1 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:08,719 Speaker 1: Welcome to this Country Life. I'm your host, Brent Reeves 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:11,879 Speaker 1: from coon hunting to trot lighting and just in general 3 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: country living. I want you to stay a while as 4 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: I share my experiences in life lessons. This Country Life 5 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:22,440 Speaker 1: is presented by Case Knives from the store More Studio 6 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:26,440 Speaker 1: on Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you the best outdoor 7 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: podcast that airways have to offer. All right, friends, grab 8 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,240 Speaker 1: a chair or drop that tailgate. I've got some stores 9 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: to share. Taking the Hounds to Town. Taking a hound 10 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: to town has in the circle of coon hunters meant 11 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:50,240 Speaker 1: you were going to enter a competition. Coon hunt. It's 12 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: a contest rooted in history and celebrated to this very day. 13 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: I'm going to go into my experiences with it and 14 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 1: give you the scoop on what it's meant to me. 15 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: It's a story that took about twenty five minutes to 16 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: tell in four years to write. We got a hound 17 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 1: to cut loose, so let's get started. On Friday, April 18 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: the ninth, twenty twenty one, my friend Rex White and 19 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:23,759 Speaker 1: called me early in the day and said, have your 20 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:28,399 Speaker 1: stuff ready, We're going coon hunt tonight. Now that wasn't unusual. 21 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: Wasn't unusual? At all. We went coon hunting a lot 22 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: back then. My dog Whaling was a year old and 23 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:38,760 Speaker 1: Rex had been helping me with his training. Rex was 24 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: the guy who wound up being my friend by being nosy. 25 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:44,400 Speaker 1: He was driving by my house on his way to 26 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: town and saw me out in the driveway cleaning out 27 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: a dog box that I had in the back of 28 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 1: my truck. Since he was a hound hunter himself, he 29 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: took the opportunity to meet me. Pulled up and started 30 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: interrogating me on what kind of hunter I was. Was 31 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 1: a hauling duck dogs in that truck or coon dogs. 32 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: Being where Rex and I are from, it was a 33 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:09,640 Speaker 1: safe bet I was one of the other. I was 34 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,640 Speaker 1: actually both, but my old lab Anna passed away a 35 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 1: few years before and I had recently acquired a coonhound 36 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: named Whalen. Rex had lost his hunting partner a few 37 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: years prior, and after we visited for a while, we 38 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: decided we'd go together soon, and we did, and we 39 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: became friends. Rex was a competition hunter with lots of experience, 40 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: and I've talked about him many times on HISS. I'm 41 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: sure some of you may remember hearing me say his name, 42 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 1: so just to catch the new folks up. Rex became 43 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: my coon hunting coach A couple hours before he came 44 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: by the house to pick me up on that Friday night. 45 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:50,919 Speaker 1: He called me back and said, we're taking whaling to 46 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 1: town tonight. I've got you and whalen regsted in a 47 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: UKC hunt at the Faulkner County Coon Club. Now, the 48 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 1: official name is of Faulkner County Coon Hunters Association, and 49 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: it's located near Conway and registered as an official club 50 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,239 Speaker 1: with the United Kennel Club or uk C as that's 51 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: commonly referred to, headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan, all very official 52 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 1: and lofty sounding names of which I was only aware 53 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:23,919 Speaker 1: of uk C as a dog registry and completely ignorant 54 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: of the Coon Club and most especially competition hunts. I 55 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: wasn't sure I knew the rules well enough to be 56 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: in the competition. Actually I was positive I didn't, but 57 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: my coach said we were taking a whale into town, 58 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: so that's what we did. Now. All the way over 59 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: from my house to the clubhouse, I was quizzing Wrex 60 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: on this and that about the rules, and more or 61 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: less adding more pressure to myself. Rex said just call 62 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: his name out of the judge when you hear him 63 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:55,240 Speaker 1: strike a track, and call him tread when you hear 64 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: him treat a coon. You need any help, too bad. 65 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: You're on your own and I can't help you. This 66 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: competition is you and whaling against the world. Good luck, 67 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: We're