Lions and Tigers and Pigs, Oh My!
It wasn't lions and tigers but more like hounds and foxes and pigs, oh my!
We were at Miller School today and if people are not aware MSA has been working back towards its roots over the last few years. They have refurbished the Edison Power Plant and have instituted an agriculture program. The agriculture program has really been expanded beyond vegetable gardens and now includes chickens and pigs. Yes pigs.
The program is based around the old red barn which is being extensive remodeled. The pigs are being kept in the woods in the area that is known as the equestrian trails. In places the pig fence is right along the trails.
Because of COVID the trails are a bit overgrown and things were going to be tight in there, so the second third flights both looped around through the upper and lower meadows.
Just as the bell tower chimed 8 o'clock the hounds hit. It was originally thought to be an old line but it turned out to be current. The hounds worked the fox for quite a long time and at one point it ran into and through the pig enclosure with the hounds following. Apparently the pigs took great offense to this activity and chased the hounds. Apparently, and not unexpectedly, that caused quite a bit of excitement and consternation with the horses. No horses dropped from a heart attack and all riders survived. The fox got the best of it and escaped across the driveway after being viewed by staff. Run is the red area on the map.
Matthew then brought the hounds out of the woods and went down to the lower meadow and went back into the equestrian trails and had another fox up and running. I think it is the first time we have ever had two fox runs in that area. Like the first one, this one stayed in the woods and went around quite a bit. The hounds again worked him a long time. Eventually he also made his escape back through the trailers after running through the pig enclosure. Run is the orange area on the map.
So the pigs have changed the game some. First it seems there are going to be more foxes which makes sense when you think about it. As the Ag program feeds the pigs there is going to be pig feed and chicken feed around from the chickens. This will draw in the smaller critters which in turn will draw in the foxes.
Second, the foxes seem to use the pigs as cover. In the past when we have run foxes in that area the fox has usually bolted from the woods and hightailed up to the water tower and off to Pounding Creek Rd before circling back. It will be interesting to see if staying in the woods becomes the normal.
After all that activity, Mathew started hunting up toward the water tower but the hounds seem spent and the temperatures were rising. So the day was called.
For the second and third flight it was a lot standing because the foxes weren't breaking lose. The second flight covered 3.2 miles at a pedestrian 2.1 MPH with a top speed of 8.6 MPH. Third flight was always within shouting distance would be about the same.
Today several of the Miller School kids and their trainer were out hunting and for several, it was their first hunt. They were all very well turned out and seemed to have a good time.
