Harriet McFadden writes wonderful hunt reports for her Tennessee Hunts. This one is from 2017 when Cedar Knobs Hounds was still operating and Johnny Gray was still acting huntsman for the Hillsboro Hounds.
March 11-12, 2017 Joint Meet with Longreen Foxhounds, Cedar Knob Hounds, Hillsboro Hounds held in Cornersville, TN
What the Sam Hill is a Joint Meet? In my English household, the joint was the meat you cooked for Sunday lunch. For foxhunters, a joint meet is the convergence of several hunt clubs for a weekend of running their respective packs together. Many hunts in Tennessee use the same breed of hound called a Penn-Marydel. This type is known for its deep voice when opening on its quarry, its controllability, and its lovely long ears that knock the scent around as the hound’s nose sniffs the ground. Generally, they are tricolored, the white showing up against the landscape.
This joint meet was at the invitation of the Cedar Knob Hounds in Cornersville, Tennessee. The country is beautiful farmland with clipped hedges along the lanes, clear streams, and rocky oak-capped knobs poking high above the pastures. Barns and cabins are tucked tastefully into the valleys.
Hillsboro hounds invited us to their junior meet at The Pavillion. The fierce wind made hunting difficult for Johnny Gray’s pack of English hounds and miserable for riders. Despite the difficulty, his pack ran several bobcats giving the riders multiple views.
Snow began falling as we arrived for supper at Crispen and John Menefee’s cabin for – not the joint meat of Sunday lunch or the joint meet of a pack of hounds, but the thickest tenderloin beef ever to be grilled.
We woke up to the full moon setting on the snow in the west and the dawn pinking the horizon in the east, somewhat confused about the daylight savings time change, but excited about the hunting prospects. Snow covered the trees and barn while horses ran in snorting and sliding to be loaded onto trailers. Luckily the roads were clear and with a high predicted of 40 degrees, we knew it would melt off quickly. The meet was at Theresa and Albert Menefee’s, MFH,
Foxview Farm. Susan Walker, MFH brought seven- and one-half couple of Longreen hounds from Rossville, Tennessee, and Clare Pinney, Huntsman, brought out eleven couple of Cedar Knob hounds. Other riders represented hunts including Mell’s, Hard Away, Chula Homa, and Hillsboro.
A magic mix for foxhunters was all in place. Plenty of quality hounds, lovely countryside, experienced huntsmen and whippers-in, and lots of friendly people doing their best to see the guests were enjoying the day. The sparkly sunlit snow added to our excitement as we trotted off to see what might be about.
The combined pack contained young hounds whose exuberance resulted in a few false starts as they gave voice on old night lines of the long-gone game. Suddenly we detected something more serious afoot when the hounds opened together their voices pitched in a more urgent tone. The coyote led them around the base of one of the knobs twice and then raced due west as though being launched like a shot-put. The coyote ran for five miles to Highway 31 and Buford Station Road.
The huntsman and whips struggled to keep up and the fields were thwarted by the hounds leaving the country that riders could cross. Peppy Butler said her horse ran until he couldn’t run another step and watched as Rob Caldwell disappeared in front of her. Picked up by truck and trailer, the staff, failing to hear or see the hounds, then outsourced locating them to technology.
Through a study of the handheld GPS devices linked to tracking collars and by overhead surveillance from Mike Gomez’s drone, those hounds were found! When the staff got in earshot near the railroad tracks they were elated to hear the pack in full cry. With the game heading back east, the huntsmen began blowing those long mournful notes signaling them to come to the horn.
Steven Heard, whipper-in, saw the coyote crest the hill after running through a herd of cattle in an attempt to foil his scent. The fit pilot had given the hounds an excellent day and it was time to return to the Menefee’s terrace for fresh gulf shrimp and the Sheriff’s barbeque.
Thank you Cedar Knob, Hillsboro, and the landowners for having us to such a wonderful meet.
Goodnight, Harriet McFadden