1 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Country Life. 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:10,880 Speaker 2: I'm your host, Brent Reeves from coon hunting to trotlining 3 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:13,119 Speaker 2: and just in general country living. I want you to 4 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 2: stay a while as I share my experiences in life lessons. 5 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 2: This Country Life is presented by Case Knives from the 6 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 2: store More Studio on Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you 7 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 2: the best outdoor podcast that airways have to offer. All right, friends, 8 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 2: grab a chair or drop that tailgate. I've got some 9 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 2: stories to share. Page's deer hunt, snow and bad boar coons. 10 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 2: I couldn't tell you what the theme of this week's 11 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 2: show is. There are three elements that I talk about, 12 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 2: and the last two are similar but also different. After 13 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 2: I wrote it and read it, I looked by a 14 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 2: computer like it was speaking a different language. Sometimes I 15 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 2: just get to rambling, and when I slow down long 16 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 2: enough to catch my breath, thirty minutes have gone by. 17 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 2: That's probably the most accurate way to describe this effort. 18 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: Anyway you tell me. 19 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 2: But I'm going to talk about snow, coon hunting and 20 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 2: rough old coons. But first I'm going to tell you 21 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 2: this story. This week's story comes from This Country Life 22 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 2: listener Paige Harrison. Page stays busy working a couple hours 23 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 2: south of our nation's capital in the tenth state to 24 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 2: join the colonies in rebellion against those te taxing buffoons 25 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 2: over in England. It's also in that same state of 26 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 2: Virginia that her story takes place. Now, Page comment is 27 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 2: something very nice when she introduced this story to me, 28 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 2: and I quote the stories you tell highlight the good 29 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 2: in America. Well, Page, we can always use some of 30 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 2: the so in your words and my voice, here we go. 31 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 2: I grew up hunting a farm in southern Virginia that 32 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 2: my dad and his buddies hunted my entire life. In 33 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 2: their words, we've brought a tractor trailer load of deer 34 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 2: out of there. That farm holds a lot of hunting 35 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 2: memories from me, and I killed my first deer there, 36 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,079 Speaker 2: and I have a lot of memorable stories, and genetics 37 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 2: plays a big part of the story I want to share. 38 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 2: In twenty ten, my first year of college, I came 39 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 2: home for Thanksgiving week. My dad and I hunted hard 40 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 2: that week, sitting in box blinds each morning and evening 41 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 2: with no luck. It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving, my 42 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 2: last evening to hunt until winter break. My dad said 43 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 2: let's do something different that we haven't done in a 44 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 2: while and get in a box blind together. My dad 45 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:57,800 Speaker 2: and his friends built all the boxblines on the property, 46 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 2: and most of them were built to sit to people. 47 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 2: The secondary rut was in and the deer were moving early. 48 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:07,800 Speaker 2: A couple of dos walked out, and my dad commented 49 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 2: that I should probably stick my gun out the wind 50 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 2: that just in case. Sure enough, my dere buck was 51 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 2: right behind me. Now yet to remember, my dad and 52 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 2: his best friend built all the box blinds, and these 53 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 2: are not box blinds put together by your average joe. 54 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:27,079 Speaker 2: My dad's best friend comes from a family of carpenters. 