John D
UKC Forum Member
Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Missouri
Posts: 4321 |
He was a barely weaned grade B&T pup I got when I was 16 years old. I named him Pete, raised him and made him my buddy. HIs first night in the woods was also my first night in the woods. I'd never been hunting at night in my life and I don't know which one of us was more scared.
I hunted him with a high school friend's walker dog and we got him started. My friend didn't know much more than I did about coonhunting. I hunted him alone and he'd go hunting on his own, work a track and get treed. He liked to hunt and run track more than he liked to tree so I better hustle to the tree or he might leave.
I got him single registered and put him in several UKC hunts and never won a thing. I didn't really expect to win, I was just along to learn and be around some coonhunters and hopefully some good dogs. The older Pete got the wider hunting he got. 2-3 miles was nothing. One time I picked him up 8 miles from where I cut him. All with no tracking system of any kind.
He was also perhaps the loudest mouth dog of any dog I've been in the woods with. If he had been gone for awhile, I'd drive a mile or 2 in the direction I thought he went and listen. I'd generally hear him, even if he was still a mile or 2 away. Sometimes I followed him on foot, which was usually a mistake. He got me 2-3 miles from the truck, on foot, several times. But I also lost him several times for 2 or more days at a time.
He was just what a bunch of folks these days think they want. Independent, loud, and wide hunting. Only one problem, he lacked coon treeing ability. I will say I was like a lot of beginners and I made some mistakes with this dog and didn't make the most of the time in the woods with him. So, I'd love to have a pup like him today. But I think he really did lack treeing and that might be his downfall.
He lived to be 15 years old and I had him put to sleep.
I think this picture was taken when he was about 10 years old. 1990 or so. The picture shows it some but his chest was too big for the rest of his body. I always said that's because of the HUGE LUNGS in there, lol.

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Last edited by John D on 03-22-2014 at 04:39 PM
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