1 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:08,640 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Country Life. I'm your host, Brent Reeves 2 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: from coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living. 3 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: I want you to stay a while as I share 4 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: my experiences in life lessons. This Country Life is presented 5 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: by Case Knives on Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you 6 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: the best outdoor podcast the airwaves have to offer. All right, friends, 7 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: grab a chair or drop that tailgate. I've got some 8 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: stories to share. Jesse goes to school. I've got a 9 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: new project to work on, a living breathing chew up 10 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 1: the patio furniture, long eared tree, and walker coonhound puppy 11 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: named Jesse. One of my favorite things to do is 12 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 1: training a young dog, and at times it can be 13 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: somewhat frustrated. The ultimate rewards are reaped long after the 14 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: process begins. You never know when you start working with 15 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: a puppy where you'll end up, or if you'll even 16 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: get to where you're wanting to go. I got a 17 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: lot of stuff to talk about, but first I'm going 18 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 1: to tell you a story. This story comes from this 19 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: Country Life listener to Jeremy Sullivan. Jeremy's from Wicksburg, Alabama. 20 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: Jeremy Sading this story a few weeks ago, and it 21 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: fits perfectly with what we're talking about this week. So 22 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: Jeremy's words in my voice, here we go. I didn't 23 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: grow up coon hunting, though I did grow up fishing 24 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 1: and hunting for other game. Was fifteen years old. My 25 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: brother said, put your boots on, I want to take 26 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: you coon hunt, and we went to the home of 27 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: an older man who had two sons that were just 28 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: a couple of years younger than meat. This man's coonhound 29 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 1: started barking as soon as we got there. There were 30 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 1: two English bulldogs loosing the yard that came up to 31 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: greet us too. Introductions were made, and soon after we 32 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,919 Speaker 1: loaded up the hounds and headed out. We drove down 33 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 1: the dirt road about a mile and turned the dogs loose, 34 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 1: and they took off and disappeared into the darkness. Not 35 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: long after they left us, they treed. We'd only turned 36 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:31,920 Speaker 1: out two dogs, but we could plainly hear more dogs 37 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: barking at the tree. I couldn't figure out where the 38 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: other dogs came from, but the boys we were hunt 39 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 1: with didn't pay any attention to it. I didn't say 40 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: a word. I just followed along, excited to be there, 41 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 1: and couldn't wait to get to the tree. Finally we 42 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: got there and the two walker hounds had a coon tree. 43 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:54,359 Speaker 1: They were barking like crazy, and right beside them were 44 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 1: those two English bulldogs from the yard, treading just as 45 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: hard as they were. That was my first introduction to 46 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: coon hunting. I loved every minute of it. My brother 47 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 1: enjoyed it, but not as much as I did. And 48 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: when I was sixteen, I kept going with those guys 49 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 1: as long as I could, and one day the old 50 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 1: man called me to his house. He had a litter 51 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: of pups that were just winged, and he said, since 52 00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: you've been hunting with us, I'm going to give you 53 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,959 Speaker 1: the pick of the litter. I knew nothing about picking 54 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:28,640 Speaker 1: out a coonhound pup. The only thing I knew was 55 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:31,799 Speaker 1: that I needed a dog that would pay attention if 56 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: I was going to be able to train it to hunt. 57 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: I walked up to the kennel and squeaked my lips 58 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: and one little female perked her ears up and she 59 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: looked at me. She was the one. This was not 60 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: only my first coon dog, but it was the first 61 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: dog that was really mine. We had bird dogs, but 62 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: this dog belonged to me. I put her in the 63 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 1: front seat of the truck and I took her on 64 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: and I took her back with me. Later that same night, 65 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: when we met up to go hunting, we treed and 66 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: killed a coon. I cut the tail off of that 67 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: coon and told the boys I was about to start 68 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: training her, and they laughed at me, saying she's too young. 69 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: I started playing with her with that tail, just like 70 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: you'd play with any puppy with a toy. And I 71 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: told one of them to hold her, and I poured 72 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: a little bit of water on that tail, and I 73 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:27,599 Speaker 1: drug it around the other side of the truck and 74 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 1: I put it on top of the tire, and then 75 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 1: I told him to let her go. She put her 76 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:34,720 Speaker 1: nose to the ground. She followed that scent and got 77 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: up on that tire, looking at the tail. She never barked, 78 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:42,359 Speaker 1: But I knew then that I really had something to 79 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:46,039 Speaker 1: work with. I knew nothing about training the dog, but 80 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: I had watched the dogs hunting in the woods. I'd 81 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 1: seen Billy Coleman drag a hide for his red Bones 82 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: in the movie Where the Red Fern Grows. So every 83 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: day when I got home from school, I would drag 84 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 1: a hide into the woods and put it up a tree. 85 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,680 Speaker 1: Then I would let my pup Abby trail it and 86 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 1: trea it. That didn't take her long to get the 87 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:09,240 Speaker 1: hang of it. She never barked while she trailed it, 88 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: and rarely barked on the tree. She would just get 89 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: up on the