1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Country Life. I'm your host, Brent Rieves 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: from coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living. 3 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: I want you to stay a while as I share 4 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 1: my stories and the country skills that will help you 5 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: beat the system. This Country Life is proudly presented as 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: part of Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you the best 7 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: outdoor podcast the airways have to offer. All right, friends, 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: pull you up a chair or drop that tailgate. I 9 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:40,160 Speaker 1: think I got a thing or two the teaching dog stories. 10 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:46,879 Speaker 1: Nothing will pull at your heartstrings, make you laugh, aggravate you, 11 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 1: or make you proud quicker than your dog. Since the 12 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: first wolf slipped up to the fire and didn't try 13 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 1: to eat the folks that was camped there eons ago 14 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: to this morning when I walked outside the feet old way, 15 00:01:00,880 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: dogs have been our faithful companions that love us unconditionally, 16 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 1: even when we don't deserve it. It's all about our 17 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: hunting buddies. This week the four legged ones on Meat 18 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: Eaters This Country Life Podcast. But first, I'm going to 19 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:26,759 Speaker 1: tell you a story. My dad was a very well 20 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: known wolf hunter, and yet he had never actually seen 21 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: a wolf in his life. It's just what folks in 22 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: South Arkansas called kyoud hunting, and the hunting part was 23 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: all about whose dog was leading the pack. The object 24 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: was not to kill the kyoty, but to run him. 25 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 1: And I guess I need to put this in context 26 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: for all the cayote lovers out there, if there are any, 27 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: which I doubt there are, and if you're listening to 28 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: this of your own free will and not being forced 29 00:01:55,560 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 1: under some kind of government sponsored enhanced terrogation technique. If 30 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:02,560 Speaker 1: that's the case, you might as well go ahead and 31 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: fess up, because this ain't gonna get no better. But 32 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 1: running a colt just means your hounds are trailing the 33 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: scent of where the coyote has been, just like a 34 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:15,399 Speaker 1: coon hound trailing and barking after a coon that's been 35 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: walking down the edge of a creek and follows his 36 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 1: scent trail to whatever tree he eventually climbs. My dad's 37 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: running dogs were just smelling and barking on the trail 38 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: of the cold They main't never get close enough to 39 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 1: even hear him trotting through the woods, and the coyote 40 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 1: may slap get away from them by zigging when the 41 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: dogs are zagging. I don't need any hate mail from 42 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 1: the folks picturing wily coyote running through the desert with 43 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 1: his ribs showing and his tongue hanging out. That ain't 44 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: how it works as evidence. I all for exhibit A 45 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:57,800 Speaker 1: the red Man Coot story. I was just youngin and 46 00:02:57,880 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: my dad and I were standing on a timber coming 47 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 1: road that ran north and south one evening in the 48 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,959 Speaker 1: fall of the year. It was about fifteen minutes before dark, 49 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,959 Speaker 1: and we'd just cut the dog's loose, about six of them, 50 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: out to the west of the road. One of his 51 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: dogs had struck the scent of a cod from the 52 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: back of the truck while we were driving. That's not 53 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: unusual for a good dog to do that, but this 54 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: dog was exceptional at it. He was a bone of fire, 55 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 1: straight up running walker. Foxhound. Now y'all gonna think I'm 56 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: messing with you, bringing the word fox into a story 57 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: about code hunting that we call wolf hunting that ain't 58 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 1: actually hunting. But this is where I'm from, and we're 59 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: pretty much making up the rules as we go along. Anyway, 60 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: it was the time of day when headlights were no good, 61 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: but the light from the sun wasn't much better, but 62 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 1: you could still see in the open, but out in 63 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: the woods it was dark, and like I said, the 64 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: dog Old Red Man started barking in the back of 65 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 1: the truck, and we were going down the roads. When 66 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: we stopped, Dad said, dump them all. So I let 67 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 1: the tailgate drop, and those hounds poured out of there 68 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: like tea out of a picture. Red Man was leading 69 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: the pack, and they had a due west straight away 70 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 1: from us, with all of them barking every breath. Dad said, 71 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: Old Red Man's got him, and the rest of them 72 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: are going to put it on him. The dogs were 73 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: sure enough, sanding the rails and moving directly away from 74 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,720 Speaker 1: us just as fast as they could go, everyone of 75 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: them bawling and barking as loud and fast as they could. 