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What got you started, and when.....

I've been hunting for over 45 years, and still love it. I have met so many good friends (friends for life) through these blue hounds.

I got into coonhunting b/c I wanted to bear hunt, and we didn't have enough bear at that time, so I started coon hunting, since it involved hounds....running....treeing!! I hunted over a year before I saw my first coon...and loved every minute of it!!!!! I was "Hooked" the first night!!!! I plan on hunting as long as I am able to climb these hills!!!

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Phone (336) 648-3210

Home of Mayberry Blueticks
Jhn. 3:30, "He must increase, but I must decrease."

I know there is good and bad in about everything you do, but looking back, the Good sure out-weighs the bad!!!!

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Phone (336) 648-3210

Home of Mayberry Blueticks
Jhn. 3:30, "He must increase, but I must decrease."

.

I think Genetics. Sounds Crazy but I still think it.

Back before I could drive I picked up a hound cross, probably more pointer. I use to sit on the front porch at night in the big city of Miami, just rubbing the dogs head DREAMING and TALKING to him about how someday we would be out in the woods chasing something.
Well by the time I got to drive my dream buddy had been given to a guy with some land and he would tell me how the dog would tree coon at night in his back yard. I met some fox hunters and did that for a few months but that never excited me like my dreams of going through the woods to a dog treed, even though I had never seen one treed. Well I saw a hound pup come up for sale in the newspaper and I purchased it. Looked like a blue tick and when it got about 9 or 10 months old I was driving by then I took it to some woods and turned it loose. It went into a strand of trees and I heard a sound I live to hear today. The dog opened and started treeing. Now me with a small flashlight and no gun eased my way in there and saw the prettiest possum I have ever seen that MY dog treed. I don't have the same feeling about possums today but a dog treeing still sounds good.
In the beginning I said GENETICS and here is why. I often wondered and was often asked why coonhunting. I was raised without a Father and never hunted anything but birds and animals in the back yard which mostly comprised of lizards and imitation lions and tigers after watching Tarzan on TV. Just a few years ago I got in a conversation with some long lost kin folk and mentioned coonhunting. They laughed and said my Grand Father lived to coon hunt. He would work the farm all day and coon hunt half the night. So with me GENETICS gets the blame for all this nonsense I have been involved with the past 45 to 50 years.

You could be right. My dad never hunted in his life. My only brother is like my dad. When I was just a kid, I lived on the river...fishing, swimming, just anything that kept me outdoors. As I grew older, I found someone to take me squirrell hunting, and rabbit hunting. Those beagles running set me on fire. I had never heard of coon hunting, but I'm sure that somewhere in the family "TREE" (plus points) it is there.

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Phone (336) 648-3210

Home of Mayberry Blueticks
Jhn. 3:30, "He must increase, but I must decrease."

It might do you good to go back!! Sometimes we get so caught up with the different aspects of hunting, we forget who and what got us started to begin with......love of the hound, and love of the chase.

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Phone (336) 648-3210

Home of Mayberry Blueticks
Jhn. 3:30, "He must increase, but I must decrease."

1960

back around 1960 road with grandpa on his work horse and coon hunted. still going strong today.

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C.JONES

My granddaddy had bird dogs and one of my uncles had beagles that he used on deer. I started out with some deer beagles myself but decided I wanted to get into coon hunting and bear hunting with the big dogs! Bear hunted for several yrs but it was cutting into my coon hunting so gave it up and haven't done anything but coon hunt for the past 25 yrs now. I'm the only coon hunter in my family that I know of but I think that the love of dogs and huntin together might have been passed down through the years. It had to start somewhere because I was hooked once I went that first time.

As a kid I loved the woods and creek banks, I mean loved! Fishing mainly and squirrel hunting, then in 5th grade a teacher read us a book that changed my direction forever "The Red Fern Grows" no one in my family was a coon hunter, but I could not wait to get to school and listen and learn. Then a fella brought a magazine The American Cooner, we read the cover off during class, acting like we were studying. Some boys had stories about there dads redbone or bluetick or plott hound but all I could think about was getting me one of those Walkers from a guy named House. The ad is forever in my mind of Ole Clint hung on the side of that big oak....

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Striving to breed balanced Treeing Walkers.