counting on you. And with that, my bald headed 68 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 1: veteran coon hunting coach kicked me out of his truck 69 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: and drug me inside to meet the folks that was 70 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 1: running the contest. The clubhouse was a modest structure that 71 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: appeared well kept and well used. You could tell that 72 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 1: there were folks here that had been there for a 73 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: long time, folks that had regular spots on the furniture, 74 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:33,239 Speaker 1: and folks who'd probably made some of them. The coffee 75 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: pot was in full swing, and there were two men 76 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: sitting at a table registering hunters for the drawout that 77 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: would come later. That's how it works. There are different 78 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 1: divisions for dogs at different levels of proficiency, and each 79 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 1: dog is entered into the category of registered dogs with 80 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 1: similar talent. Depending on how many dogs show up determines 81 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:57,840 Speaker 1: how many groups or casts are sent out to hunt 82 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:02,600 Speaker 1: dogs with little or no experiencing competition. Hunts are sent 83 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: out together in UK. It's hounds male or female that 84 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:11,159 Speaker 1: have zero to four competition cast winds that are grouped 85 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: together no more than four hounds in no less than 86 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 1: two can officially make the United Kennel Club cast. I 87 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: was grouped with one other person, a man who had 88 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:26,920 Speaker 1: a dog from Port Tobacco, Maryland. Now the man wasn't 89 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 1: from there, but the dog was. And Port Tobacco is 90 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: a town founded in seventeen twenty seven, one hundred and 91 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: nine years before Arkansas became a state. How that dog 92 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 1: wound up in Arkansas at the Faulkner County Coon Hunters 93 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: Association UKC hunt is beyond me. But there we were 94 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:49,119 Speaker 1: two tree and walkers, mine a year and a half 95 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:53,039 Speaker 1: old and his a pretty five year old female named Dixon. 96 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: Now I'm glad we were all there, mainly glad Rex 97 00:05:57,120 --> 00:05:59,039 Speaker 1: was there. I was nervous as a fellow could be. 98 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: We drove a short distance to where we were going 99 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: to turn loose, Me and Rex, the man who owned 100 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: the dog from Maryland, and the hunt judge who would 101 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: also be our guide. Rex was allowed to go with 102 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 1: us as an observer, only he couldn't participate in the 103 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: hunt or assist me in any way. No questions, no suggestions, 104 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:25,279 Speaker 1: no facial expressions, anything that could be construed as aid 105 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: in any form for his minor league dog handler that 106 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:32,479 Speaker 1: he just called up to the majors. They gave us 107 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: the time to be back at the clubhouse to turn 108 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 1: the scorecards in after the hunt. The judge explained that 109 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 1: he wasn't putting up with any foolishness and would judge 110 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 1: each of us fairly and firmly. If we had questions, 111 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: we could address them in the field openly. If that 112 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 1: wasn't good enough, we could appeal anything to the Master 113 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: of hounds back at the clubhouse. It was in the 114 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: low sixties when we cut loose, and the wind was 115 00:06:57,080 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 1: blowing just hard enough to make it feel a few degrees. 116 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: He's cooler. They'd made it about fifty yards when Whaling 117 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 1: barked first and I called his name, strike Whaling. Rex 118 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: told me to say it where there was no doubt 119 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: in anyone's mind that I had called my dog. I 120 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 1: looked over at him and he nodded his approval, as 121 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: the judge repeated back to me, Whaling struck for a 122 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: hundred wasn't worked that track. In a short order, he 123 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: came treed with his loud booming chops that you can 124 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 1: hear forever, Tree Whaling. I heard the judge say Whaling 125 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: treed for one hundred and twenty five. Then Dixie opened 126 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 1: up and her handlet said strike Dixie. The judge answered, 127 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 1: Dixie for seventy five. The only problem was she wound 128 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 1: up running the same track that Whaling did, and when 129 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: she treated with Whalen, the only points available were for 130 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 1: a second tree, and that's seventy five points. That's what 131 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 1: the value was. He called Dixie treed and the judge 132 00:07:55,240 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: said strike points are avoided. Dixie treed for seven five. Now, 133 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: had she opened up