76 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 1: Now less than two or three minutes, and they were 77 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 1: getting the pretty good ways out there, But boy, it 78 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 1: sounded good. We were smiling at each other, listening to 79 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: the race, and me trying to guess which dog was Witch, 80 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: and Dad telling me if I was guessing right. They'd 81 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:49,839 Speaker 1: gone about as far as we could hear them when 82 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: something caught my eye about two hundred yards away, and 83 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 1: I looked down the road. It was a straight section 84 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 1: of road that you couldn't see either end of from 85 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: where we were standing. I said, Dad, look yonder. The 86 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: cow just walked out in the road. I was standing 87 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: at the right front fender of the truck and Dad 88 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: was standing right beside me. He said where. I told him, 89 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 1: right there in the road. He's coming this away. He 90 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 1: still didn't sing, Dad, right there, he's coming straight to us, Son, 91 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,839 Speaker 1: I don't see him. I thought maybe he'd gone blind, 92 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 1: because he was standing so close to me that I 93 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:28,279 Speaker 1: could feel him behind me. Dad, he's right there. I 94 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:31,039 Speaker 1: could hear his feet clicking on the gravel and pointed 95 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 1: at the coyote that was now less than fifty yards 96 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:36,599 Speaker 1: from us. He was just trotting toward us in the 97 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 1: right hand rud of that road like he's riding the bicycle. 98 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:42,719 Speaker 1: Dad said, that's that young dog that we turned loose. 99 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: I didn't say a word. That was a cold, and 100 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: I know I didn't turn one of those loose. Well. 101 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 1: As he got closer, the cold was passing by us, 102 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: literally within the arms reach. Dad reached out and put 103 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:57,679 Speaker 1: his hand on my chest and mashed me up against 104 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 1: the truck and kicked it tack coyote to move him 105 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: on down the road. He never changed gears. We were laughing, 106 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: high fiving and retelling each other that story that we 107 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:13,679 Speaker 1: both just witnessed. It was incredible. While all that was happening, 108 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:16,839 Speaker 1: that pack of wolfhounds that we thought were burning the 109 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: hair off of coyote started getting a little louder and 110 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 1: looping around to the south. It took him about twenty minutes, 111 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 1: but they came out on the road right where I 112 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:29,840 Speaker 1: saw the kyote come out, and we're kicking rocks as 113 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: high as a six rail fence when they passed us, 114 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 1: hot on his trail, hot on his trail, Yeah right. 115 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 1: That race lasted about three hours before he finally gave 116 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: the dogs a slip and we caught them all not 117 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 1: far from where we turned them loose. Man, that was 118 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: a fun night and we got to see something and 119 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 1: share something pretty cool that we both talked about for 120 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 1: the rest of his days. And that's just how that happened. 