"Life is short boys, Hunt an intelligent hound"

Born in sin, convicted by the Word, saved by Grace.

my grandpap

got me started back in about 1955 i loved it then and stil do my health went south and i quit for a spell but been back at it and not gonna quit till i can't get out and care for my dogs

I got interested in hunting with dogs when I was a kid in high school. Back then this area had some good quail hunting and a lot of guys had bird dogs. There was this guy named David Duffy who wrote the "gundog" article every month in Outdoorlife magazine. One month he had this article with pictures of different hunting dogs and their purpose. One section just said "big game" and had "hounds" with a picture of a bluetick.
About that same time I was going to West Virginia with one of dad's friends that had a cabin there. We just deer hunted and there were no bear there, but everyone talked about bear.
Then we went to visit the guys cousin in Elk Garden, WVA. He had two blueticks and seeing these dogs live in person hooked me...been at it in one way or another ever since. Never did have my own bear dogs, but the thought of a dog so powerful and fearless that it would chase and tree a bear hooked me back then.
Needless to say, I discovered that these same dogs could be used for coon hunting. We have always had a decent coon population here and that was just about fun enough to try.

Jerry Clower, with “John Eubanks, the professional tree climber” and “Where the Red Fern Grows”. I had yard dogs that would run a rabbit as far as you could see him, and tree possums, squirrels, and a coon every now and then. Oh but I wanted a Bluetick coonhound so bad. In my eyes, a bluetick was the only real coon dog there was. Bought my first Bluetick in 1977, I was 15 years old. I didn’t have a drivers licenses at the time, but Daddy let me use his truck to drive to Sorrento Louisiana to pick her up. She was a grade dog, almost completely white if it wasn’t for a few ticks here and there. She was the most beautiful dog I had ever seen. She learned to tree on kittens at my sister’s house down the road. Every now and then she would catch one and bring it home. She never hurt any of them, but the poor kitten would be completely covered with dog spit. She treed her first coon at 6 months old. It still amazes me to hear and see a dog tree a coon. Out of all the trees in the woods, what makes them pick the right tree? Some think it’s a simple answer to that question, but it’s just amazing to me. Hope it always is !!

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BigCountry
Tommy Gayle
985-233-1016

I was probably infected about age 12, grew up out in the sticks and when we wern't workin on the farm, my runnin buddies and i were in the woods either huntin or fishin. Always armed one and all, our arsenal consisted of every type weapon from BB gun to gramps old double barrel, our prey ranged from frogs to deer and every critter in between. The boy from the farm up the road had a liver colored shorthair that was our dog power, that old dog would tree anything that climbed and could dig a woodchuck outa the ground like a backhoe.
We all loved that dog and all used her like our own, that was half a century ago and i still think about that dog from time to time, her name was Hoppy and shes what started my love for following a dog through the woods.

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Everything that makes them a COONDOG is on the inside

All 3 of my uncles and my grandfather use to coonhunt with hounds back in the day so I grew up listening to my grandparents telling stories about Coonhunting. Then one night when I was like 5, a few hunters lost their dogs on our property so my grandpaw and I had to go out and help them find their dogs. We eventually found them and since then I've been addicted.

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English Coonhounds

What got me started,LOL

Well my story is about opposite of Bruce's. When I was small say 6-10 years of age I went with my Dad and grandpa to run the fox hounds once in a while. I loved being out in the dark after night. About 11 to 15-16, I got the bug for running fox hounds. Dad let me own one of my own to run with the rest of the pack. We would alway stop running and strictly coon hunt through the month of November and then hunt mostly just the good nights in December and January. But as soon as the weather was good enough I was right back to asking Dad when we were going to run the fox hounds again. Dad kept after me to go coon hunting with him and I would tell him, Man why would I want to walk all over hill & dale to hear a dog run and tree a coon when I could sit up on this ridge and listen to a pack of hounds DRIVING a big red fox. I loved track speed and still do today.

When I turned about 17/18 I found out there were some awful pretty college girls in our town and I tried my best to meet them all. Well Dad soon realized I was headed for a train wreck. Dad had switched from fox hounds to coon hounds about this time. I would hunt a few nights with Dad but since he had gotten rid of all the fox hounds I thought the better time would be sitting up at a bar with those college cuties. Well when I turned about 20, Dad kept pushing for me to take a coon hound pup and give it a try. Well I did take that pup, and after that danged pup treed a couple of coons by it's self I was hooked, and Dad had a hunting partner for the next 40 years.

So in reality I loved the fox hounds first as I loved hearing a dog that could DRIVE a track. Now I like that dog that can DRIVE that track and MELT down that tree.

