High Country Hounds hunted their Ranch House Fixture for the Western Hunt Challenge 2005. The day was bright and cold with a persistent 20 to 25 mile per hour north wind. Master and Huntsman, Mary Hendricks, and her staff drew five and a half couple of hounds and the hunt started off briskly as hounds worked open cover of rabbit bushes and wild grasses. Excitement in the pack increased as they struck good scent among the rocks and boulders along the treed margin of a small mesa.
Confirming the trail as the pack moved again out of the trees, they worked their way for a half a mile or more with several checks as they recast themselves to find their quarry. Dropping off the mesa, the pack hunted into pinion and juniper trees on a series of small volcanic hills. On the side of the last hill, increasing voice signaled the hounds excitement as they discovered a nest of fresh coyote dens where they continued to give voice. Circling and topping the hill, the hounds spread out to recover scent, but the trail was lost. Possibly the coyotes had foiled their trail by exiting into the wind on the open grasslands nearby.
Packing the hounds, the Huntsman tried to recast them across the open to the north of the hill to pick up the line, but the pack could not find again. Reorganizing, the pack was taken to a nearby stock tank for water and then again hunted north into the wind. As the hounds worked along, a Tally-Ho from the field redirected the huntsman's interest. A pair of coyotes were seen trotting back towards the denning area! Lifting the hounds, they came on the track of the coyotes, but were only able to find a few bits and pieces of scent that the wind had left to linger in some small rocky outcrops. Hounds turned and hunted into the wind towards Rattlesnake Crater. On the rim of the crater, they paused for water at a wildlife water before plunging into the sheltered crater in full cry. Then the pack checked and split, some hounds racing forward to the high crater rim. Other hounds continued to persist in working a scent line through the pinion and junipers which eventually resulted in a rough figure eight pattern. The huntsman stayed with these hounds as they spilled out over the crater edge on the west side and finally lost their trail.
Reflecting on the pattern the hounds had hunted, the huntsman speculated that the pair of coyotes had left their den to hide in the cover of Rattlesnake Crater; one standing watch on the rim, the other hunting through the trees below until the time was right to cross in front of the hunt doubling back to their den. Satisfied that the hounds had hunted their coyotes well, the pack was blown in and the huntsman got down to thank them for the good sport they had given that day.
Following the hunt, freshly grilled hamburgers, baked beans, coleslaw, and C's homemade desserts were set out on a buffet table in the lee of some trees. As hounds slept in their trailer, the crowd of happy hunters gathered for lunch in the shadow of the San Francisco Peaks.
Thanks to everyone for coming.
Good Hunting,
High Country Hounds
Here are some pix for you to see a tidbit of what we saw.
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Leasa from Eastport, Maine , In Flagstaff, AZ ...
These pictures courtesy Ann Ezzel
Next picture courtesy Amy Dudley
Mary Hendricks, MFH, High Country Hounds, walking in hounds w/ C Rodgers + unknown