121 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 1: I never get tired of hearing dog stories, and I 122 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: never get tired of telling them. I come from a 123 00:07:11,600 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: long line of folks that use dogs to put food 124 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: on the table. We're dog people, and there has never 125 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: been a time in my life that I didn't have 126 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: a quality hunting dog of some flavor, whether it was 127 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: a duck dog, a squirrel dog, or a coon dog. 128 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: Obviously my dad, my uncle, Jimmy Ray, and my brother Tim. 129 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:33,760 Speaker 1: It was just something that we did. Any of us 130 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 1: could have opted out at any point, but why in 131 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: the world would we have wanted to. There's nothing outside 132 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 1: of my family that equals the joy and satisfaction I 133 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 1: get from hunting a well trained dog, especially one that 134 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 1: I trained or had a hand in training. I know 135 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: there's folks that don't have the time or the ability 136 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 1: to do the training themselves and love the companionship and 137 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 1: the thrill of the hunt, just like the folks that 138 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: train their dog. There's just a little extra bump on 139 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: the proud meter when you're the one helping your dog 140 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 1: see the light and the purpose for his being. It 141 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: strengthens the bond between you even more because you have 142 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 1: both figured out that you can trust each other. You 143 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:20,160 Speaker 1: show him what you want done and how you want 144 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 1: it done, and the dog trusts you to praise him 145 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: when he does it the way you've taught him. Tim 146 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: and I were duck hunting buy Meeta with some clients 147 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: many years ago back when you could commercially hunt there, 148 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 1: and my black lab Anna was our retriever. Anyone that 149 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: had the good fortune to hunt with this dog would 150 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:43,079 Speaker 1: tell you that she was something special. I was reminded 151 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:45,959 Speaker 1: of the story by hearing my friend in Arkansas Sports 152 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:48,680 Speaker 1: Hall of Fame member Jim ron Quest, talking about a 153 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:51,479 Speaker 1: similar thing that happened to him with one of his labs. 154 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:55,720 Speaker 1: Jim is a world champion competition duck caller, but better 155 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:58,840 Speaker 1: than that, he's a heck of an outdoorsman, and beyond 156 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:02,079 Speaker 1: all that, just a dang good fella. And when he 157 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 1: told this story, it reminded me of this one. We 158 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:08,839 Speaker 1: were having a good hunt with good groups of ducks 159 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: working into the hole we were hunting. We boted in 160 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: before daylight, we found a likely spot that we'd hunted 161 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: before and with a forecasted wind, and when shooting time came, 162 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 1: so did the ducks. We were smashing them pretty good, 163 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 1: which is my favorite way to do it. Get the 164 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:28,320 Speaker 1: hunters in some ducks, let them shoot their limits fast, 165 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: and get back to the camp to fix dinner, watch 166 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: a little football, take a nap. Whatever. It was setting 167 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:38,559 Speaker 1: up to be an easy day. We were just four 168 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 1: ducks short of six man limit, and Tim and I 169 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 1: had our limits, and the four clients they lacked one 170 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 1: duck each. So Tim and I were done shooting. We 171 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 1: were just calling working the ducks, and I was handling Anna. 172 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 1: Now these boys were not the best shots, but the 173 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 1: ducks were working in the decoy so good that they 174 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:02,079 Speaker 1: were real having to work hard not to hit them 175 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:05,440 Speaker 1: when they came in the hole. Those last few ducks 176 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:10,200 Speaker 1: always seemed to be the biggest struggle. I added the 177 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 1: pressure of strongly encourage them to shoot only green heads, 178 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:15,520 Speaker 1: which was supposed to make them take their time and 179 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:19,480 Speaker 1: shoot what they recognized as being a drake mallard. There 180 00:10:19,559 --> 00:10:23,840 Speaker 1: was two reasons for this. The most important was conservation. 181 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 1: By not shooting hens, we were returning mama ducks to 182 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 1: the nesting grounds to raise more babies next year. The 183 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:34,040 Speaker 1: second reason was to make our clients pay attention and 184 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: focus on one particular duck to shoot instead of getting 185 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:41,079 Speaker 1: all amped up. When fifty more ducks dropped in through 186 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:43,959 Speaker 1: the timber and were hovering over the decoys, landing literally 187 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: all around them, I seen them run the shotguns to 188 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: the plug, aiming at nothing in particular and hitting the same. 189 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 1: But the quicker they got their limit, the quicker we 190 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 1: got out of there, letting the ducks rest, and men 191 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 1: Tim rest too. We counted and recant ducks. Yep, four 192 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:04,079 Speaker 1: ducks short of a six man limit, and the midmorning 193 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 