before Whaling was declared tree, before 134 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 1: I called Tree Whaling, she would have had seventy five 135 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 1: second strike points and seventy five for a second tree. 136 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:15,000 Speaker 1: But once a tree is declared there are no more 137 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: strike points available. I know that sounds confusing, but it's 138 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 1: really not if you think about it. It makes sense 139 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:24,560 Speaker 1: to do that because it keeps dogs from just following 140 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: other dogs around, scoring points off their ears rather than 141 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: using their noses. Kind of like copying the answers on 142 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: a math test. You didn't do the work, but you're 143 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: going to get some of the credit if the answers 144 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:42,079 Speaker 1: are right, that is. And on the scorecard, Whaling was 145 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 1: leading by one hundred and fifty points. He had two 146 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty five to her seventy five. But those 147 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 1: points are only good if we find the coon. I 148 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: remember walking up to it, and it was a small 149 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 1: white oak tree about fourteen inches in diameter. Whalen was 150 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:03,319 Speaker 1: standing there on his hind legs and had his front 151 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: paws on the trunk of the tree and his head 152 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 1: laid back, telling the world he'd found a coon. Dixie 153 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: was on the opposite side of the tree, barking in agreement. 154 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 1: About twenty five feet up in the air was the 155 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:19,840 Speaker 1: prettiest pair of yellowish green eyes looking back at me. 156 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:23,839 Speaker 1: I got him judge. He looked up, as did Rex 157 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: and Dixie's handler, and everyone agreed. Whaling now had two 158 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty five plus points and Dixie had seventy 159 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:36,880 Speaker 1: five of her own. Now, the judge told us to 160 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 1: walk her dog, so we walked about eighty yards away 161 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 1: and recast them. They both took off in different directions. 162 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:47,560 Speaker 1: Then in the cool CHRISP. Berry I heard Dixie open up, 163 00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: and her handler called her struck strike Dixie for a hundred. 164 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: The judge said, I got Dixie for a hundred. Then 165 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 1: she started a tree and tree Dixie Dixie for one 166 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty five. Now hadn't made a peak since 167 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 1: leaving that tree. I was watching him on my garment tracker, 168 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 1: and he was working all over a drain that siphoned 169 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:11,160 Speaker 1: down towards Lake Conway. I just knew at any moment 170 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 1: he would have opened up, but he didn't, And now 171 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: we were all walking to score Dixie's tree with very 172 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: little time left in the hunt. Now, if she'd have 173 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:25,000 Speaker 1: had a coon in that tree, she'd have an additional 174 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 1: two hundred and twenty five point. She'd go with her 175 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,320 Speaker 1: seventy five. And if Whaling the Wonder Hound didn't do 176 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 1: something pretty quick, the closest thing we were going to 177 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,360 Speaker 1: be to win in our first competition hunt was being 178 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:40,199 Speaker 1: the first loser. All of a sudden, I didn't feel 179 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:44,160 Speaker 1: too good about our chances. For someone who had repeatedly 180 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:47,839 Speaker 1: said I'm not sure I'd even want the competition coon hunt, 181 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:51,959 Speaker 1: thought of losing this hunt was apparently more important than 182 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: I thought. We all got the Dixie's tree and began 183 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,920 Speaker 1: searching for a coon, and in the vein of competition, 184 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:02,600 Speaker 1: that man not being able to find that coon, even 185 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:05,560 Speaker 1: if it was up there, would mean Whalen would win. 186 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:09,200 Speaker 1: Trees that are scored where a coon isn't found but 187 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 1: could possibly be there, hidden in the vegetation or in 188 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:14,440 Speaker 1: a hole big enough for them to seek refuge in, 189 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 1: will have the points circle, meaning the coon may have 190 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:23,080 Speaker 1: been in there, but we couldn't prove it, and we 191 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 1: couldn't prove it wasn't. They're called circle points, and a 192 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 1: million circle points won't be one plus point because as 193 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 1: in Whalen's tree, everyone heard him bark pretty bark burst, 194 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 1: and they heard it, they saw him the coon in 195 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 1: the trees that he had treated on. Those are plus points. 