55 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 2: These blinds are sturdy and built to a precise measurement, 56 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 2: and that measurement is not for a girl who's five 57 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 2: foot four. I get the crosshairs on the buck, and 58 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 2: I'm no longer sitting in the chair but squatting with 59 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 2: my gun resting out the window. Dad whispers, pull my 60 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 2: leg under me and sit on it. So I shifted 61 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 2: the stand and try to calm my heart rate. I 62 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 2: thank goodness that buck was interested in the doze my 63 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 2: leg under me. Now I had a perfect rest to 64 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 2: get the frosshairs on the biggest buck I'd ever had 65 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 2: the chance to kill. I exhale and I drop him 66 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 2: in the field. Dad and I are super stoked that 67 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 2: our idea of sitting in the stand together paid off. 68 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 2: This is the largest deer that I've ever killed, and 69 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 2: Dad got a front row seat. That deer still hangs 70 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 2: in the house that I grew up in. Now you 71 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:27,360 Speaker 2: fast forward eight years later to the same Saturday weekend 72 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 2: and my boyfriend comes to my parents' house after Thanksgiving 73 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 2: so we can all hunt together. I was lucky enough 74 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,280 Speaker 2: to take the whole week off, and once again, Dad 75 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:42,480 Speaker 2: and I hunt every morning and every evening. The second morning, 76 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:45,159 Speaker 2: fog settled across the field and I can see a 77 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 2: tall white rack walk in the woods edge, but it 78 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 2: is not quite light enough to shoot. I hunt that 79 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:56,919 Speaker 2: deer for three days after with no other sightings. Saturday 80 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 2: morning comes around and Dad comes up with another idea 81 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:02,559 Speaker 2: to change our luck. We get breakfast at the local 82 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 2: doughnut shot before heading to the farm. Only this time, 83 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 2: my boyfriend and I get in the same box blind. 84 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 2: The tall white rack buck steps out of the woods 85 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 2: and to eat acres. I'm nervous and this is the 86 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,159 Speaker 2: biggest buck I've seen since my Thanksgiving deer of two 87 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 2: and ten. I have to shift around and the stand 88 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 2: and set on my leg again. I take the shot 89 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 2: and be to be very honest, it wasn't my best work. 90 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 2: We know the deer's hit good. We bumping while we 91 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 2: were tracking, and know that we just need to leave 92 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 2: the air and give it more time. I was gutted. 93 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 2: This is now the age of GPS tracking callers. And 94 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 2: later that afternoon, my dad gets a call from one 95 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 2: of the local hunters. 96 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 1: His dog's found my deer. 97 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 2: As soon as we get up to the deer, Dad 98 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 2: and I realized that this deer is related to the 99 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 2: deer I killed in Thanksgiving week twenty ten. The antlers 100 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 2: were just too similar. The two biggest bucks in my 101 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 2: life were killed hunting with two most important men in 102 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:13,839 Speaker 2: my life, and both deer from the same bloodline. And 103 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 2: that boyfriend later became my husband. My family no longer 104 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 2: gets to hunt that farm. The patriarch of the family 105 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 2: passed away if his kids sold the property, The deer 106 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 2: stories from that farm live on, just like the genetics 107 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 2: of those bucks. My dad received a picture of a 108 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 2: buck killed on that farm three years after my second deer. 109 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:41,160 Speaker 2: Sure enough that deer had to be related to mine. 110 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 1: The farm will always hold a special place in my heart. 111 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 2: Plus it has given us a truckload of stories to tell, 112 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 2: and my hope is that one day I will have 113 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:53,280 Speaker 2: a farm to take my little girl hunting so she 114 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 2: can create her own story. Thank you for sharing the 115 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 2: hunting stories of an average like me. It is a 116 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 2: joy to listen to them each week, and according to 117 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 2: Paige Harrison. 118 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: That's just how that happened. 119 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 2: Well, Page, you may be an average hunter, but something 120 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 2: tells me you're an above average human, exemplifying the traits 121 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 2: instilled in you by your father and your grandfather. Your 122 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 2: story could have been one of loss and lament for 123 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 2: a place that you can no longer go, yet you 124 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 2: chose only to speak anecdotally of it, to describe your 125 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 2: desire to have a similar place to take your daughter 126 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:40,360 Speaker 2: like your father took you. That's the real story here, 127 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 2: and one that not only highlights the good stories of America, 128 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 2: but also good Americans. 