1: little of no ducks flying had just begun. Now we wait. 194 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 1: It's getting close to ten o'clock and I'm hungry, and 195 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 1: we could have been done two hours ago if these 196 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 1: clowns could shoot. Anna sat beside me on her dog stand, 197 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:21,720 Speaker 1: her eyes ever more on the watch for ducks. She'd 198 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 1: retrieved every duck that morning that we killed, except for 199 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 1: two of three that fell so closer to where we 200 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: were standing that we just picked him up and hung 201 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: them on the stringer. None of them fell further than 202 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 1: forty yards, and she made quick work of them in 203 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 1: that knee deep water. I saw Anna jerk her head 204 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 1: and start tracking toward the sky, and a moment later 205 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:43,120 Speaker 1: Tim started calling. I looked over at him, and I 206 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 1: saw where he was looking, and they were both laser 207 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: focused on six ducks. As they passed overhead. I could 208 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:52,920 Speaker 1: easily see that group had four drakes and two hens. 209 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: All right, boys, shoot the drakes, I told them me 210 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 1: and Tien went to work on the calling those ducks 211 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:02,079 Speaker 1: in kicking water to put some moving in the decoys. 212 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 1: And when the ducks were facing away from us and 213 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 1: standing dead still, when they passed over the hole, checking 214 00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 1: out whether or not it was safe to come in. Now, 215 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:13,560 Speaker 1: I'm telling the clients where they are the whole time. 216 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 1: They're behind us. At six o'clock, they're getting lower. Y'all 217 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:23,840 Speaker 1: be still circling around to the west. Three o'clock, y'all 218 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:29,679 Speaker 1: get ready. Twelve o'clock, het it come go to work? Boys? Well, 219 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:32,600 Speaker 1: they commenced to shooting, and three drakes fell as dead 220 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 1: as the duck could die, barey up in the decoys, 221 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:37,680 Speaker 1: and a couple of them paddling at the air with 222 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:41,000 Speaker 1: the little orange feet. The two hens climbed out of 223 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,679 Speaker 1: there like they were headed to the moon. I recounted 224 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 1: the ducks floating in the water. I mean we get him, said, 225 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: all the drakes fell, but I only saw three. The 226 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 1: hunters were hooping and hollering for getting their limit, but 227 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:57,839 Speaker 1: I couldn't find the last duck. I looked at Anna 228 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,959 Speaker 1: and she was stone cold. Fro was on her seat, 229 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 1: stared out to the right of the hole, and That's 230 00:13:03,679 --> 00:13:07,320 Speaker 1: when Tim said, yondergoes a cripple. He pointed in the 231 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:10,640 Speaker 1: direction Anna was looking. I knew then she'd seen it, 232 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:12,679 Speaker 1: and I sent her off on a straight line in 233 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 1: the direction she was looking. She left that stand like 234 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 1: it was on fire and was bounding through the water 235 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 1: like she was on a rail, in a perfect line 236 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:24,040 Speaker 1: cast in the direction I sent it. A couple of 237 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 1: the hunters that were standing close to me got my 238 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 1: attention away from her by slapping me on the back 239 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:31,640 Speaker 1: and shouting how cool that was and how much fun 240 00:13:31,679 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 1: they'd had. They were already getting the cameras out. Now 241 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 1: that'll give you a clue, is how long ago it happened. 242 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:43,480 Speaker 1: They brought cameras, not phones. I turned back toward Anna, 243 00:13:43,559 --> 00:13:45,480 Speaker 1: and the ripples that she'd made in the water were 244 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:49,440 Speaker 1: all about gone. I told them to be quiet and listen, 245 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 1: and they didn't. They were still all excited, and understandably 246 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,319 Speaker 1: so after the second time I told them to be quiet, 247 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 1: I got rude and I said, hey, y'all, shut up, 248 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 1: I don't know where my dog is. Well, I couldn't 249 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 1: hear a thing, no crashing through the water like i'd 250 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:08,920 Speaker 1: heard when she left. I walked out towards the direction 251 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: that she went, but the film that covered the surface 252 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,200 Speaker 1: of the water had closed back together and the sunken 253 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: leaves had kept her from leaving a mud trap. I 254 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: called her and nothing. I whistled and nothing. She was 255 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 1: a well trained professional duck dog. It wasn't like she 256 00:14:27,480 --> 00:14:30,280 Speaker 1: was just a labrador and looked apart. No, sir, she 257 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:34,400 Speaker 1: was the real deal. I whistled again, trying to blow 258 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 1: the pea out of that roar, going your dog whistle 259 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: and nothing. Boats were starting to come down to Baiou 260 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: and out of the woods, so the noise they made 261 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 1: was drowning out any hopes of hearing her in the water. 