Five-Year-Old Anabelle Small holds huntsman Dulany Noble’s horse, Smitten, after the meet. / Elizabeth Martin photoWednesday, October 17 was a perfect day for cub hunting in Central Maryland. The morning was clear, crisp, and chilly, the dew covered the ground, and the fall foliage is coming into full color. This Carrollton Hounds fixture—Ships Quarter Farm—is one of my favorites, not only for the quality of hunting but also for selfish reasons as it is where I board Joe, Jr. It means a more leisurely morning as there is no hitching up the trailer and driving to the meet.
This day would see small fields and me leading the Second Field as our regular Field Master was indisposed with work. After hounds were off loaded, announcements made, and guests welcomed, MFH and huntsman Dulany Noble rode off for the first draw, the bottom of Cranberry Creek below Ships Quarters. This covert is always productive as Sir Charles makes it a home. This summer we had two cubs that would come out to play in the driveway and pastures.
The author, riding Joe, Jr. / Monica Powell photoVery soon, hounds spoke and were in full cry. A tally-ho went up from the staff covering the SQF side. I turned the second field around to go up the drive and see if Sir Charles was on his way towards the Sigmund farm, but soon it was apparent they were on another fox. We went back to the bottom and crossed the lower field where we found the huntsman and the first field after a very short burst.
Dulany then took the pack to the top of the rise to draw the corn fields at Windswept. We followed, and in moments they were again in full cry in the next creek bottom. We followed along the top and then crossed the bottom to “the old egg farm,” then followed the edge of the woods with soy on our right. Around the bend I stopped the field and there we witnessed excellent hound work as they scoured the covert before our eyes, giving tongue and trying hard to find their elusive fox. Our young entry, in green collars, were working hard along with the oldsters, and we were proud of them. I had two guests with me, and it was nice for them to be so close to the action.
Dulany lifted the pack to try the next corn fields of the Dell family, and there we were not disappointed. Hounds were soon in full cry, and we followed at a good pace as the fox led the pack through the corn, across Krone’s driveway, the waterway and to the next corn fields and on and on. He circled the next covert and looped back into the corn, tally-hoed by a whipper-in. I took the second field around two corn fields, past the beautiful Krone farm and back up to a covert where hounds were following their fox in full cry.
At this point I could not decide whether to take the field through the covert and behind the hounds, or hug the edge of it. I took the latter course and was not disappointed. As we came over the crest of a rise, our quarry ran from the corn field on our left, across the waterway, and through the soy looping back to where we had been some minutes before. He was big and healthy with a nice white tip on his brush. Once he gained the corn I let up a tally-ho, and within a few minutes our hounds were spot on his line. Again we witnessed good hound work as our strike hound and the others emerged, worked hard, and found.
Hounds finally lost and were collected. Dulany decided to work the bottom of Cranberry Creek on the way back to the meet. We had one strike that did not last long, and I soon had Joe, Jr. back in his stall and munching hay. He seemed pleased with his morning.
Posted October 19, 2012
MFH and huntsman Dulany Noble collects hounds in the cornfield. / Monica Powell photo