Registered: Oct 2010
Location: Eastern Cape Republic of South Africa
Posts: 7

Ladies and gentlemen , thank you for accepting me to participate on your forums.

I live in the Eastern Cape South Africa. I am owner , breeder and trainer of Sparks Big Game Hounds. I am not breed specific though I catergorise my own dogs into 4 components which form the basis of each working team.

1) Trail Hounds
2) Pressure Dogs ( Hounds )
3) Lurchers
4) Terriers

I have been a registered professional hunter and outfitter since 1987. I have been extensively involved in predator control in Southern Africa.

I have used my hounds to hunt.

1) Lion
2) Leopard
3) Lynx ( Caracal )
4) Black Backed Jackal
5) Hyena

I currently reside with my wife Debbie and son Simon in Tarkastad a small farming town in the Winterberg area of the Eastern Cape.

Looking forward to networking here and building new friendships and to gain from input on the forum.

Kind regards - Roy.

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Roy Sparks

Last edited by Sparks Hounds on 10-10-2010 at 06:51 PM

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Registered: Feb 2010
Location: maine
Posts: 776

The more the merrier!Sounds like you enjoy the Big game there.Hope to see your posts and photos.Again welcome aboard.

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Registered: Dec 2008
Location: pike co. Ky
Posts: 551

Can't wait to see some pictures!!!!!!!

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Johnny Rowe

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Registered: Oct 2003
Location: KINGFIELD, MAINE
Posts: 481

what kind of hounds are you using on that kind of game ?

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cut them loose

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Registered: Feb 2008
Location: North Florida
Posts: 517

Nice to see you over here Roy.

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Cutter Bay Kennels

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Registered: Oct 2010
Location: Eastern Cape Republic of South Africa
Posts: 7

Bones like I said , I'm not breed specific. All my hounds and terriers could be called big game hounds - terriers, as they have all been applied extensively to serious big game.

The trail hound line we have stems from hounds out of Arizona and Nevada and new Mexico. No specific breed although they have a distinct appearence and can be seperated from the rest.

Our other hounds or pressure dogs are based on English ( UK ) hounds like the Fell Hounds and Welsh Foxhounds with a dash of the South Western strain thrown in but can also be seperated as they to have a distinct appearence.

The lurchers are a cross between the pressure dogs and Deerhounds and Greyhounds.

The terriers are for the most part Jack Russells but also some heavy duty crosses.

For a good idea view my pictures on facebook.

Regards - Roy.

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Roy Sparks

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Registered: Jan 2008
Location: Toxaway NC
Posts: 126

i would like to see some of pictures of some of your dogs. I love my walkers but id like to see what you chase those lions with wooo wee some kind of dog. oh welcome to ukc. by the way.

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Registered: Jan 2009
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 97

I would suspect he is running LIONS with REDBONES... What breed could possibly keep up and be brave enough to slam a tree with a huge Lion in it other than a REDBONE?

That should sum it up nicely for everyone, right?

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Registered: Oct 2010
Location: Eastern Cape Republic of South Africa
Posts: 7

Mr. Redbone , I have not got a Redbone in the true form but I crossed a Black 'n Tan Bloodhound Bluetick x onto a Redtick bitch and one of her pups is as close to dammit to a Redbone as I've seen , maybe a bit leggy compared to pictures of Redbones I've seen.

I believe it was Redbones that sold me on hounds though. When I was just a wee lad I went to our local cinema to watch a movie , yup you guessed it , " Where the Red Fern Grows " - the original movie. Well I was about the only one there and I howled my eyes out. When I ordered the remake for my son , I howled my eyes out again with him.

Great hounds.

Go to facebook to view my pictures you guys , I have not mastered posting here yet.

Regards - Roy.

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Roy Sparks

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Registered: Feb 2010
Location:
Posts: 106

I look forward to hearing your stories!! By any chance do you run or mix any ridgeback into your pack?

Tim

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Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Roosevelt, Utah
Posts: 586

http://www.ingramwildlife.com/redfern.htm

(those two red dogs on the tree are mine, and the photo was taken in California during the remake)

Saw the first movie and helped make the second one, and there isn't anything wrong with the redbone breed as they have ran down anything (within reason) I've ask them to.............

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Living the Dream, making it happen and taking photos to share with others along the way!

Last edited by RunninBear(Ike) on 10-16-2010 at 03:41 PM

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Registered: Oct 2010
Location: Eastern Cape Republic of South Africa
Posts: 7

Ike thats great to hear about your and your hounds involvement with that movie. I'll be telling my boy when he gets back from school. If you really want to treat him send him a picture or two to my email adress of those hounds.

My email is sparkshounds@isat.co.za , he'll be really appreciative of that.

Kind regards - Roy.

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Roy Sparks

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Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Roosevelt, Utah
Posts: 586

Done, sent your boy four photos of my red dogs Roy..........

ike

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Living the Dream, making it happen and taking photos to share with others along the way!

Last edited by RunninBear(Ike) on 10-18-2010 at 01:08 PM

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Registered: Oct 2010
Location: Eastern Cape Republic of South Africa
Posts: 7

Hey Ike ,

I got hold of your DVD. Great stuff , enjoyed it Sunday afternoon with my son. Great hounds and footage. Old Ryan - he's a character. Enjoyed the bit of him biting of those twigs while you were posing that one lion for pictures. Looks like a hound with a lot of wisdom.

Roy.

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Roy Sparks

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Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Roosevelt, Utah
Posts: 586

Roy\,

Glad to hear that you and your son got to watch one of those videos I put together. Was it Hound Dog Crazy I or II? (One had the bear on it and two has me holding a big tom lion on the cover). Anyway, I would have loved to had that old Ryan dog over in your country long enough to run down a nice tom leopard before our time ended--but you know how things are, time, distance and money! He and his sister are now thirteen and I've retired Ryan and his sister still hunts a little when I'm in good country. It hurts to watch those great hounds get old.............

That orange and white Kody dog of mine is now six and out of my Ryan dog. He is a chip off the old block and as near a clone to Ryan as possible from a breeding. Click on this link below and you can see Kody in action on a bear we put in a hole about four years ago. That black and white bitch next to him is Rowen and a littermate to Ryan.........you can also see my blue Ryan dog in action at nine years of age on a bayup......

http://www.ingramwildlife.com/bearhole.wmv



Keep'em treed,
Ike

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Living the Dream, making it happen and taking photos to share with others along the way!

Last edited by RunninBear(Ike) on 10-28-2010 at 12:42 AM

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