Today was hunting at Locust Grove which has been a productive fixture this year. Today was a three fox day. It was two short runs followed by a long run. The map above the blue line is the second flight. The yellow line is the first run. The orange line is the second run. The red line is the third run.
Matthew started off by looping around the field below the trailers. Then he came up the hill and got the hounds into the woods by the meet. The hounds were quickly onto a red fox that was viewed by Matthew and Carolyn when it crossed the driveway. After crossing the driveway it headed downhill and went to ground in a culvert pipe next to the river.
Matthew gathered the hounds and headed along the river before heading up the hill to the big house at horseshoe farm. The hounds found again and gave another red fox a run and it too went quickly to ground over the the sunflower field.
So two quick runs to get us warmed up on an already warming day. Given the high temps you might have thought that was it for the day. But not true.
From Horshoe Farm we headed up to Whiskey Ridge and immediately ducked back into the woods heading around around a quick loop. Just about as we completed the loop the hounds were once again on a fox. The run was heading through the saddle area down between the loops of the river. They were about to the steep climb we did a few weeks back the last time we were at Locust Grove. Then they made a turn and began working their way in the general direction of Free Union Road.
In the mean time there were some sightings of a coyote up on the ridge by the second flight and Carolyn. Matthew came and joined the group and called for the hounds but they weren't coming. They were busy working a fox not that coyote.
While on the ridge we could really hear the hounds and they sounded good. They were also fading away from us and then we got the report from Moe that the fox had crossed Free Union Road and headed into Camp Albemarle. At that point the hounds were gathered and we headed in.
It was certainly a warm day. We all look to take care of our horses by letting them drink from the rivers and streams. But some people are more aggressive in taking are of their horses. Today that person was Lou who graciously took his horse for a swim, not once but twice. He was so concerned for her welfare that he dismounted in the river for her.
For the day second flight covered 6.7 miles and the hounds were a little over 7 miles.
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