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How It All Started Lets Hear Your Stories Too

This happened 47 years ago and I know you all have a story or two to tell, big or small. So lets entertain ourselves on these wet windy nights.

Vic’s “Ring” Tales

One night a friend of mine phoned and asked if I would like to go for a coon hunt with him. Being somewhat of an outdoors enthusiast, (actually I was a devoted fisherman at the time) I accepted his invitation and said I was free Saturday all day. Ron was a little taken back by that statement but was quick to explain to me that coon hunting was after dark, and he was intending to leave shortly, not on Saturday .Ron told me to wear boots and bring a flashlight. After I hung up the phone, I rounded up my boots and light. I was ready to go, but still not too sure whether we could find any coon, as my light wasn’t very good and I certainly didn’t know where to look for them. Before long Ron had picked me up and we were on our way.
This was entirely new to me so I really didn’t know what to expect. By the time we had arrived at the first turn out, Ron had briefed me in and I had an Idea of what would take place. He let the hound go and we waited for a while. Old Ranger was a silent trailer and when he opened, Ron said, “that’s it he’s treed.” We went into him and sure enough there was a coon. Right then and there I was hooked. “coon fever” big time. We treed two more coons that night and my destiny was pretty well sealed.
A couple of nights later, I asked Ron where I could get me a coon dog of my own. He said he knew a place in Goderich that sometimes (always) had coon dogs for sale so off we went. It was 85 miles from home so we got an early start. I came home that night with my first hound. She had cost me $15 and was supposed to be registered, but nobody seemed to know where the papers were. She was a bag of bones covered with black and tan skin, but she was all mine.
I made a doghouse for her and fed old Queenie for a few weeks hoping that she would pull through her bad state of malnutrition. Sure enough the food and love I gave her paid off. She was ready for the woods.
I phoned Ron and twisted his arm to go for a hunt. (Like he ever needed it twisted.) We were soon in the woods and me with my very own coon dog. Ranger being dead silent on track, and not knowing what Queenie was capable of, the tension mounted as we unleashed the dogs. Then it happened. We heard Queenie open. My heart went straight to my throat and I swear I was floating about six inches above ground level. I even managed to squeak out the words “that’s my dog”. It wasn’t long until she changed her voice completely. No, it wasn’t a tree change up, it was a frightening scream. Then I heard her crashing through the fence coming back to me. She jumped up and nestled her head under my chin. That was when Ron backed up about twenty-five feet from us. Man did she stink! Obviously she hadn’t been told that the raccoon has rings, not stripes on its’ tail. I wasn’t to be discouraged, so we loaded the dogs up in Ron’s’ car. That would be Ron and me in the front seat, Ranger in the back seat, and all of us with our heads out the window. Oh yea, Queenie was in the trunk by herself. The dogs were turned loose again and Queenie soon opened. I looked at Ron but he had a Clint Eastwood look on his face and he didn’t say a word. Then all of the sudden, she rolled up into a beautiful loud ringing chop. Ron broke the silence and mumbled, “Well I’ll be go to h—l if she ain’t treed.” As usual Ron was right. She was treed, as a matter of fact, her nose even looked like a tree with little tiny branches sticking out of it all over the place. When we got back to the car, Ron got a pair of pliers out of the glove box and we pulled all of the quills out.
Why she never lit right out of the country that night I’ll never know, I guess it was just our lucky night.
To make a long story short, Queenie did run and tree a coon with Ranger a few nights later and I kept her around for a while. Eventually I persuaded an old timer to take her (for free) and that was the last I ever saw or heard of my first coon dog.
If you guys and gals ever have an opportunity to introduce someone to the wonderful sport of coon hunting, I hope that you will have the understanding and patience that Ron Turner displayed with Queenie and me. I say to him openly, God bless you and thanks Ron.
As for Black and Tans, in our area we have some of the finest anywhere. Yes even Queenie in her own way.

Vic McMillan

__________________
“Two people can look at the exact same
Thing and see something totally different.”

Vic i got so many storys this internet wont hold them all !

__________________
HARDTYMES-DAVE TACKETT GRNTCH GRCH DONNA"S HARDTYMES Grntch Grch Dave&Tims Hardtymes Red TACO R.I.P.

COONHUNTER =since 1969 RETIRED>2010 <>OVER THE HILL TRAINER! !! 606-286-4690

Let's hear them Tack. I know they'll be entertaining!!

Vic

__________________
“Two people can look at the exact same
Thing and see something totally different.”

Maybe Later !!