129 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 1: Thank you for sending it in, Old Man. 130 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 2: Winter has black at my homeland of Arkansas, with what 131 00:08:02,080 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 2: I referred to as winter Yankee rain, not really, I 132 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 2: just made that up. But I have no clue how 133 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 2: you folks up north handle all this snow all the time. 134 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 2: The other day I texted a picture of a black 135 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 2: coat my brother Tim's nephew, Daniel Bryant, caught to Steve Vanilla. 136 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 2: Now I claim Daniel is my nephew too, but anyway, 137 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 2: after looking at the picture of the black coat laying 138 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 2: in the grass, Steve jokingly said, that's pretty cool, but 139 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 2: you pansies don't even have any ice or snow to 140 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 2: deal with down there. I shut him up by responding, 141 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 2: that's why we live here. Snow is pretty to watch 142 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:45,080 Speaker 2: falling outside the window in the evening, while the fireplace 143 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 2: provides the background music of pops and crackles and the 144 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 2: hissing of burning wood. And the next morning it's fresh 145 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:54,719 Speaker 2: and pure as you inhale at frigid air and take 146 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 2: the first steps from the threshold outside your feet poking 147 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:01,840 Speaker 2: holes in the blind and white of the freshly carpeted yard, 148 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 2: and then your seventy five pound coonhound runs past you 149 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 2: over to his favorite spot, the spot your wife has 150 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 2: descriptively named Pooh Corner, and not after AA Mellon's beloved 151 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 2: teddy bear of the same name. What that dog does 152 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 2: over there in that most aptly named area of the 153 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:24,439 Speaker 2: backyard is no different than how I see what old 154 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:30,200 Speaker 2: man winter has done to Arkansas. How rude snow hits 155 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 2: differently down here. I know folks who look forward to 156 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:36,720 Speaker 2: skiing on it and snowmobiling through it, and for it 157 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 2: to push elk and other critters down to lower elevations. 158 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 2: I get it. Y'all need it, and I'm glad someone does. 159 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 2: I ain't one of them. 160 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 1: Now. 161 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 2: I love a good snow day as much as anyone else. 162 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 2: Even two or three are good. But by day number four, 163 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:56,160 Speaker 2: if this stuff is still here, it starts cramping my style, 164 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 2: because nothing else here can deal with this stuff either. 165 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:03,680 Speaker 2: When the tempts in Arkansas started dipping below thirty for 166 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 2: extended periods of tie and the coons and the squirrels 167 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 2: stopped moving for the most part and just wait out 168 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 2: the freeze, that means they don't move very far from 169 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 2: the den if they move at all, and they sure 170 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 2: ain't moving much at night, which is the coldest part 171 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:20,760 Speaker 2: of the day. I remember a big snow event a 172 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 2: few years ago when Old Whaling was still a youngster 173 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:25,719 Speaker 2: and me and my pal Rex Whiting. 174 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:27,320 Speaker 1: Wanted to go coon hunting in the snow. 175 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 2: Shadow was Rex's hound, and actually I wanted to go 176 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 2: hunting and convinced him to go with me. And by convinced, 177 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:39,679 Speaker 2: I mean I begged and guilted him into it. I 178 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:43,440 Speaker 2: caught him on the phone. Rex, let's go hunt tonight, 179 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 2: He said, are you drunk? No, I want to go 180 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:51,760 Speaker 2: coon hunting. I'm tired of sitting in this house, so 181 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 2: we ain't gonna tree. No coons on the outside of 182 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 2: the tree. There's eight inches of snow on the ground 183 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 2: and they're all dimmed up. It's twenty five degrees outside. 