262 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 1: Twenty minutes went by, Tim and the other hunters had 263 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: everything loaded in the boats. I'd made a big loop 264 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 1: out in the flooded timber, looking and calling for Anna 265 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 1: and nothing. I walked back to where they were and 266 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 1: we started making plans of how we were going to 267 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:06,200 Speaker 1: all split up and start looking for I had no 268 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:09,040 Speaker 1: idea how I was going to explain this to my kids. 269 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 1: They loved her more than they loved me. I was 270 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:14,920 Speaker 1: sick to my stomach, and I hated the fact that 271 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:23,360 Speaker 1: I'd even brought her. I heard a racket in the 272 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 1: absolute opposite direction from which she left on that retrieve, 273 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 1: and I saw a flash of gray about as far 274 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,200 Speaker 1: as you could see down through the woods. We all froze. 275 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 1: As it got closer. I could see that it was 276 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 1: the top side of a mallard drake's wing, and it 277 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 1: was sticking straight up in the air, moving through the 278 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 1: flooded timber like a shark's fin on top of a pinball, 279 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: bumping into bushes and ricocheting off trees. And I had 280 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 1: a locked down grip on that crippled duck, and when 281 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 1: she caught him, his wings folded over her eyes. She 282 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 1: was slowly but surely making her her way back to 283 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 1: me with that duck in her mouth, unable to see 284 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:07,640 Speaker 1: a frazzling thing. I met her halfway and took that 285 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 1: duck from her. Man. I was glad to see that dog. 286 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 1: I was worried to death, but she wasn't. She was 287 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: doing her job and loving every minute of it. We 288 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 1: walked back to the hole of the When we got there, 289 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: she hopped up on her stand, ready to go again. 290 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 1: I was needing a cigarette and I didn't even smoke. 291 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 1: It's times like these that stick in your head forever. 292 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 1: I can show you right where we were hunting the tree. 293 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 1: I was standing beside the tree, Tim was standing beside 294 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 1: or at least where the stumps are now, And I 295 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:44,560 Speaker 1: remember the great sense of relief I felt when I 296 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 1: saw her coming back with that duck in her mouth. Man, 297 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 1: it's a bond you build through living life together, not 298 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:54,120 Speaker 1: just hunting, the ups and the downs, the successes and 299 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: the near failures. Watching your kids play with a dog 300 00:16:57,240 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 1: in the yard. Y'all have heard me talk about Peanuts, 301 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 1: the world's greatest squirrel dog. That was my hairy little 302 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:07,159 Speaker 1: brother and my father's favorite son. He would play chase 303 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:10,720 Speaker 1: with us and hide and seek. I remember one time 304 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:14,560 Speaker 1: we were all chasing him and he took off behind 305 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:18,119 Speaker 1: the house with us in tow. He circled around and 306 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:20,399 Speaker 1: was heading back toward the front yard, so some of 307 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:22,680 Speaker 1: us doubled back to catch him and cut him off. 308 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 1: When he round to the other end of the house, 309 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:28,840 Speaker 1: some of us continued to follow him. We met each 310 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:30,920 Speaker 1: other in the front yard, but there was no Peanut. 311 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 1: Where'd he go? We only lost sight of him for 312 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 1: a second or two, But apparently that's all he needed 313 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:42,200 Speaker 1: to disappear. We called him and looked all around the house, 314 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:45,880 Speaker 1: going back and forth, but we couldn't find him. Then 315 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:48,359 Speaker 1: someone looked up and he was sitting on the roof 316 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:51,000 Speaker 1: of the house just looking at us. And if a 317 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:56,440 Speaker 1: dog could smile, that Rascal was smiling big. My dad's 318 00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:59,600 Speaker 1: truck was parked at the edge of the carport and 319 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:03,200 Speaker 1: the tail was now. Peanut jumped up on the tailgate, 320 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:06,720 Speaker 1: onto the toolbox behind the cab, that on top of 321 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:10,000 Speaker 1: the cab, that onto the roof, and I suppose was 322 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:12,639 Speaker 1: just sitting there watching us running around the yard looking 323 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:20,439 Speaker 1: for it. A dog's life mirrors my own in some degree. 