03/14/2022
Hello from sunny Iowa! ☀️
What a difference a week makes. Winter has worn out its welcome. He needs to move South. I hear New Zealand is tired of summer and looking for winter.
Last week it was 20° when we started hunting. Today it was 37° and was 59° when we finished. Coats were waived because our thin blood was overheating
Dolf Ivener joined up with us and we headed north out of Brahms. Staff: Catherine, Jubilee, Helen and I.
Mark Hansen was first flight FM, ably assisted by RIDERS members Rylee and Audrey. (They had way too much fun!). This is Rylee’s last season. She’s headed off to college. Another successful RIDERS graduate😊
Second flight was Nancy E, Deb R, Laura A and Angelica W
WW is hosted by MFH Monte, Professional Whip Bre K and landowner Melinda B.
The hounds were soooo good today. Huntsman Dave cast them into a cover and no joke, 11 deer came out. Not one hound.
Then another 6-7 deer bounded out, then a short while later 5-6. It must have been the National Deer Convention. The hounds were as honest as the hunt was long.
Catherine Dargin and Catherine Dargin down a minimum maintenance road when suddenly Wicked spooked so hard, I just about had a parting of the ways. (She sees dead 💀 people occasionally) thank goodness Wi******er was there. We slammed into him so hard, but it stopped the spook from escalating.
Huntsman Dave went to all the places we have viewed and chased coyotes in the past. This is our last hunt at Cumberland until next season. We want to go out with a bang!
The footing isn’t sketchy, but it’s tiring on the horses. They slip with almost every step in some fields. By the end of the 3 hour, 11 mile hunt Wicked is grinding her teeth every time I ask her to trot.
The road crew has spotted several coyotes and I can hear them on my ear piece. We have a new system of communication-we still use our radios between staff-but the road crew can communicate with each other and with staff if we lose radio contact. It’s called Zello and
it’s pretty nice. I wore my bluetooth and could hear all the various conversations.
We rode to our last field and headed home. A coyote had been spotted in the vicinity. BOOM! Out jumps a coyote and starts running hard to the east. Dolf jumps a creek and is on it. He will unfortunately get fenced out and Huntsman Dave knows that, so we make a quick reversal and cross this icy, tiny, sloped crossing over a culvert and as we crest the hill we can see the coyote heading east across the corn fields and then starts to make a big turn to the north. He’s big, fluffy and red! Daaaaang they’re fast! We unfortunately have a loss and Huntsman Dave gathers the hounds and we turn towards Brahms. Deb R has hosted lunch. Pizza!
Next Saturday is Closing Hunt-the season flew by! We will be hunting at the kennels. Please braid or donate $40 to the hound fund. Please put your cash/check in an envelope and give it to Bre before the hunt. Please don’t forget to RSVP! (Répondez s’ilvous plaît) to Jay 515.231.2681
or [email protected]
Have a blessed week. Carine and Wicked.
