Longreen Hunt Report Feb 1 & 2 2025

Clear Lake Farms, Midge and Mike were the host for Longreen Foxhounds February 1,2. Clouds and sun. Chilly then warm. Windy then not. Call it a variety weekend. The territory produced great sport, views, and music from our bugle-voiced pack. Kimber Woelfel and Todd brought their 6 year old granddaughter, Harper. She was in the action and excited to view the quarry while watching the hounds work the lines. 

15-20 miles covered each day. 9 couple including our 3 "X" youngsters. Standing water in some fields. A little boggy deep in the coverts. Mud buggies carrying non-riders.

This special weekend brought former hunt secretary, Kim Figore Michelson , back to us for a visit from Ohio. So great to share memories, hugs, and laughter! Craig and his parents, Mark and Susan, came with her. Sure hope they can come again. Loved the smiles on their faces. 1st time to see and hear foxhounds in action. As always, Kim reached out to help in any way she could. 

Saturday had 21 people out. Worked smaller coverts heading Northwest to the Brassiere Woods, just North of the Otter pond peninsula. This long woods is normally productive. Not today, but gave the pack with the youngsters time to spread out and search hard. Reaching the flood area on the North end, I swung the pack across the open to a strip of woods West. Hunted North and followed the bend of the covert East. 

Strong Southeast wind tossing scent everywhere. Tally-Ho by several staff. Midge Ellison marked the line out in the field. As I brought hounds forward, several opened along the tree line to the West. Pesky wind! The pack worked and cast North toward the CRP. Caught strong scent in a ditch. I noticed Vector quietly flagging a line West along the ditch and carried the pack to him. All were in full cry halfway there. Coyote had gone to Long Lake and turned South along the Mill Bayou heading straight to AR county road 120, the entrance road into the country. There was concern it might cross the levee if it turned West, which relaxed when the pack veered East onto the small peninsula extending out into Otter pond. 

Tally-Ho! Coyote swimming West toward Mill Bayou. As it exited, hounds were swimming. Crafty Coyote made his escape. By heading West toward the levee his line was not as tempting to follow. I turned the pack North . Temperatures dropping. Wind now 15-20 mph out of the ESE. Worked our way back to the trailers. All in !

Tailgate inside a landowners heated equipment shop. Mike and Ruben's world class BBQ, finger sandwiches, salad, deviled eggs, scotch eggs, Sugaree's Bakery caramel and strawberry cakes, and other delicacies.

Folks gathered at the Blytheville Country Club for a relaxed time of fellowship, drinks and a casual buffet dinner that evening.  

Sunday morning we opted to move off an hour earlier to beat the heat. 15 people and 9 couple hounds. I sent the pack North along the Canadian Reach, a shoot of water off the Mississippi River. Multiple small coverts as we headed for the T-Bone Woods. Hounds hit some lines along the way that we just knew would develop for runs but did not. As the pack crossed the open Delta and entered the SE corner of the T-Bone, the music filled the air and staff flew to cover the quadrants. There is a ditch and swamp in the center. Our pilot went North, then back to the center around and around through the swamp. The popped out South for a good view with the pack about 75 yards behind. He turned on the jet pack West and ducked back into the woods heading North then turning East back to play in the swamp. Popped out on the South for another view and lost the pack after disappearing in the woods the second time. Wind picking up and temperature rising. Hounds were roaded the 4 miles back to the trailers. All in !!

So glad Kim Michelson could be with us again. Hope to see her again soon.