behind. When the rabbit crossed the sunny rear drive, we took advantage of the fading scent on the sun-baked gravel to turn everyone home and end on a happy note. I have a funny feeling that those once-timid beagles are going to be much more confident out hunting after all their pleasing runs today. I am so grateful to our landowner and her staff and their animals for being so tolerant of us noisy (if not jolly) beaglers. I am also grateful to our Master as well as our excellent CVB staff for their contributions towards this most excellent day. Our field of 8 got some thrilling entertainment this morning!
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