196 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: We searched and searched Dixie's tree, and I tried to 197 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 1: find her coon. Had she had one, and I was 198 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: the only person who have seen it, I would have 199 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: pointed it out to the handler and the judge, and 200 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 1: I would have lost the competition, but I would have 201 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 1: done the right thing. In the UKC Handbook of rules 202 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 1: that are not referred to simply as rules, they're called 203 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:09,439 Speaker 1: honor rules. And there's a reason for that, and the 204 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:17,760 Speaker 1: main reason is just for situations like that one. She 205 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: treed on a big water oak and it was a 206 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:22,280 Speaker 1: huge old tree with lots of leaves that had come on, 207 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:25,160 Speaker 1: and we searched and searched that tree right up aunt 208 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:28,200 Speaker 1: the time that the hunt was over, but we couldn't 209 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:32,199 Speaker 1: find it, just declared the point circled and with time 210 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: up Whalen had won his first and my first UK 211 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:41,480 Speaker 1: sea hunt we ever entered. Dixie's handler shook my hand 212 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:45,320 Speaker 1: the sick congratulations. I was excited and happy with how 213 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:47,960 Speaker 1: we'd done us, proud of how Whaling had performed, and 214 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 1: relieved of how I hadn't messed up this competition. Coon 215 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:57,600 Speaker 1: hunting is fun and apparently pretty easy. I'd entered and 216 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 1: won my first UK sea hunt against a more experienced 217 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 1: dog and handler. I must be a natural of this, 218 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:10,440 Speaker 1: I was not. Over the course of a year twenty 219 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:13,280 Speaker 1: twenty one into twenty twenty two, I entered three more 220 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: competition hunts and got my tail whipped all three times. 221 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:22,080 Speaker 1: I could have easily entered ten times that many in 222 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: that span of time, and took a lot of chastising 223 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:29,199 Speaker 1: by Rex Whiting and my other coon hunting coach, Michael Roseman, 224 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 1: both of them telling me, you got a good dog, 225 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 1: you ought to be hunting him in these hunts to 226 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 1: get a title. It just didn't matter much to me. 227 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 1: Even though I enjoyed meeting new folks who liked the 228 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:43,280 Speaker 1: same things as I did, coon hounds and all the 229 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: things that go with them. I just never really got 230 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:51,080 Speaker 1: stoked up about hunting in an official contest. Case in point, 231 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 1: our fifth and final contests that happened a year later. 232 00:13:55,800 --> 00:14:01,680 Speaker 1: On May the seventh, twenty twenty two, Michael and I 233 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:05,200 Speaker 1: had gone to Saint Charles, Arkansas to hunt a UK 234 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 1: sensationed event sponsored by the East Arkansas Coon Hunters Association. 235 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 1: I would be hunting with folks that I didn't know 236 00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 1: and had met only that night. One fellow was hunting 237 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:19,040 Speaker 1: the black and tan and one was hunting a blue tick. 238 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 1: Our guide, who was also serving as a judge, which 239 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 1: is the official scorekeeper of the hunt, was hunting the 240 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 1: tree and a walker like I was. I had my 241 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 1: work cut out for me. I could tell these guys 242 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:35,520 Speaker 1: were veterans of competition hunts. After we drove to where 243 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:38,200 Speaker 1: we were going to be turned loose, set around to talk. 244 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 1: Before we did, I told the other three that if 245 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 1: y'all want to practice taking advantage of someone who doesn't 246 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:47,280 Speaker 1: know the rules, very well, tonight's your night. Gents. I 247 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: have no idea what I'm doing. And they all laughed, 248 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: and I laughed with them. Whaling, who I was holding 249 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 1: by the leaves he'd taken all the slack out of 250 00:14:57,120 --> 00:15:00,120 Speaker 1: and was raring to go, looked back at me and 251 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 1: the rest of us as if to say, he ain't 252 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: kidding men, he ain't got a clue, but let's get 253 00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 1: on with it. And with me being thankful dogs couldn't 254 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:13,000 Speaker 1: talk to, Judge said all right, y'all ready cut them loose. 