Snickersville Hounds Final Hunt Report Of The Season

Here my memory fails me a little as we had a couple of runs that started here. I can't remember if this is the one where we went north through the sage grass then circled back to Ball Hill or if this was the one where they continued down across the Wacopin and into Ball Hill. Either way, they weren’t going anywhere fast. They started up into the rocks of Ball Hill going east with very little speaking as they picked their way through. Over the crest and into the Hog Lot we continued, when in the thick brush near the northeast corner Flora opened hard and started back the way we had come. Now I really thought this was just some cold line as we had just been there. Surely if a fox was in there, he would have come out the east end, but they continued west and more hounds honored so we started back to Ball Hill. I thought, could he have just circled around us in the brush? Maybe. Whippers had been on that east and north side and he might not have wanted to come out.

Anyway, we were going back into Ball Hill and up into the rocks, again. The pack was picking up speed. Now, one of the whippers tallyhoed the fox coming out of the southside with the pack coming on hard. Now, Barbara and I had to get out of those rocks and run for the stonewall into the horse field. Over that, then a hard right, down and up across the field and over the next wall into the Colt Field. Galloping down the hill and over the coop, splashing through the Wacopin, and up into the Long Field we ran, and we did some hard running as the pack was already running south into the Lilac Hill fields. Down the old farm lane, across the little stony bridge over the run, and past the gate to Sunnybank we flew. Ahead of me, Robyn was flying on little Spencer, who I was not gaining on until I angled across the field going for the wall into Lilac Hill field!!

Crossing that field I saw the pack go hard into those woods, we moved towards the west side of them in time to see Blue take the pack over the wall and out into the Lilac horse field. Here they went silent and circled back to the wall where Frenchie came over and immediately spoke and ran right at us. It gave one the chills as the pack came by in full cry not yards from us! Into the Island Field and across going west into the Homewood cornfield. Some more hazardous riding for us as we galloped down and across a mucky wash by the pond and up and out the other side over a narrow little coop with a sharp right. Now we were right behind the hounds as they ran along the fence line, then they stopped at the fence. There was a clear crossing and game path. Some started to slip under and speak a little. When we went around to the other side, the hounds had checked and were working and picking all around but not going anywhere with it.

After several attempts to pick this line up, and circling around to every angle with no success, we crossed back over the fence into the cornfield. Coming up and back into the cornfield I saw a fresh den some 30 feet into the field. Could this fox have darted in there? Could the wind have blown it off and the young entries, being fast but still a little dumb, took the pack past it? I just don't know. I just can’t count this as number five for the day, but maybe. It had been a long run and we were into our fourth hour, so here I began to gather the hounds and waited as some of the old hounds caught up.

We had the usual great breakfast waiting at Nelson's and once the hounds came in we started for it. All hounds in and all horses and riders tired. A good way to end the season at Sunnybank.