April 9, 2002 WCT at Bijou Springs Hunt

Pictures and text courtesy of MFH Gary Worrall

The Bijou Springs Hunt portion of the Western Challenge Tour began on the evening of 8 Apr 02 with a dinner held north of Castle Rock attended by some 70+ members and guests.

The meet the following day went off as scheduled. Hounds were released under blue skies and a light wind with the temperature expected to climb quickly to the mid-60's. Although conditions were soon not the best for hunting, the enthusiastic pack of English, PMD and Crossbred hounds demonstrated excellent perseverance and teamwork working various patches of scrub oak covering the sides of deep gulches. They successfully flushed out a total of five coyotes, three of them viewed, resulting in five runs during 3-1/2 hours of hunting.

Judge Patricia Pearce made the first view and the subsequent run was exciting until the increasing heat obliterated the line. A second run began shortly after the first, but this line soon became faint, then disappeared just in time for the hounds to jump into a nearby spring to cool off. The second view and third run was called by the first Whipper-in and this time the coyote led hounds, Staff and Field clear out of the hunt country. Another coyote was kicked up and viewed during this run, but the hounds held the line of the first until finally losing it near a major highway.

After taking the pack to water, hounds quickly found another line and began their fourth run, however, the Huntsman opted to cut the run off as it was nearing a boundary and an area where antelope had just passed. Hounds were collected and hunted in the direction of the trailer area, when the fifth run ensued. This coyote led the hounds on a very fast run for nearly 1/3 of the length of the hunt country, where it eventually used an antelope to help make its escape. Hounds cast themselves and found the coyote's turning point, but in an area just over the hill from a large antelope herd. At this time, the Huntsman considered the day to be highly successful and turned the tired hounds for home.

The day culminated with an outstanding breakfast hosted by BSH member's Nancy and Paul King.

First Draw of the meet

WCT Judge Grosvenor helps with presenting the bent horn award - for an outstanding blunder during the hunt season! p.s. he had something to do with the horn being bent.