184 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 2: I said, I know, how cool would it be to 185 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:05,600 Speaker 2: have a picture of Wailing and Shadow with their paws 186 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:08,040 Speaker 2: up on a tree in the snow. I'll tell you 187 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 2: how cool. Recks really cool. He didn't say anything for 188 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 2: a few seconds, and then he said, you really want 189 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 2: to go? And I said, I am going. You're gonna 190 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:23,720 Speaker 2: make me go by myself. I could hear him let 191 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:26,760 Speaker 2: out a sigh that spoke volumes about his poor decision 192 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:30,199 Speaker 2: to answer the phone when I called, something that has 193 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 2: held firm ever since. Rarely does he answer immediately, even 194 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 2: now years later, I usually just text him and wait 195 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:41,760 Speaker 2: for him to evaluate my ridiculous scheme giving him a 196 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 2: departure time, and whether he shows up or not at 197 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 2: the appointed time is what I get. My answer, he said, 198 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 2: come get me. We'll be ready when you get here. 199 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:54,600 Speaker 2: After I got him in the truck, we took off 200 00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:57,560 Speaker 2: for twenty thousand acres of public hunting ground that was 201 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 2: an Irish drive away and bypassed in the six thousand 202 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:03,280 Speaker 2: that was less than fifteen minutes from the house. 203 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:08,440 Speaker 1: Go beg or go home. I chose to go beg Rex. 204 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: He wanted to go back home. 205 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:20,439 Speaker 2: The hour trip took us an hour and a half 206 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 2: as I sped along at a blistering pace, never exceeding 207 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:26,560 Speaker 2: forty miles an hour. The ruts and the snow and 208 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,560 Speaker 2: ice along the highway were safe enough at a manageable speed, 209 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 2: and when we got there, Rex finally seemed to be 210 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 2: as excited about the trip as I was. Looking back 211 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 2: now on the nineteenth day of February and twenty twenty one, 212 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:43,200 Speaker 2: his renewed enthusiasm may have been more to do with 213 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:47,040 Speaker 2: surviving the drive over and realizing that if we froze 214 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:49,640 Speaker 2: to death on this hont At least he died doing 215 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:53,560 Speaker 2: something that he loved. He also told me that if 216 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 2: we wound up in a survival situation, he Shadowing Wayaling, 217 00:12:56,559 --> 00:13:00,319 Speaker 2: We're going to eat me first. We cut the dogs 218 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:04,040 Speaker 2: loosing just like Rex predicted. We never made a tree. 219 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 2: Nothing was moving except for us. We turned loose in 220 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 2: a couple of different spots where we usually had good luck, 221 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:13,960 Speaker 2: and striking a coon. I remember Wailing and Shadow both 222 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:16,959 Speaker 2: opening up a couple labs, but nothing more than cold trailing, 223 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 2: like extreme cold trailing. And before we left Hunt that night, 224 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:24,840 Speaker 2: I'd filled my insulated dog box with fresh hair and 225 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 2: covered all the vents to preserve heat, but not so 226 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:30,320 Speaker 2: much as to keep air from getting in and out. 227 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 1: And when Whaling and Shadow were warms biscuits, when. 228 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:35,439 Speaker 2: We couldn't loose after riding an iron half in the 229 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:37,720 Speaker 2: back of the truck, and when we loaded them back 230 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,079 Speaker 2: up after our feudal temper tree and a coon and 231 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:42,720 Speaker 2: the snow, they had to heat stoked back up and 232 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:45,319 Speaker 2: were sound asleep by the time we got back home. 233 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 2: Both of them stay in the night inside their respective homes, 234 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 2: where Whaling continues to reside in his off hours and 235 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 2: where Shadow did for the remainder of his life. It 236 00:13:57,120 --> 00:13:59,680 Speaker 2: was fun and I was glad we went. It's crazy 237 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 2: it was to go, but I was even more excited 238 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:04,440 Speaker 2: to get home and dig into a bowl of gumbow 239 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:07,080 Speaker 2: that Bailey and I had made earlier in the day. 240 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:10,840 Speaker 2: It was good and warm to my enters, and outside 241 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 2: of spending time with my friend Rex, the best part 242 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:17,480 Speaker 2: of that day was getting home and reheating myself with 243 