__________________
HARDTYMES-DAVE TACKETT GRNTCH GRCH DONNA"S HARDTYMES Grntch Grch Dave&Tims Hardtymes Red TACO R.I.P.

COONHUNTER =since 1969 RETIRED>2010 <>OVER THE HILL TRAINER! !! 606-286-4690

My dad started if for me!!

Well it all started for me 1966, it was the night before thanksgiving.
"i was 5 yeras old" My dad had promised to
take me coonhunting with him,my uncle an his boys. I will
never forget this night. My mom, aunt said if we caught a
coon that they would cook it for thanksgiving dinner. We got
back on the mountain turned ol blaze "a redtick hound" loose
around the stripmine road, we started walking around the
road we could hear blaze barking, we got into the tree
my dad told me to stand back because when the coon fell out they
would be fighing, well when it hit the ground it was on.an
when it was over, me,the coon, an ol blaze was layin in the
creek. I remember my dad running down looking me over to
see if i was ok. He said all i wanted to do was go catch another
one. From that night on i was addicted to coonhuntin, an
"ENGLIGH COONHOUNDS" I have never owned another breed
of hound. Well my mom,aunt cooked that coon, but long story
short, my dad had coon meat in his lunch bucket for a week. lol
My mom just told that story the other day an about rolled in the
floor laughing.

__________________
Home of the Luke dogs!!!!
Nt.Ch.Gibson's Sunset Titan
Gibson's Sunset Maggie
Sunset Blue Ruby
Lightfoot Frostie
Sunset High Ridge Dan
Gone but not forgotten
Gr.Nt.Ch.Gibson's Sunset Luke
pkc.ch Gibson an Bates Sunset Buck
Gibson's Katie
Gibson's Ruby
304-320-7202

Randy.... I'd pay to have been there!!!! lol

__________________
“Two people can look at the exact same
Thing and see something totally different.”

VIC !

One tyme me and my buddy Eddie went hunting one night on the
river bottoms with ol tymes and his son TJ then two dogs could not stay on the tree together with out fightin, so of course it was out of season, well the dogs got treeed so Eddie said pull down by the road and i will shoot this coon out so we did ,i give Eddie the rifle and he ran across the creek and shot the coon out,,,,
NOW heres what happen Eddie put the rifle on his shoulder,
well he had snap them two dogs together and the fight was
on like donkey kong ,,well the rifle had slip down off his shoulder
and round the dog lead and the snap hung in the trigger and the dogs jerk his gun away from him and it started shootin at him,
he squall like a cut cat ,and hollor at me said get down these
dam dogs has took my rifle and shootin at me,well i'm rolling in that road laughing so hard i piss on myself ,i belive it shot 7 tymes
,,he had crawl behind a big beech tree too be safe and the gun
ran out of shells ,he came walking out of their ,WOW are you hit
he said i don't think so ,,I said where all that blood coming from
man he was bloody as a stuck hog ,i finally got close enough too see it was not blood,he had wallow in a poke berry patchand had it all over him!!! TRUE STORY !!!

__________________
HARDTYMES-DAVE TACKETT GRNTCH GRCH DONNA"S HARDTYMES Grntch Grch Dave&Tims Hardtymes Red TACO R.I.P.

COONHUNTER =since 1969 RETIRED>2010 <>OVER THE HILL TRAINER! !! 606-286-4690

LMAOF

Hey Tack!! That there is the funniest story I've ever heard in my life. You better write a book buddy. lol

Vic

__________________
“Two people can look at the exact same
Thing and see something totally different.”

Hell Vic i got so many i can't remember them all !!
Like the tyme i crawl under a mans trailor and shot my young
dog for killing a man goat ,had too drag him out with a man standing over me with a shot gun,and left the goat !!

__________________
HARDTYMES-DAVE TACKETT GRNTCH GRCH DONNA"S HARDTYMES Grntch Grch Dave&Tims Hardtymes Red TACO R.I.P.

COONHUNTER =since 1969 RETIRED>2010 <>OVER THE HILL TRAINER! !! 606-286-4690

good ones tack!!

Hey one night a bunch of us was huntin in a 57 model panel body
bread truck- "my dads huntin truck" well to start with all the dogs got into a fight over a ground hog,
when we started home the dogs "one of them held a gruge" it was on like donky kong jack "4 dogs"
an 5 or 6 of us up in back of the
truck,an you talking bout doors coming open an kids jumping out
it was'nt funning at the time, but to thank back now it was some kind of funning!! lmao!!!

