Saturday at Bear Creek

[Guy Cooper]

Hell of a run yesterday on a coyote. Really didn't think we would do much as the wind was straight out of the East at about 15 mph and the sky was clear blue. It was fairly cool with temps hovering around freezing in the morning. Anyway took 21 1/2 couple of mixed and set to work. Trailed him up for about a 1/2 mile and got stuck in a bog cause the Welshy kept dwelling! Cast them on over a ride and they hit it off quite well, headed for the "clearcut" and I think he had laid down in there cause they suddenly exploded into song and off we went! some of the silly buggers ran heel but the whips soon got them turned and we started to put some pressure on. I almost ran him over with my horse when he crossed a ride in front of me. Nice to watch my young entry running with the pack and up the front too! I followed along the "racetrack" and was with them across the power line - sent whips to the road to try and turn him back but he got over and took hounds with him. Spent the rest of the day running up and down the side of White Oak Creek listening to them get quieter and louder and so on until something happened way back in, but I couldn't get to them. Last hound in at 2:30pm once she figured out she would have to swim the river and managed to sit down in the chair in front of the telly by 3:15pm. (We move off at 9am here to beat the temperature!) Not a bad day considering we were hunting one of our most difficult meets. Deer up in front of them all day and nobody rioted so I couldn't grumble at that. Saw a nice 12 point buck by the new creek crossing we put in and they are definitely rutting now (mating season) so they are getting very smelly and tempting to the young hounds. Next Wednesday in the Alabama Country and we are supposed to get rain at long last so should be good fun!