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 2: Bailey's victuals now. You fast forward three hundred and fifteen days, 244 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,000 Speaker 2: one hour and fifty seven minutes later, and me and 245 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 2: Michael rosemand Nold Goodwin and Hunter Gullock are hunting in 246 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 2: the ice and snow once again. How do I know 247 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 2: how accurate that is? It's very accurate because I used 248 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 2: the time and date stamps on the videos that I 249 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:40,960 Speaker 2: took back then, and I'll show them both on my 250 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:44,440 Speaker 2: social media's of what I'm talking about here. But we 251 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:47,680 Speaker 2: were hunting purely out of not wanting to stay at home. 252 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 2: We'd had several days of ice up roads and not 253 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:54,320 Speaker 2: being able to go anywhere, and when the opportunity arose 254 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 2: to get out of the house, even for a low 255 00:14:56,160 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 2: percentage hunt to be successful, like once again chasing coop 256 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:05,680 Speaker 2: and well below freezing temperatures. We went anyway. We made 257 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 2: some dead trees and if you can't see the coon 258 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 2: in there, it's more or less a push. You'll you'll 259 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 2: never know for sure if it was actually there or not. 260 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 2: So there's no praise for the dog, the reward that 261 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:19,120 Speaker 2: he's looking to get by tree and the coon in 262 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:23,520 Speaker 2: the first place. You can't reward your dog for something 263 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 2: you think he did good, no more than you can 264 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 2: correct him for something you're not sure he did wrong. 265 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:31,280 Speaker 2: If you can't find the coon by looking into the den, 266 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 2: you just have to leash him up and move on. 267 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 2: It's like it never happened. And then the training arena 268 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:39,760 Speaker 2: and progression of your dog, the only value it has 269 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 2: is showing them that the only time they're going to 270 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 2: get praised is when they've done everything right. It encourages 271 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 2: the dogs to be sure and confident in the tree 272 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:54,160 Speaker 2: that they declare where the coon is. Every time you go. 273 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 2: You want the dog to have the opportunity to learn 274 00:15:56,800 --> 00:16:00,320 Speaker 2: something and to have a positive experience. And sometimes that 275 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 2: positive experience is just not treating where a coon ain't 276 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 2: but on one of the last casts of the night, 277 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 2: Whaling came tree and sounded more than a little excited. 278 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 2: I videoed it as I walked to him, and when 279 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 2: I got there, I could see the coon at the 280 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:16,920 Speaker 2: base of an old dead. 281 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:18,080 Speaker 1: Tree that's been hollowed out. 282 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 2: It was big enough for the coon to get into, 283 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:25,640 Speaker 2: but it didn't go anywhere from there. Anyone that's ever 284 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:28,520 Speaker 2: hunted with Whaling or listening close on here, when I 285 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 2: talk about how much of a tough guy he is, 286 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 2: knows first. 287 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 1: And foremost he ain't. 288 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 2: He's the kind of guy one of my old football 289 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:42,440 Speaker 2: coaches would describe as looking like Tarzan but playing like Jane. 290 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:43,560 Speaker 1: He ain't no fighter. 291 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:46,360 Speaker 2: He's as accurate of a dog that I've ever seen, 292 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 2: but a tough guy. 293 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:48,320 Speaker 1: Nurp. 294 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 2: Let me tell you about the night when Michael's dog, 295 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 2: Heck backed off his pugilistic endeavors a few notches. And 296 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 2: I can't say as I blame him. It has nothing 297 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 2: to do with snow, all to do with a bad coon. 298 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 2: But you folks that have been here a while, I 299 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:07,399 Speaker 2: know how my brain works or doesn't work anyway. I 300 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:09,399 Speaker 2: just thought of this, so I'm gonna tell you about 301 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 2: it before I forget it. It was a couple of 302 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 2: years ago and Michael and I were hunting just off 303 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 2: the cash bow Wailing and the heck were scalding a 304 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 2: coon track down through the bottoms, and the water was low. 305 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:22,600 Speaker 1: At that time, and the coon seemed. 