__________________
Home of the Luke dogs!!!!
Nt.Ch.Gibson's Sunset Titan
Gibson's Sunset Maggie
Sunset Blue Ruby
Lightfoot Frostie
Sunset High Ridge Dan
Gone but not forgotten
Gr.Nt.Ch.Gibson's Sunset Luke
pkc.ch Gibson an Bates Sunset Buck
Gibson's Katie
Gibson's Ruby
304-320-7202

Vic Ol Boy you've got me started !!

Well down in the river bottoms again,,Ol Ed and I were huntin Ol Tymes and his daughter Rosie ,,well a week before that it came a (FLOOD) in the bottoms and the river had gone down so we went
hunting it was kinda foggy so ol rosie treeed, shortly after tymes treeed with her,i said Ed lets hurry up and find that coon,and of course season was out,so we did, directly i hear Ed scream like a women ,so i hurry over too him too see if he was hurt,i said are
you alright he said no I've found a DEAD BODY i'm laying on it ,, I
said get up and i will see ,sure enough their lays a body with mudd all over it,,Ed all white, said what are we going too do ,i
said all we can do is call the law,Ed said lets get out of hear,I said
nope we are going too find this coon, and get it out too these dogs,this body ain't going no where its dead,,so it kep geting foggy and foggyer well i found the coon, as i was backing up too shoot that dam coon ,I fell over something ,,and dam i'm laying on top of this body and broke it arm off ,well all kinds of goose bumps ran all over me ,so i'm easying around on this thing ,and found its hand i look at it, ,then i found its hair,and started laughing my ass off ,,Eddie said whats so dam funny<<<he said does its fingers stink,and i really busted my ribs laughing!! I SAID ITS A MANICAN must have wash out of one of them stores up the creek !! We laughing our hindends off over the years,, Verry True Story !!

__________________
HARDTYMES-DAVE TACKETT GRNTCH GRCH DONNA"S HARDTYMES Grntch Grch Dave&Tims Hardtymes Red TACO R.I.P.

COONHUNTER =since 1969 RETIRED>2010 <>OVER THE HILL TRAINER! !! 606-286-4690

Now I know why you call yourself a retired coonhunter. Everyone is almost afraid to hunt with you for fear of what might happen next...lol. thanks dave don't stop

I got another couple stories but they seem boring now.
This is a good thread boys. Keep it going for awhile.

