Trevor / UKC
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Registered: Sep 2020
Location: Tenn -> Mich
Posts: 2742 |
Allen Gingerich's article from November 2017
Lame Cross Out Excuses
Q: Judges in this area are circling obviously slick trees because of handlers who say the coon could have crossed out. This is getting to be a big problem here and I would like to hear UKC’s ruling on this.
A: I believe that one of the most frequent abuses in the scoring of coonhounds in a Nite Hunt occurs when Judges let handlers convince them that a coon could have crossed over to another tree from an obviously “slick” tree. I have either coon hunted too many years for my own good or I am like the guy from Missouri (you gotta show me) because I do not believe that coon climb the trunk of one tree to get into another tree unless the branches are obviously entwined or there are vines creating a natural path for the coon to follow. I have seen coon reach out and take hold of limbs and pull themselves across but that was when I was in the tree with them, attempting to shake them from their perch. Otherwise, coon will stay put, moving only when frightened by shaking vines, shooting or squalling. I once had a handler to tell me that coon climb smaller bushes and ride them over into den trees. Sounds like fun to me, but again, I will have to be shown.
I have also heard of the “escape route” for saving dogs from minus points. Handlers maintain that a tree should be circled because there is an obvious escape route in the form of a limb on the backside of the tree that touches the ground, or perhaps a log across a stream or some other conveyance that allowed the coon to fool the dog and escape. These handlers maintain that since the coon climbed the tree and the dog is none the wiser, the points should be circled. Other scenarios reveal dogs that have received plus points when a coon was seen several trees down a fence row from where the dog was treeing. The handler paints a scene of the coon crossing from tree to tree in a style that would turn a Tarzan scriptwriter green with envy and, believe it or not, some Judges buy it.
The top of the scorecard says, “Honor Rules.” The framers of the Nite Hunt rules were coon hunters of much experience. The Rules Committee members, the same. There is a thread running through the rules that assumes the Judges and handlers to be experienced coon hunters. Granted, many newcomers to the sport are not, but the Judges should be.
If you can honestly see an obvious path, in terms of limbs or vines from one tree to another, then give the dogs the benefit of doubt. Otherwise, let’s take our lumps and strive to breed accurate locators in our hounds rather than relying on lame excuses. Small branches that brush each other do not qualify. No dog is 100 percent accurate, and part of the game is trying to find something better than what we are feeding.
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08-23-2021 11:36 PM