306 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:25,320 Speaker 2: To be crossing from bank to bank, back and forth 307 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:28,320 Speaker 2: that will, trying to throw these dogs off his track, 308 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:32,600 Speaker 2: but it wasn't working. Michael and I kept talking about 309 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:34,400 Speaker 2: how this coon ought to be running. 310 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 1: Up a tree. 311 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:37,639 Speaker 2: We could tell the dogs were close to him just 312 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 2: by the way Whaling was barking. Whaling he ain't the 313 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:42,720 Speaker 2: kind of dog that barks a lot on the track, 314 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:45,480 Speaker 2: which has nothing to do with whether or not he'll tree, 315 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 2: But you can easily tell how hot the track is 316 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 2: by how he's barking and the rhythm and the pace 317 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:53,880 Speaker 2: at which he does it. And using that as our barometer, 318 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 2: we were guessing. They could almost see a long story 319 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:01,879 Speaker 2: short that coon didn't want to run up a tree. 320 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:02,840 Speaker 1: Some of them don't. 321 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 2: And when he'd run as far as he wanted to, 322 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:08,879 Speaker 2: he squared up and commenced to duking it out with 323 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 2: both of them. Normally, that's where the story ends. The 324 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,920 Speaker 2: coon meets his demise, and like Jerry Klower said, you know, 325 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:20,840 Speaker 2: the coon does have the option of whooping the dogs 326 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 2: and leaving. 327 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 1: But Heck has. 328 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:26,920 Speaker 2: Caught a lot of coons on the ground and had 329 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 2: them smoked by the time we got there, on more 330 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,480 Speaker 2: occasions than I can count. Whaling he ain't ever killed 331 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 2: a coon by himself that I can remember. He's hemmed 332 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:40,240 Speaker 2: up plenty that didn't have a chance to climb a 333 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:42,679 Speaker 2: tree or want to, and he scrapped with him some 334 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 2: and held them there until I got there. But he 335 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:47,480 Speaker 2: ain't going to run off, and he ain't. 336 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:48,119 Speaker 1: He ain't no. 337 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 2: Killer or prone to waiting in there by himself either. 338 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 2: Hunting with Heck has always boosted his bravado to the 339 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:58,479 Speaker 2: point that he'll dip his biscuit in the coon's gravy 340 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:01,639 Speaker 2: if Heck goes in. Firon has everything going in the 341 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:07,640 Speaker 2: right direction. Safety first, that's Whaling's motto. Well, we heard 342 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:10,879 Speaker 2: the fight when it started, dogs barking and snarling and 343 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 2: growling and baying, and continued long past what it should 344 00:19:14,320 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 2: have been, to the point that Michael and I looked 345 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:19,080 Speaker 2: at each other and said, oh lord, they got a 346 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:23,560 Speaker 2: hog baite in there. Now Our dogs ain't hog dogs, 347 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:26,439 Speaker 2: and a hog can have an inexperienced dog or a 348 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 2: well experienced dog needing stitches or buried. 349 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 1: In short order. 350 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:34,920 Speaker 2: We started hustling to get to them, and they were 351 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:40,000 Speaker 2: a little over three hundred yards away. About halfway there, 352 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:42,840 Speaker 2: Whaling went quiet, and now all we could hear was heck, 353 00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:45,400 Speaker 2: and I ain't gonna lie. I was getting a little 354 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:48,560 Speaker 2: sick to my stomach. I've seen dogs get hurt bad 355 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:52,400 Speaker 2: by hogs, and every scenario for my dog being quiet 356 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:58,200 Speaker 2: now ended with me having a long and sad drive home. Then, 357 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:00,320 Speaker 2: a little over fifty yards into the I think it 358 00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:02,920 Speaker 2: where all the barking had been taking place, Whaling met 359 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 2: us on a narrow briar line trail. He was a 360 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 2: blooded and muddied mess from one end to the other. 