We hunted Hunters Creek Farm a bit differently than we have in the past: With an adjacent property now permitted to us to the east, we started our draw there with 4 couple of dog-hound-beagles in an area filled with blackberry, multiflora rose and other thickety species...it looked like great cottontail habitat, but the boys did not find. We turned south along the edge of a wood, and although we saw rabbit tracks in the snow, the boys just couldn't wind a line. In our second hour of hunting, Pike found a trail and the others quickly honored him. We enjoyed just a few minutes of music and then...nothing. Did they overrun?? I let the beagles cast themselves back because no one had a view, so it was impossible to say which way the rabbit may have run. Sizzle began digging and speaking at an earth just a few feet away, so I brought a couple of honest seniors over to check his work, and sure enough, Br'er Rabbit had indeed gone to ground instead of risking a run in the snow. They enjoyed the moment and lots of praise before trying again to the west, where we drew blank. Our pal George had so much fun at that earth that he wandered pretty far afield to go find another. Excellent work by whippers-in J. Roslan, S. Kroschell, and J. Dickson bringing him back to the pack.
Many thanks to our landowner, Carol Donaldson, who not only shared her beautiful property with us, but also treated us to an impromptu meet-and-greet with the animal friends who reside in her barn.
Thank you, also, to all those who came out to enjoy and support the Chagrin Valley Beagles today!