Vic

__________________
“Two people can look at the exact same
Thing and see something totally different.”

Vic’s “Ring Tales”
Vic McMillan


Have you fellows ever taken your families out for an evening? Well sure you have, that’s a ridiculous question. I’m going to tell you as accurately as I can remember, about an evening that my family and I enjoyed many years ago.
I arrived home on a Friday night, after work. After supper while Helen was finishing up with the dishes, I was very quietly dialling the telephone. The voice answering the other end was Roger Cotter, a good friend of ours. This may seem as a bit of a coincidence, but Roger had a coonhound.
We chatted a few minutes; I then called to Helen and asked her if she would like to go to Gail and Rogers for a game of cards and a few bubblies.
Perhaps I should explain before I get much further, that my wife the darling that she is does not credit me with the courtesy of ever taking her and the boys out (anywhere) Needless to say Helen wasn’t long making up her mind. In less than an hour, my little family was filing out the front door at home with beaming faces and great expectations.
The car door closed just as sneaky old dad rounded the corner of the house with the youngest member of the family on a leash. No, it wasn’t the baby; it was my trusty cooner, Old King. This old buddy was my second coon dog. He was a Black & Tan and Bluetick cross and weighed about eight-eight pounds in running shape. Helen wouldn’t have said nearly as much to me if I hadn’t lost the key to the trunk of the car. (That’s where we carried our dogs hunting back then.). That is another story for another time. We were finally on our way and all was well, except that the beaming smile had left Helens face and found it’s way onto mine. The boys, Shawn and Greg were still trying to smile and look happy, but they found it difficult to dodge dog slobber and still maintain their dignity. We had a good trip out to Roger and Gail’s’ place about a fifteen minute drive. Big-hearted dad bought everyone an ice-cream cone and Old King managed to steal most of the boy’s.
Gail and Roger received us warmly as usual, but Gail’s expression changed to that (“I figured as much”) look when she saw Old King sitting in the back seat of the car. We went into the house for coffee and the kids all went down to the barn to play. About eight o’clock we thought we could hear crying and went outside to check the children. Sure enough they were all crying something awful. Roger and I ran on ahead of the women to the barn. The sight was priceless. There were six children “treed” on a beam in the lower portion of the barn by a dozen little piglets. Being brave and undaunted, we rushed right in amongst those man-eating piglets and rescued our terrified kids. By the time we got the little eyes and cheeks washed and their sobbing had stopped, it was getting on towards dark.
Helen, realizing this suggested that we play some euchre. We took a vote and the girls lost so Roger, Shawn my five-year-old son, and I were off to the woods.
It was a moonlit night and very dry. We decided to try for a chase at a small lake near Roger’s place. In no time at all we were at the lake.
It was quiet and peaceful as we turned Old King and Red loose. There must have been twenty minutes pass before we heard anything. Then a cattle beast bawled and I tried to strike my dog but Roger wouldn’t let me so I had to wait for the real thing. Minutes went by like hours, and Roger and I were lying on the ground looking up at the beautiful summer sky. Young Shawn was sitting rigidly between us with his flashlight on. I guess we were too quiet, because out of nowhere a bright light hit our eyes and a tiny shaky little voice asked, “you guys wouldn’t go to sleep would you’? We had a good laugh and about that time the hounds opened over on the other side of the lake. The chase was on and it was a hot one. We both new where the dogs were and where they would tree. (On the west end of the lake.) We headed towards the dogs, but after 20 minutes of hard walking and carrying (as in Shawn on my back) we realized that the chase had turned around and was heading back to the other side of the lake again. Roger suggested that we take Shawn back to the house and get our waders, as we would need them on that side of the lake.
When we got back to the house the girls were furious. We took the hint right away and Roger even made the coffee while Gail brought out the cards. After a few games of cards, we couldn’t take it any longer and stepped outside to listen for the dogs. They were treed solid so we made an executive decision to play a few more games of cards. (Our marriages were at stake remember?). We cheated quite a bit and the women tired of cards about 3:00 AM. We put the cards away and headed back to the lake to get the dogs.
What a sight. When we finally arrived at the tree those poor dogs were standing up to their necks in water, and Mr. Ringtail was at the top of the tree almost all dried off by this time. Folks if I may be serious for a few minutes, I’d like to say that this story is true, even the humour in it, and believe me there is no need to ever leave a dog treeing for hours like that intentionally. If a dog will stay treed for half an hour then he will stay all night. You never know the conditions he is treeing in. Could be deep water or even a cliff overhang. Once your dog has proven himself to you I don’t think he needs to do it again. Right?
Well we got back to Rogers and I gathered up my sleeping kids and wife and headed home with a big smile on my face and another coonhunting experience under my belt.

In closing I’d like to say a few words about Rogers dog, “PR” Ch-NtCh Cotter’s Northern Red. Not long after this hunt, Red was killed in the line of duty before he had a chance to leave his paw marks on the number of trees that I know he was capable of. I have hunted with many fine cooners over the last thirty-five years or so, and Red will always remain high on my list of good ones.
In the months that follow, I will, (as the spirit prompts me) write some other stories of the past. These are for your enjoyment and hopefully they will bring back some memories for you of your own hunts gone by.
Drop over for a hunt sometime and maybe we can live a story for the future. Let us know of some of your successes and failures too and we can keep this thread going with a good hunting story once in awhile.
Your hunting pal
Old Vic

__________________
“Two people can look at the exact same
Thing and see something totally different.”

Oh VIC thats true,nobody !! wait till i tell about the FIRE !!

__________________
HARDTYMES-DAVE TACKETT GRNTCH GRCH DONNA"S HARDTYMES Grntch Grch Dave&Tims Hardtymes Red TACO R.I.P.

COONHUNTER =since 1969 RETIRED>2010 <>OVER THE HILL TRAINER! !! 606-286-4690

ya Tack u need to right a book and title it Crazy Coon Hunts,prob. would make the best sellers list....Vic,that sounds like a good nt. with the wife and kids all will remember.

__________________
on fire/tree dogs

Your right on that Steve!! We'll have to corner the little rascal at Eng days and talk him into it.... I'll even edit the book and publish it.
I can do this Tack!!!!!

Vic

__________________
“Two people can look at the exact same
Thing and see something totally different.”

TEAM DOOZE

COME ON FELLOWS LETS HEAR SOME MORE, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT THREAD.

__________________
TOMMY FOX
PR, BUCKCREEK STROKE
GRNITE.CH. BUCKCREEK DOOZE
GRNITE, CH, MEADOW CREEK JOE
GRNITE, CH, YADKIN RIVER MISSY

LITTLE LITTLE Vic where do you get little at ,hell mama said i weight ten pounds when i came in this old world, now i'm 300 ,little !!! I guess telling old coon story kinda blow me up!!
Tommy let hear one of yours !!