255 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:16,480 Speaker 1: Four hounds each trying to get in the lead, left 256 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 1: in a cloud of dust down the edge of a 257 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 1: stand of hardwood timber bordered by a big soybean filled 258 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 1: They didn't go eighty yards before the barking started, and 259 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:31,080 Speaker 1: Whalen was thirty in line to start making racket. That's 260 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: not a good way to start, considering that only gave 261 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: him fifty points to start out with in a hunt 262 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:41,280 Speaker 1: that was only going to last ninety minutes. That's why 263 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 1: a few episodes ago, when I talked about dogs being 264 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:47,560 Speaker 1: quick to get gone, strike a track and begin barking 265 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 1: and come treated. So imported, you only have so much 266 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: time to score plus points, and plus points are what 267 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: mattered most in a competition. Huh. The dogs treating Whalen 268 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 1: was last start barking out of the group. The coon 269 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:05,480 Speaker 1: was found and seen by all of us. We cut 270 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 1: him loose after that tree was scored, and me and 271 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: my four licked little buddy were in the last place. 272 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 1: And I only knew that when the judge, who's now 273 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,680 Speaker 1: my friend, Barry McEwan from d w At, Arkansas, called 274 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 1: out the places we all held and our scores fourth 275 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:27,120 Speaker 1: place out of fourth. We had nowhere to go but 276 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: up from right there. But I wasn't upset. Whaling had 277 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 1: done everything I'd ask him to do. He's not a 278 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: follower or a run with the crowd dog. He's independent 279 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:39,640 Speaker 1: to a fault and was only striking in treating with 280 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 1: the other dogs because they'd all smelt the same coon 281 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:46,760 Speaker 1: when we turned them loose. He was there with them 282 00:16:46,800 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 1: purely out of coincidence. I had nothing to be upset 283 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:54,840 Speaker 1: about when I saw him hunt, carefree and unbothered by 284 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:59,200 Speaker 1: the other dogs. I felt like I'd already won. Rex 285 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 1: and Michael have some Rainman type math skills when it 286 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:05,000 Speaker 1: comes to keeping up with everyone else's score and what 287 00:17:05,080 --> 00:17:07,760 Speaker 1: their dog needs to do to get ahead and what 288 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 1: they don't need to do to get behind. And there's 289 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 1: as much strategy that goes into the competition that the 290 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:18,919 Speaker 1: best dog doesn't always win. Some might say that that 291 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:21,520 Speaker 1: takes the fun out of it and that the handler 292 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:25,160 Speaker 1: really doesn't have anything to do with the outcome or 293 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 1: of the performance of the dog, and that is far 294 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:34,000 Speaker 1: from the truth. The handler is the head coach. He 295 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,199 Speaker 1: practices and works on corrected minor faults all through the 296 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:41,359 Speaker 1: training time and in between competitions to correct and improve performance. 297 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 1: There are a ton of rules in hunting competitions, and 298 00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 1: a well versed, knowledgeable handler with a decent dog will 299 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:54,960 Speaker 1: have the advantage over a better dog with a poor handler. 300 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 1: Clock management is key and knowing where everyone stands on 301 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:04,040 Speaker 1: the scorecard is paramount. There are grace periods and time 302 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 1: limits to be considered for individual parts of the hunt that, 303 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:12,120 Speaker 1: when called too soon or too late, can have direct 304 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:17,440 Speaker 1: results on who wins and who loses. Now, my knowledge 305 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:19,600 Speaker 1: of the rules or lack of them, and coon hunting 306 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:24,280 Speaker 1: competitions could be rendered down to football terms. Now, I 307 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:26,840 Speaker 1: figure there's probably more folks listening to this that can 308 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: relate to those than the ones I barely even know. 309 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 1: And I've been in competition hunts, but kind of break 310 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: it down like this, run left, run right, throw the ball, 311 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 1: and punt on fourth down if you don't get a 312 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 1: first or score. And coon hunting, it's Carl Whalen's name 313 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:50,120 Speaker 1: when he strikes, call his name when he trees. It's 314 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:52,840 Speaker 1: my own fault for not knowing any more than that. 315 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:56,320 Speaker 1: I had two of the best competition coaches of my 316 00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 1: own that I hunted with weekly. I just didn't care, 317 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 1: but not in a non caring way, if that makes 318 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:05,440 Speaker 1: any sense. I was having such a great time being 319 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:07,960 Speaker 1: out there with those men and their dogs that I 320 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:10,919 Speaker 1: couldn't have begun to even guess the score or how 321 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:14,880 Speaker 1: much time was left in the hunt. Some dogs had 322 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:17,640 Speaker 1: treed and no coons were found. Others had done good 323 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:20,120 Speaker 1: here and there, but there was none of them, including 324 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:24,640 Speaker 1: my own, that was doing anything exceptional except Old Whaling 325 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:30,640 Speaker 1: hadn't done anything wrong. Some of the others had. One 326 