Registered: May 2016
Location: Palatka, FL
Posts: 5106

I saw a question over on Facebook asking about what top hounds have beat you in competition hunts. My mind immediately went to the fact they didn't have to be top hounds to beat me and my dogs. I have lost to every imaginable type of hound. Buts that's OK. I am one of the few that just enjoyed and was Thankful for being there. Being a part of something I believed in.

As you are preparing your dogs. It is important to prepare yourself. Prepare yourself to be able to look into the MIRROR at the end of the night and see someone you like. Not a cheat, not a crybaby, but an honest person that enjoys coon hounds. Also not a person that gives the cast away to cheats and crybabies. That takes a lot of work, just like it takes a lot of work to shape that good dog. Shape yourself into a person that you can live with when looking into the MIRROR and also a person that stood up for his dog and didn't give his dog a bad name in doing so.

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Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Clarksville, AR
Posts: 1074

Good post Bruce, and what you're saying is true in all aspects of life and society, not just coondogs and coonhunters. Seems to me that personal accountability has become a truly uncommon virtue in our society as a whole, and we suffer the consequences accordingly.

As a dad that's pretty involved in a lot of kid sports, I see more than my share of responsibility deflection, placing blame, and an inability/reluctance (from both kids and parents) to acknowledge faults and shortcomings. Its a rare individual these days that can look in the mirror, really see what's there, and come up with a way to improve it if necessary.

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Registered: Aug 2004
Location: Chattanooga, Tn
Posts: 22462

quote:

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Originally posted by Bruce m. Conkey
........ But that's OK. I am one of the few that just enjoyed and was Thankful for being there, being a part of something I believed in....
As you are preparing your dogs. It is important to prepare yourself.......

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Are there really that few? I hope not. But handlers do have to train themselves, both mentally and physically, just as they train their dogs. A lot of times we forget about ourselves and only worry about our dogs. Competition coonhunting is a sport, both dogs and handlers are athletes. Does anyone remember their high school football days and August 2 adays? They were sure tuff, but I still looked forward to them. Well, it is that time.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Central Michigan
Posts: 6539

Frankly, Bruce I am against mirrors! Every time I am around a mirror there is this old guy I don't recognize. So put me down as not a fan of mirrors. As for losing, I still do that as well as when I was a young man.

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Larry Atherton

Aim small miss small

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