By Tommy Brannon
The Hard-Away Whitworth hounds enjoyed a fun filled weekend of coyote and bobcat hunting on February 18-19 at their fixture on Black Prairie Wild Life Management Area (WMA). The Black Prairie WMA located near Brooksville, Mississippi southwest of Starkville is approximately 12,000 acres of open land interspersed with forest. The WMA does not have any fences, but adjoining private land that is part of this hunt territory does. These fences are extensively cooped and gated.
A severe storm was forecast to come through area at 11:00 a.m. on February 18, so Stephen Portch, Jt. MFH and Huntsman, decided to cast his hounds early (at 7:00 a.m.) in an attempt get in some good hunting before the storm came in from the west. Indeed, two of the other three fox hunting clubs in Mississippi, Longreen Foxhounds near Clarksdale and Chula Homa Hunt near Canton, had to cancel that day’s hunt due to the thunder, lightning, and heavy rains. But Stephen’s timing was perfect, for although the ground was quite wet, the storm did not start until all of the riders and hounds were in.
The next morning’s timing was just as good. The previous day’s and night’s rain had dwindled to a fine mist for the 7:00 a.m. cast. The low ground at Black Prairie holds moisture like a sponge, and some of the tractor roads that traverse the wildlife management area had turned into two-foot deep lakes. But this did not deter the hearty foxhunters! Hard-Away Whitworth Hounds have a reputation for fast gallops and lots of action! This day’s hunting lived up to that reputation. The 25 couple (50 hounds) pack was split at one point, running a bobcat and a coyote. Stephen got them all back together on the coyote and everyone was toughly baptized with mud and water by the time the quarry gave them the slip.
Robert Temkovits, Joint Master of Hard-Away Whitworth Hounds lives close to this particular fixture, as do a few other members, but the majority of members travel hundreds of miles each weekend to hunt their various territories in Alabama and Mississippi since none of the club’s fixtures are close to any city. Each of the territories has thousands of open ride-able acres where horse and hounds can gallop at speed for a day of exhilarating sport.
The Hard-Away Whitworth hounds enjoyed a fun filled weekend of coyote and bobcat hunting on February 18-19 at their fixture on Black Prairie Wild Life Management Area (WMA). The Black Prairie WMA located near Brooksville, Mississippi southwest of Starkville is approximately 12,000 acres of open land interspersed with forest. The WMA does not have any fences, but adjoining private land that is part of this hunt territory does. These fences are extensively cooped and gated.
A severe storm was forecast to come through area at 11:00 a.m. on February 18, so Stephen Portch, Jt. MFH and Huntsman, decided to cast his hounds early (at 7:00 a.m.) in an attempt get in some good hunting before the storm came in from the west. Indeed, two of the other three fox hunting clubs in Mississippi, Longreen Foxhounds near Clarksdale and Chula Homa Hunt near Canton, had to cancel that day’s hunt due to the thunder, lightning, and heavy rains. But Stephen’s timing was perfect, for although the ground was quite wet, the storm did not start until all of the riders and hounds were in.
The next morning’s timing was just as good. The previous day’s and night’s rain had dwindled to a fine mist for the 7:00 a.m. cast. The low ground at Black Prairie holds moisture like a sponge, and some of the tractor roads that traverse the wildlife management area had turned into two-foot deep lakes. But this did not deter the hearty foxhunters! Hard-Away Whitworth Hounds have a reputation for fast gallops and lots of action! This day’s hunting lived up to that reputation. The 25 couple (50 hounds) pack was split at one point, running a bobcat and a coyote. Stephen got them all back together on the coyote and everyone was toughly baptized with mud and water by the time the quarry gave them the slip.
Robert Temkovits, Joint Master of Hard-Away Whitworth Hounds lives close to this particular fixture, as do a few other members, but the majority of members travel hundreds of miles each weekend to hunt their various territories in Alabama and Mississippi since none of the club’s fixtures are close to any city. Each of the territories has thousands of open ride-able acres where horse and hounds can gallop at speed for a day of exhilarating sport.