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Good post Craig!

It brings back some of the fondest memories I have. I was very fortunate to have a Dad that coon hunted. He actually did all kinds of hunting and fishing and it was just second nature to me. My Grandfather passed away when I was 12 but I remember going rabbit and deer hunting with him as a youngster. He also always had a hound of some sort around. As long as I can remember, my Dad had hounds around but I got my first love of a tree dog with our old squirrel dog Brownie. I used to come home from school in the early 60s and grab Brownie and my 410 shotgun and head to the woods. I can remember it like it was yesterday. I never got my own hound until 1968. it was a big long eared Black & Tan. He just started doing things and someone must have wanted him more than me and stole him right off the box. I tried several different dogs through the next few years until I bought a Bluetick pup out of Okey Underwood's Blue Blue and Curry Blue Judy. Mr. Underwood and Mr. Curry were very well known in our area for raising good blue hounds. This pup was running and treeing his own coon at 10 months old but the trouble was he was running everything else. I lost him at just under a year old while running a deer and never saw him again. Sense then I have had many a top coon hounds, mostly Bluetick and I still get excited when that young one trees his first coon. As far as I know no one else in my family coon hunt now. Some cousins used to but they quit. I have 3 grandsons and so far none are interested in coon hunting. My son loves hunting but doesn't coon hunt other than once in a blue moon will go with me. I got my good friend and hunting partner, Tim Wolfe, his first pup when he was 15 years old. Tim just turned 37 and he and I still hunt together all the time. We have had some good ones and some that didn't make it back home. It seems that when we get up in age, a good hound and hunting partner is as about as good as it gets. All the other hype just isn't as important as it once was. I still get butterfly's in my stomach when the leaves begin to fall and that autumn smell is in the woods. When it leaves me, then I'll quit.

Since most of the guys that posted here so far have been around a little while...back when the Wheat light was king...how many of you guys remember a cat that sold Wheat lights, parts and dog supplies named "Mr. and Mrs. Mont E. Hicks and squirrel" ?????
If memory serves me right wasn't he in Ohio??? I never met the guy, but he was a nice fella. Wish I had got to meet him.

Nobody in my family that was alive when I was born coon hunted. My grandpa always kept a squirrel dog. Some nights he'd tree a coon in the back yard. I started coon hunting in late 80s with some buddies mainly to get out of the house..It got me and hasn't let go. While none of them hunt anymore. I cant quit. I found a picture of my great grandpa with 2 hounds. They say he hunted a lot to. So maybe it is genetic but it skipped several generations

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Michael Ghorley

Re: What got me started,LOL

quote:

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Originally posted by Rocketman55
Well my story is about opposite of Bruce's. When I was small say 6-10 years of age I went with my Dad and grandpa to run the fox hounds once in a while. I loved being out in the dark after night. About 11 to 15-16, I got the bug for running fox hounds. Dad let me own one of my own to run with the rest of the pack. We would alway stop running and strictly coon hunt through the month of November and then hunt mostly just the good nights in December and January. But as soon as the weather was good enough I was right back to asking Dad when we were going to run the fox hounds again. Dad kept after me to go coon hunting with him and I would tell him, Man why would I want to walk all over hill & dale to hear a dog run and tree a coon when I could sit up on this ridge and listen to a pack of hounds DRIVING a big red fox. I loved track speed and still do today.

When I turned about 17/18 I found out there were some awful pretty college girls in our town and I tried my best to meet them all. Well Dad soon realized I was headed for a train wreck. Dad had switched from fox hounds to coon hounds about this time. I would hunt a few nights with Dad but since he had gotten rid of all the fox hounds I thought the better time would be sitting up at a bar with those college cuties. Well when I turned about 20, Dad kept pushing for me to take a coon hound pup and give it a try. Well I did take that pup, and after that danged pup treed a couple of coons by it's self I was hooked, and Dad had a hunting partner for the next 40 years.

So in reality I loved the fox hounds first as I loved hearing a dog that could DRIVE a track. Now I like that dog that can DRIVE that track and MELT down that tree.

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yellow gold!