361 00:20:10,119 --> 00:20:12,680 Speaker 2: And if a dog had ever had a man, I'm 362 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 2: glad to see y'all look. 363 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:18,119 Speaker 1: On his face, it was him. 364 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:20,679 Speaker 2: Michael and I quickly checked him for obvious injuries, but 365 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:22,480 Speaker 2: only saw some scratches in. 366 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 1: A bleeding ear. 367 00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:26,719 Speaker 2: We were relieved they had to hear coon growling instead 368 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,679 Speaker 2: of a hog grunting, and finished making our way to 369 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 2: where hec and the coon were as We broke into 370 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:36,399 Speaker 2: the opening, expecting to see a freshly deceased or soon 371 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:40,359 Speaker 2: to be deceased bandido. We were greeted by what looked 372 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 2: like a crime scene, and it was all coming from 373 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:46,520 Speaker 2: a bite wound on Heck's ear. That coon didn't weigh 374 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:49,160 Speaker 2: ten pounds and it wasn't as big as a house cat. 375 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:53,800 Speaker 2: Tack and Whaling together outweighed by one hundred and forty pounds, 376 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:56,600 Speaker 2: but he'd given them all they wanted, plus to the 377 00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:59,520 Speaker 2: point Whaling decided to leave and go find an adult. 378 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:04,119 Speaker 2: Heck stayed, but I swear if he'd had any energy left, 379 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:05,159 Speaker 2: I think he'd have. 380 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:06,120 Speaker 1: Followed Whaling out. 381 00:21:07,119 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 2: There wasn't a dry or clean spot on either one 382 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:12,120 Speaker 2: of them, and the ground where they stood had been 383 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:14,760 Speaker 2: churned into mud that was too thick to drink, it 384 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:19,200 Speaker 2: too thin to plow. They had agreed to just disagree 385 00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 2: as to who among them was the toughest. 386 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:24,680 Speaker 1: But Michael and I we knew. 387 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 2: We leased Heck of as he and that coon and 388 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:31,920 Speaker 2: now Wailing again just eyeballed each other. Like the final scene, 389 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:34,680 Speaker 2: and the good and the bad and the ugly. Both 390 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:38,040 Speaker 2: of those hounds internally relieved that we were walking them 391 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:40,160 Speaker 2: out of there, instead of allowing that coon to kick 392 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:44,040 Speaker 2: their butts any worse than he already had. Walking them 393 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:46,680 Speaker 2: away from a live coon, as you live, a pretty 394 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 2: big chore, But not that time. Every now and then 395 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 2: we'll run into one of those old bad ones, and 396 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:02,040 Speaker 2: did so again. Just a few weeks ago. Heck and 397 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:04,880 Speaker 2: Whaling had bade a coon across the lake well over 398 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:07,320 Speaker 2: two hundred yards away. When Michael and I walked up 399 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:10,600 Speaker 2: on the opposite side, we could hear that coon growling 400 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:14,320 Speaker 2: and snarling between Heck and Whaling's barking, there's no way 401 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:16,880 Speaker 2: to get to them, and easily confirming across the lake 402 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:19,119 Speaker 2: with our spotlights that they were dealing with a coon. 403 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:22,240 Speaker 2: We called them to us, and they came after only 404 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:26,200 Speaker 2: one hollow. That water was cold, but they both bailed 405 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:28,280 Speaker 2: in and swam straight to us like a couple of 406 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 2: well trained labradors. I said, Michael, ain't it good to 407 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:32,880 Speaker 2: have a dog. 408 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:34,440 Speaker 1: That will mind like those two will? 409 00:22:35,240 --> 00:22:38,399 Speaker 2: He said, yeah, it is, And ever since that she lacking, 410 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:41,160 Speaker 2: they took over on the bible of that time. They 411 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:46,840 Speaker 2: seemed to mind a lot better when they're scared. He 412 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 2: has a point. Now, I never know where I'm going. 413 00:22:50,520 --> 00:22:52,320 Speaker 2: When I start one of these, I can only tell 414 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 2: you about where I've been, and I hope you enjoyed it. 415 00:22:56,520 --> 00:22:59,359 Speaker 2: Check out my Kansas cowld hunt with decoy dogs on 416 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:01,800 Speaker 2: the Meatate YouTube channel that's up right now. 417 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 1: It was a lot of fun and. 418 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:05,760 Speaker 2: There's some old footage that I shot way back in 419 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:09,960 Speaker 2: twenty and seventeen. No one has ever seen it, and 420 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:13,159 Speaker 2: I think you'll enjoy it. Until next week. This is 421 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 2: Brent Reeves. Sign it off. 422 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:16,120 Speaker 1: Y'all be careful.