THE LOUDOUN COUNTY 



the river at Ball's Bluff and at Red Bank. Both these coverts are pretty 

 sure "finds," and foxes found in them are apt to run toward the Hog Back 

 Mountains and, if hard pressed, into the valley beyond or up the side of the 

 ridge, eventually trying to return to their starting point. The enclosures are 

 large and the going sound, most of it being used for pasture and conse- 

 quently very strongly fenced. There is much wire, and where there is not, 

 few of the fences are under four feet eight inches in height, while some of 

 them are five feet or over. 



The eastern portion of the country, which lies beyond Goose Creek, is 

 rough, heavily wooded, full of wire and not very good hunting, but if one 

 keeps on the Leesburg side of the creek and swings south along its banks, 

 one comes to a series of coverts which are probably better supplied with 

 foxes than any others. 



The area south of the town, bounded by Goose Creek, which makes 

 a westerly turn ten miles above, is more wooded than that lying to the north 

 and east. Strong, though rideable woodlands afford ample cover for foxes ; 

 and Fendall's Wood, Fleming's, Maple Swamp and Carter's Wood are 

 almost always productive of a good fox and a good run, the country here 

 being also level and very strongly fenced. 



If one crosses Goose Creek at the Oatlands bridge, about ten miles south 

 of the town, and goes down the Aldie pike, one is m the heart of the very 

 cream of the country. To the east lies Areola, a bit rough but fairly good 

 galloping, to the south Hickory Grove and Aldie, with the Bull Run Moun- 

 tain coverts ; while turning to the west one comes to the Skinner coverts, 

 the Marble Quarry, and Steptoe Hill, which offer the best sport of all. 

 Goose Creek divides the Marble Quarry and Steptoe Hill, while Beaver 

 Dam Creek, one of its tributaries, runs just north of it. Steptoe Hill is an 

 absolutely sure "find," and though the territory for several miles around is 

 hilly, foxes either make for the open country around " Oak Hill," Mr. Henry 

 Fairfax's estate, or turn west toward Mountsville, giving the finest kind of 

 galloping over good, sound upland pastures, just rolling enough to make it in- 

 teresting. 



Due north of Leesburg, between the Blue Ridge and the Hog Back 



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