Video
A crisp October breeze set the perfect scene for our Halloween Haunt (Hunt) at our Trimble’s Mill fixture on October 19, 2024! With eight couple of hounds, spooky costumes, and five enthusiastic guests joining us, we set off for the day.
Right off the bat, Yoplait, Tugboat, and others spoke briefly on a night line but weren’t able to take it anywhere. Next, the field descended the hill from the farmhouse to the hayfield below. We watched as our Huntsman drew the hounds through the base of a large wooded hill that runs westward from the farmyard. The hounds dove gleefully into the wood and immediately rewarded us by opening on a creature lurking within. After about 30 minutes of diligently working this line, Huntsman Julie Bullock, DVM, picked up the pack and took them northward to draw the large wood and pasture south of the vineyard.
The field gamely negotiated the very steep hill and pasture of cattle in this area. Whipper-In Christine Brady, positioned on North Mountain Road, tally-ho’d a red fox. Surprised, the fox turned and retreated back into the cover instead of crossing the road. Shortly after, CJ Wise viewed a fox multiple fields away heading toward Hanna Camp. We suspect this was the same fox that Christine turned or a different one. Whipper-In and MFH Anne Brooks reported the sighting over the radio, clarifying that the hounds were not on this line.
The hounds opened in the wooded cover and retraced their steps to the hayfield below Wendy’s barn. Staff and the field negotiated the steep hill and followed in hot pursuit. The pack worked diligently in the cover, carrying the line into the field by the trailers and over to Boy Scout Lane. Huntsman Julie called it a day and offered the hounds a drink at the pond — which proved to be a bad idea! The hounds immediately opened and took off up the mountain.
Julie, Ida, Anne, VJ, Christine, Kyle, and Jake quickly hopped into vehicles and followed. After more than two hours of hiking, calling, and tracking, everyone returned home safe and exhausted from the day’s fun.