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 1: in particular, was actually withdrawn from the competition by his hand, 327 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:35,879 Speaker 1: and there was just no way he could catch up 328 00:19:35,920 --> 00:19:38,840 Speaker 1: with the rest of us after making a fault and 329 00:19:38,920 --> 00:19:41,720 Speaker 1: getting a minus point, so he chose to throw in 330 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:45,040 Speaker 1: the towel. I was listening to them talk about his 331 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:47,920 Speaker 1: withdrawal and trying to follow along and figure out how 332 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:52,080 Speaker 1: the rules all played out when Whaling started barking, so 333 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 1: I just called him struck. And then he started treating 334 00:19:56,080 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 1: a few moments after, and I treat him. No idea 335 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:03,160 Speaker 1: how much time was left in the hunt, what anyone's 336 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:06,879 Speaker 1: score was, or what mine was for that matter. I 337 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:09,119 Speaker 1: just knew my dog could treat a coon, or it 338 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:12,560 Speaker 1: sounded like he had, and was within seventy five yards 339 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: of where we were standing. We all walked over and 340 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:20,400 Speaker 1: someone said, I got him. Now, that's the universal call 341 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:22,879 Speaker 1: out of someone seeing the coon. We all walked to 342 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,680 Speaker 1: where he was, and sure enough, about twenty feet off 343 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:27,560 Speaker 1: the ground was a coon looking back at the four 344 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:31,399 Speaker 1: of us, and my barking hound dog, Barry said, waiting 345 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 1: two twenty five plus for striking tree. Time up, men, 346 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:39,600 Speaker 1: that's the hunt. He then took out his scorecard and 347 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:44,119 Speaker 1: commenced to doing some figure. He added readded and added again. 348 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: A and the other two men were busy visiting about 349 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:49,480 Speaker 1: how much fun we'd had and that how much we'd 350 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 1: enjoyed hunting together. When Barry said, congratulations, mister Reeves, sir, congratulations, 351 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 1: you won? Are you kidding me? He looked at the 352 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:04,919 Speaker 1: scorecard again, as if doubt in his calculations after my 353 00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: less than enthusiastic response. Then, with everyone looking over his shoulder, 354 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 1: he went through the hunt and did a play by 355 00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:15,960 Speaker 1: play of the hunt as it played out in the 356 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:22,680 Speaker 1: woods and on paper. Sweet Jesus, I did win, but 357 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: I learned more than I won. I learned that while 358 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:32,240 Speaker 1: competition coon hunting is fun, I didn't embrace it enough 359 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 1: as a competition handler to keep up with it. While 360 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 1: I was doing it, I enjoyed the community of the endeavor, 361 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:41,240 Speaker 1: the heritage and the legacy of the participants, in the 362 00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:45,520 Speaker 1: stories of the dogs present, and passed far beyond the 363 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:50,159 Speaker 1: arena of competition. I Barry mcute could have told me, 364 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 1: I came in last place, and I have never known 365 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:56,639 Speaker 1: the difference or been affected negatively by the outcome. My 366 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,439 Speaker 1: dog had done what I asked him to do and 367 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 1: had a him by believing what he told me. While 368 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:06,280 Speaker 1: I fully support all the registries that carry on the 369 00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 1: legacy of coon hunting and follow us enthusiasm a lot 370 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 1: of the big competitions, engaging in them beyond being a spectator. 371 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:17,399 Speaker 1: Just me, this ain't who I am, and I learned 372 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:21,159 Speaker 1: that four years ago in Saint Charles, Arkansas, beneath a 373 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:26,440 Speaker 1: big red oak tree on a cool spring deep I'm 374 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 1: a coon hunter and proud to be recognized as one, 375 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:33,159 Speaker 1: but for me, it's not as far as it goes. 376 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 1: On September sixth, from nine am to four pm, I'll 377 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:44,920 Speaker 1: be at the Shepherd Hills Cutlery Celebration in the Ozarks 378 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:49,199 Speaker 1: in Levenon, Missouri. If you get there and pronounce it elevenone, 379 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:52,680 Speaker 1: you will be identified as a spy and thrown into 380 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:57,440 Speaker 1: the stony lownesome. It's Levennont. I learned that the hard way. 381 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 1: Alexis and Bailey will be with me, and we'll have 382 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 1: some this country life merch available along with some of 383 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:09,440 Speaker 1: my signature case mini trappers. Bring the whole family. It's 384 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:13,439 Speaker 1: gonna be a great time. Thank y'all so much for listening. 385 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:17,640 Speaker 1: Share your stories with us at my TCL stories at 386 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:20,439 Speaker 1: the Meat Eater dot com and until next week. This 387 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:24,120 Speaker 1: is Brent Reeves signing off. Y'all be careful.