As a child my Dad and Grandfather always had rabbit or bird dogs and I tagged along following those dogs. When I was 19 I had some new older friends with foxhounds and I was hooked on the fast game and a fight and I quickly had a few foxhounds. For some reason I always had an urge to get out after coons. I looked for alot of years for the right coonhound and finally bought one 3 years ago. I still have foxhounds and enjoy both styles of running. Deer and turkey hunting and trapping have all taken a back seat to running hounds. I like the challenge dogs bring and I find it more rewarding when you've got a good dog. Im 26 now. I have got my wife hooked as well and now I'm the one that takes my Dad and Grandpa out to follow hounds and hopefully one day my children.

Re: .

quote:

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Originally posted by Bruce M. Conkey
prettiest possum

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Larry Atherton

Aim small miss small

Here was my ad that I loved. Still have this blood running strong.

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Striving to breed balanced Treeing Walkers.

"Life is short boys, Hunt an intelligent hound"

Born in sin, convicted by the Word, saved by Grace.

My Papaw coon hunted some but it was before I was born, my Dad never coon hunted until after I started.

I had a cousin that was about7 years older than I am and I always looked up to him and thought if he could do something I could too. He started coon hunting and of course I had to give it a try myself.

My first experience night hunting was when I was around 13, We hunted Papaw's Mtn Feist Trixie, I don't remember who was with me but I do remember hunting with a flash light that when you shined the tree you were LUCKY to be able to see eyes. Trixie never treed a coon for me but she was the death to many possums.

Then when I was around 15 or so my Dad bought me a Walker female and a Bluetick pup. I remember coming home from school that day and Dad telling me "Well you must not be to interested in coon hunting!" When I asked him why he said that he told me to go look in the basement.. That day changed my life forever and started me on the path of being a REAL coon hunter.. I ended up selling the Walker female to my cousin, and started hunting the Bluetick with Trixie.

I can still remember the night that my Bluetick Jenny treed her first coon. My brother and an older cousin were with me that night, Jenny strucj the track and worked it about ten mins before she treed. You talk about one PROUD boy that night!! I couldn't wait to get home and wake up Mom and Dad to tell them that Jenny had treed her first coon!!!!

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Great stories, keep them coming.

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BigCountry
Tommy Gayle
985-233-1016

Definitely genetics. They cant put it in ya and they cant take it out. Anybody can go huntin but not just anybody is gonna love it. My whole family has coon and bear hunted for years. Dad got out of it when I was about 7 but I coon hunted with him many nights and bear hunted once or twice. Then when he quit huntin I did too but I still had the desire to go anytime I saw a truck goin down the road with a dog box or heard a hound on a track or tree or even heard people talkin about it which is a pretty common thing when you grow up with a family full of bear hunters. Well one night when I was about 13 my uncle came up to the house askin dad if he could coon hunt up here that night and of course dad didnt care cuz he wasnt huntin anymore. He started to leave amd turned around and asked if I wanted to go. I hesitated to say anythig and looked at dad and he said "you better get ready if youre goin." My dads done a whole lot for me but that sticks out as one of the biggest things he ever did for me. We treed 8 coons in 3 1/2 hours and I had a blast. Been huntin and lovin every second of it ever since. The next year my cousin took me bear huntin with him and we didnt do a single thing all day. Couldnt find a track to save our lives. But somethin made me wanna go back every chamce I got. Now bear huntin is my life and I wouldnt wanna be doin amything else. Still enjoy doin a little coon huntin here and there (5 or 6 nights a week) too. Only been in it for 4 or 5 years but I wouldnt trade it for the world. Its too the point the average person gets tired of bein around me cuz I eat sleep and breath runnin dogs. My friends all get mad cuz when they wanna hang out all I wanna do is go run some dogs. I cant help it. Its in my blood. Cant put it in you and they cant take it out.

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If they don't bay, they don't stay

Catch em and stretch em, tree em and free em

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My Dad

We always had hounds as a kid.The first time my Dad took me hunting I was probably about 5.I loved it and still do.I could care less about killing coons but I love being in the woods and I'm a sucker for a good walker dog. My Dad was the first in our part the country to have registered walkers.He bought a pair of pups from a man in Oklahoma named Bob Beagle. A female by Finely River Chef and a male by Grass Run Banjo who was by Johnson's Banjo. They both were the talk of the Texas panhandle where we lived.My Dad was a hard hunter and hunted all his life. On his tombstone is a engraving of Houses Lipper on the tree. And for me I've raised 4 sons and they all hunted but only 1 has hounds. I still hunt and still walk instead of drive, I just prefer that way as I can get my exercise. I've got a real good handling male out of Track Man and most of the time It's just me and Ace and a red healer I take to keep the hogs off of me.