__________________
HARDTYMES-DAVE TACKETT GRNTCH GRCH DONNA"S HARDTYMES Grntch Grch Dave&Tims Hardtymes Red TACO R.I.P.

COONHUNTER =since 1969 RETIRED>2010 <>OVER THE HILL TRAINER! !! 606-286-4690

I know Tack.. but you are still the biggest little rascal I know!!!! lol

__________________
“Two people can look at the exact same
Thing and see something totally different.”

OK Story TYME !!

Well one nite EDDIE and I were hunting Ol T-Bone and Georgie and TJ down on the MSU farm ,,,,But before i get starting let set the seen ,That day i seen a bunch of city workers working on the sewer ,they were using these smoke bombs too check leaks,
well as a nosing ol feller i ask one worker what they were using
he said a smoke bomb ,man i thought this was great too smoke a
coon out of a den, so ol clean hands me swipe one and off too
coon hunt we went,,Now Ed and I pull down by the creek turn
the dogs ,Ol bones struck and ran a short track and treeed ,i said Ed lets get the gun and go,,now you know of course season was out,,,so we get too the tree we looked this rascal over and no coon ,I said here a big hole ,ED said that where its a, hell we can't get it out i said oh yes we can, Eddie said what have got I
said i stoled a smoke bomb off the city he laugh said what the hell
,so we plug the bottom hole up and stuck the smoke bomb in it,
well you never seen so much smoke in your life ,their was a light
fogg with this and that dam coon shot out that tree with its tail on fire and set the woods on fire ,that coon shot straight too the
creek, i look at Ed he is dying a laughing me kinda worried ,we heared siren blowing ever where and red lights and blue lights and i knew we was going too jail !! BUT GOOD OL ED TALK HIS WAY OUT OF IT << THE NITE WE ALL MOST WENT TOO JAIL!!

__________________
HARDTYMES-DAVE TACKETT GRNTCH GRCH DONNA"S HARDTYMES Grntch Grch Dave&Tims Hardtymes Red TACO R.I.P.

COONHUNTER =since 1969 RETIRED>2010 <>OVER THE HILL TRAINER! !! 606-286-4690

Laughin' my AZZ off!!!!

Only you tac,only you!!!!!! Oh,by the way--one question--do you ever hunt when the seasons in?????
Rob

__________________
High Lonesome English Kennels
Robert Gregory
Williamsville,Virginia
home#- 540-925-4437
cell#-757-339-3454
Home of:
"PR"High Lonesome Hannah. Nt.Ch. Hardtime Miss Kitty's Cat

You know ever since i was a little boy to me their was no season,untill i got 16 and they busted me for squirell hunting out of season ,THAT WHEN I FOUND THEIR WAS SEASONS!!

__________________
HARDTYMES-DAVE TACKETT GRNTCH GRCH DONNA"S HARDTYMES Grntch Grch Dave&Tims Hardtymes Red TACO R.I.P.

COONHUNTER =since 1969 RETIRED>2010 <>OVER THE HILL TRAINER! !! 606-286-4690

WELL NOW MRS. COWLES are you Still laughing,have you pee on the couch !!

__________________
HARDTYMES-DAVE TACKETT GRNTCH GRCH DONNA"S HARDTYMES Grntch Grch Dave&Tims Hardtymes Red TACO R.I.P.

COONHUNTER =since 1969 RETIRED>2010 <>OVER THE HILL TRAINER! !! 606-286-4690

AND YES ROB SEASON WAS OUT!!

__________________
HARDTYMES-DAVE TACKETT GRNTCH GRCH DONNA"S HARDTYMES Grntch Grch Dave&Tims Hardtymes Red TACO R.I.P.

COONHUNTER =since 1969 RETIRED>2010 <>OVER THE HILL TRAINER! !! 606-286-4690

Tack,

good stories, i'm kinda worried about Rob, he always had his light on in the day time. lol

__________________
Home of the Luke dogs!!!!
Nt.Ch.Gibson's Sunset Titan
Gibson's Sunset Maggie
Sunset Blue Ruby
Lightfoot Frostie
Sunset High Ridge Dan
Gone but not forgotten
Gr.Nt.Ch.Gibson's Sunset Luke
pkc.ch Gibson an Bates Sunset Buck
Gibson's Katie
Gibson's Ruby
304-320-7202