John Wick
UKC Forum Member
Registered: Feb 2004
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Posts: 27 |
Continuation. . .
To Bruce Conkey: Bruce, these dogs aren’t hard to find. I know of at least 50 of them. When I mentioned in my original post that if someone had a top male, I’d consider using him, it wasn’t because I don’t know of any. It was just that I’d hear of some that I don’t know about, and that myself or many others who talk to me might use dogs that we don’t currently know about. I believe that will happen. This discussion will bring people and dogs out of the woods and woodwork, and that’s a big part of what I’m trying to accomplish with my original post. I can tell you of at least a half a dozen dogs that are Preacher colored that are offered at stud, and many other folks have fine hounds that we could use but they don’t care to advertise them. No sir, there is a considerable amount of this stuff around. However, it’s scattered all over the nation.
I’m chuckling to myself but also thinking seriously to myself when you talk about people being old and wanting to hold on to old bloodlines. Boy is that ever true! In some ways, that is true about me. But this is the ONLY old dog that I’m concerned about trying to keep. I’ve had many others that I liked a lot. But sir, to clarify this, let me say that for at least ten or fifteen years I’ve wanted to try to stir things up a little as far as people being aware of the Preacher stuff and using and appreciating it. That means I was in my mid-40’s at the time because you see I’m just 59. I’m not 89 or 99. Ooops, sorry I just had a senior moment. I just turned 60. Ha, ha. That’s the truth. I just turned 60, and I have never been more serious about trying to breed better coon dogs. I pleasure hunt almost every night, but I have gotten old enough to realize that I don’t want to walk a mile or two to a tree when there are coons sitting around in trees a hundred yards away or a quarter mile away. I just don’t see the point of dogs racehorsing in there. And then we racehorse after ’em. Or we drive around sections to get to where they are treed or running junk. You see, I’m old enough that I much prefer dogs that hustle hard but are hunting to the left of me and the right of me and the front of me and popping those lay-ups and running tracks with THEIR HEADS UP AND TREEING MORE COONS PER ACRE. In that regard, I plead guilty to being old. I think it also means I’m a little wiser and want to make the least steps but still see the most coons. The future use of the Preacher dogs with other sensible bloodlines can make many of us older guys and younger ones enjoy many nights.
Here’s another major factor in my thinking. Even for the folks who like the wide-going dogs, our places to hunt are getting smaller and smaller, and roads are getting more dangerous. People are shooting more and more dogs that tree behind their house. The world is unsafe for those wide dogs so why don’t we think about having dogs that are a little more sensible and not only tree more coons per acre, but we’ll also have a whole lot more places to hunt because we can put these dogs into smaller blocks of woods.
To John D.: Well sir, thanks for the compliments. I’m glad I was able to help. Let’s talk about me being old and looking backwards again. Let me give an example. The first year that I coon hunted with the old gentlemen who got me started, I carried a kerosene lantern. That’s what he used. I didn’t know any better, so that’s what I did. We’d sit on a log and listen to the dogs trail. That lantern would put out those kerosene fumes and flicker beautifully. Man, it was just magical times! I have wonderful and fond memories of those days. To this day, I have a kerosene lantern hanging in my living room. I see it and smile at it several times a day. It brings back fond memories. Once in awhile I even get it down, light it, set it in the middle of the living room, and turn the rest of the lights out. But, believe me, I’m not going back to coon hunting with it. The modern lights are so much better in every way. Ole Ozark Preacher is the only thing I’m kinda thinkin’ I want to go back to somewhat, but also use the best of the modern Walkers. Believe me, Preacher wasn’t perfect. His offspring weren’t perfect. I can tell you a lot about the imperfections too. As the years go by I do, however, realize that there was something special going on there. All of us who have had numerous dogs of that bloodline know there’s that certain something about them that’s hard to explain. It made us like them a little more than we’ve liked many of the other dogs we’ve all had since. I’m a forward-looking guy, and I’m looking forward with this project. I’m also thoughtfully figuring out what from the past needs to be used in the future. Hey, remember, I’m the first guy that brought this new-fangled nylon material to hunting clothes. I’ve been a first in quite a few things, so looking back is not my style. I guess, in many ways, it’s pretty much limited to trying to keep Ozark Preacher somewhat useful and enjoying the look and occasional smell of that old kerosene lantern, but I’m not going to the woods with it. 