324 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,719 Speaker 1: I have to say. I like to have fun. I 325 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:25,919 Speaker 1: like to be around the folks that I love. I 326 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:29,360 Speaker 1: get excited at meal times. I like to take naps. 327 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:32,400 Speaker 1: I like to hunt every chance I get, and go 328 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:34,439 Speaker 1: with someone that I care about and share it with 329 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:39,679 Speaker 1: them that I mentioned naps. Kids and dogs go together 330 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 1: like biscuits and gravy. Kids and grown folks too, can 331 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:47,639 Speaker 1: learn a lot about loyalty, friendship, and unconditioned love just 332 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 1: by having a good dog. I read a quote that 333 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 1: said having a dog will bless you with many of 334 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:59,560 Speaker 1: the happiest days of your life and one of the worst. Well, 335 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: that's true. And when they leave us, man, it's hard 336 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:05,879 Speaker 1: and it's sad. But I look back at the membies 337 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:08,520 Speaker 1: and the stories I have about Anna and Peanut and 338 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:11,920 Speaker 1: a whole host of others, and it doesn't make me sad. 339 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 1: When someone asked about a dog and I don't tell 340 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: them how they died, I talk about how they lived, 341 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:21,199 Speaker 1: and all the adventures are the funny things that was shared. 342 00:19:23,040 --> 00:19:25,320 Speaker 1: Just last Saturday, I was sitting in my truck waiting 343 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:27,199 Speaker 1: on daylight so I could hit the woods and go 344 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:30,520 Speaker 1: squirrel hunting. I was catching up on my messages and 345 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:33,159 Speaker 1: I read one from my guy up in the Appalachian 346 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 1: Mountains who had recently lost one of his turkey dogs. 347 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 1: That's right, I said, turkey dogs. I remember reading an 348 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 1: article about turkey dogs when I was a kid in 349 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:47,520 Speaker 1: some hunting magazine, and more recently, doctor Seth Bynam wrote 350 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 1: a good one that you can read at the Meat 351 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:52,760 Speaker 1: Eater dot com entitled how to hunt Turkeys with a Dog. 352 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 1: The point of me bringing either one of those subjects 353 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:58,400 Speaker 1: up is you can train a dog to hunt anything, 354 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 1: and if you put in a little effort. You can 355 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 1: find folks that'll help you get it done, or if 356 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 1: you can't, they'll do it for you. But back to 357 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:10,919 Speaker 1: the fellow that lost his dog. While I was reading 358 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:15,000 Speaker 1: his message, I was immediately back hunting with Peanut and Anna, 359 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 1: both of which have been gone now for years. Peanut 360 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: when I was just a kid, and Anna ten years ago. 361 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 1: But I wasn't sad. It made me happy thinking about them. 362 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a 363 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,040 Speaker 1: little wistful thinking about both of them. But how much 364 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 1: would I be missing today if they hadn't been in 365 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 1: my life. Some would say nothing, because you can't miss 366 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:41,120 Speaker 1: what you never had. But I look at the pictures 367 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:44,240 Speaker 1: that that man sent me, and I can see myself 368 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 1: and him sitting in a cameo with his dog in 369 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 1: their turkey, both of them looking proud to be in 370 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:54,159 Speaker 1: each other's company, the hunter looking at the camera and 371 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 1: the dog looking at him. That paints a bigger picture, 372 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:03,400 Speaker 1: and that pretty well describes the true relationship between hunters 373 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:18,439 Speaker 1: and hunting dogs. Now, thank you so much for listening, 374 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:22,159 Speaker 1: and I appreciate y'all sharing this podcast. I'd like to 375 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:26,159 Speaker 1: say a special hello to Miss Michelle Baldwin's English class 376 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:30,679 Speaker 1: at Cherokee High School in Cherokee, Oklahoma. Man, that's almost 377 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: smack dab in the middle of the US of A. 378 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 1: And if anyone knows the country life and how good 379 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:40,439 Speaker 1: it is, it's the great folks in Cherokee. This is 380 00:21:40,440 --> 00:22:01,240 Speaker 1: Brent Reeves signing off. Y'all be careful. Fire movies.