To Larry Atherton: Yeah man, that’s pretty good. None of us wants to think about getting old. But with age does come increased wisdom and increased understanding of what’s really important. I got an early start in this game. Because of circumstances, I had to leave home quite young so I was always a little older than my years in some ways. When I was 25 and 30, people would come to my house to do dog business with me. They were 60. When they saw me, many of them were shocked and dismayed. They figured I couldn’t know much about dogs and hunting as young as I was to them. But man did I try hard! I really worked at it. As I just was saying a few minutes ago, I wasn’t set on the old ways; I was trying to find new and better ways. Just last week, down at the Winter Classic, a guy was staring at me. He finally said, “How old are you anyhow?” I told him, “I just turned 60.” He continued to stare at me. I couldn’t figure out what he was thinking. He finally said, “You mean I’ve been looking up to you for all these years and you're ten years younger than me."
To Jason Miller: Hey Jason, how about I put your name and address on my list. I’ll probably need guys like you to keep me from going astray. You know, with me being over-the-hill and having Alzheimer’s and all that stuff. Ha, ha. I’m not at all going to do this project alone. I just want to help folks have more fun in their hunting and hopefully quite a few other folks will agree. As for me, I’ve had Preacher-bred dogs since before I’ve had Preacher. I’ve always had dogs of that color. Other than my Leopard Curs, everything I raise or work with has Preacher in it multiple times. I’m already on the Preacher bandwagon. I’m simply trying to see who else wants to get aboard. Hopefully, lots of them are younger and have all the Internet and other skills which I don’t.
To Justin Smith: Wow, that sounds heavy. Are you a philosopher? Seriously, thanks for the faith. Let me be the first to say, I’m not smarter than other folks. Here’s what I am. I wanted to make my living selling started dogs. To do that, I had to find hounds that were really easy to work with, really easy to start, and really easy to break off of junk. I tried everything dang thing out there. Believe me, the Preacher-bred dogs were the secret ingredient that allowed me to pursue my chosen career. I also worked like crazy at it. Very little sleep and very many miles.
Yes, I know those Preacher traits, and I can spot them not only in looks but in actions. I’m amazed and bumfuzzled but he is still around in a way. I think many of you folks will be surprised what you see in this regard in the next ten years.
To John Horner: I don’t know you, sir, but I do know quite a few people who owned the Crow before you. Hopefully I’ll get to meet you sometime. There are many dogs, hundreds of them, just as close to ole Preacher as the Crow. By the way, the Crow goes back to Preacher through Martin’s High Style. Years ago my friend in Mississippi, Buddy Martin, had a granddaughter of Preacher that was Preacher colored. She came into heat but he couldn’t get off work to bring her to my house to breed to Wick’s Stylish Banjo. I loaded Banjo up, took him to Mississippi, bred the man’s female, and came back home. That produced High Style and several other dandies. By the way, High Style is behind many of these Preacher-looking dogs these days. Rusty Rubles Die Hard Jackpot shows High Style in his pedigree twice, for instance. Yes folks, there actually is quite a lot of this still around.
By the way folks, a littermate sister to the Crow is the mother of GR NT CH Tree Torching Rock, a Preacher-colored dog offered at stud in Kentucky. Before I go, Mr. Horner, I’d sure love to hunt with your dog. I know several people who have hunted with him and owned him ever since he was a pup, but I’d like to see him for myself some time. We’ll take him with some of his pups.
Continued below.
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02-03-2007 07:12 AM