tree and stare at it, and I 90 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: would try to sack her up by yelling, speak to him, 91 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 1: have you and she would bark a few times, and 92 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 1: I would praise her for it. When she was six 93 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: months old, we turned her and two other dogs loose 94 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: one night. Initially she stayed around the truck, but eventually 95 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:32,919 Speaker 1: she moved off into the edge of the woods. The 96 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 1: two other dogs treed and we walked to the tree. 97 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 1: I tried to call her to the tree when we 98 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 1: were there, but she never came. We found that coon, 99 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 1: headed back and loaded the dogs back in the truck, 100 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: and I called and called trying to find her, but 101 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 1: she wouldn't come. I was starting to worry, and then 102 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 1: I remembered when she trees a drag, she doesn't bark much. 103 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: Maybe she's treed. I told the boys I thought she 104 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:02,279 Speaker 1: was treating aft and said, well, it sure doesn't sound 105 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: like it. And I started yelling, speak to him, mabbe, 106 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:09,920 Speaker 1: speak to him, and she started barking about one hundred 107 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: and fifty yards into the woods. We walked a bit 108 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:15,920 Speaker 1: and I'd yell again, and she'd bark once or twice 109 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 1: more and then hush. We repeated this until we made 110 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:21,720 Speaker 1: it to her and shot in the tree. We found 111 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: six kitten coons. Those boys had laughed at me about 112 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 1: my dog twice now, but this time they were really 113 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:33,600 Speaker 1: eating crow. I supposed the South put the kittens up 114 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:35,800 Speaker 1: and tried to draw the dogs away from them, and 115 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:38,960 Speaker 1: the old dogs treed the South, and my dog treed 116 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:42,919 Speaker 1: the kittens, and from that night forward she was an excellent, 117 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 1: very accurate coon dog. She also barked on the tree 118 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 1: after that night, and I hunted five to seven nights 119 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: per week all through high school, which kept me out 120 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: of all the trouble that my classmates got into. Abby 121 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:01,839 Speaker 1: lived for fourteen years and gave me my friends and 122 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 1: family many wonderful nights in the woods. And after she died, 123 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: I moved twice and it wasn't practical for me to 124 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 1: own another coon dog. But after Brent Reeves started this 125 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 1: Country Live podcast and kept talking about coon hunting. It 126 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: reignited a fire deep in my soul. Last week, me, 127 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: my wife, and my four kids drove three hours to 128 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 1: pick up a walker Pumpy. It's time my kids got 129 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: to experience the passion for coon hunting that I once had. 130 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:39,000 Speaker 1: Thanks Brent for your unknown pride to get me back 131 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 1: in the night woods, and for the many wonderful memories 132 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 1: that my family is about to enjoy together. And according 133 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: to Jeremy Sullivan of Wicksburg, Alabama, that's just how that happened. 134 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: Jeremy and my man, you have no idea how happy 135 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:02,720 Speaker 1: that makes me to hear that. My high school principal said, 136 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: my influence on folks is what led to the great 137 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 1: explosion in shop during my agri class. He didn't know 138 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 1: it was actually me that did it, but Johnny Nolan did, 139 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: so did Greg Hayes, Richard Bickers, and a whole crew 140 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:21,640 Speaker 1: of other folks who watched me do it and never 141 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 1: said a word. I owe them a debt of gratitude, 142 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 1: and to you as well for sharing your story. Thanks 143 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: Pardner mentioned puppies around my house two months ago, and 144 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:42,960 Speaker 1: the smiling and giggling from Alexis and Bailey was a 145 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 1: symphony of happiness and anticipation. Now, as I stand on 146 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: the patio listening to Alexis, tell me in no uncertain terms, 147 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: how my puppy has her backyard looking like a scene 148 00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:00,679 Speaker 1: out of a Mad Max movie. We're all wondering if 149 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:04,840 Speaker 1: this was such a good idea. I get to picking 150 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: stuff up and she walks back inside. Now thirty minutes later, 151 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: I'm back in the house and she's out sunning on 152 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:13,560 Speaker 1: the patio talking to the soul culprit in all of 153 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: that backyard bedlam, like she's an angel, as she pets 154 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:21,800 Speaker 1: and loves on that floppyared monkey like it never happened. 155 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 1: I forget to make up the bed and I'm in 156 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 1: trouble for a week. Such is the life I live, 157 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 1: and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Jesse, our seven 158 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:36,079 Speaker 1: month old tree and walker puppy, is here, at least 159 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 1: for a while. If she can hold up her into 160 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: the bargain and start treading coons eventually, that's the big question. 161 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 1: Will she be able to do this on her own 162 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 1: and to the standard of which I expect. Now, I'm 163 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 1: not nearly as particular as my good friend Michael Rosemund, 164 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 1: and he will tell you himself. He's hard to please, 165 00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: but he doesn't have to say it because I remind 166 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 1: him of it all the time. Michael expects a lot 167 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:05,920 Speaker 1: out of his dogs because in the arena that he 168 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:12,080 Speaker 1: competes in, speed and accuracy are critical to success. Here's 169 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 1: an example. If he turns his dog Heck out, and 170 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 1: he strikes a coon, which means he starts barking as 171 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: he moves through the woods and trailing the scent. And 172 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 1: in ten minutes he comes tree and we walk to 173 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: that tree and see the coon looking back at us. 174 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:28,880 Speaker 1: Michael tries to figure out why Heck didn't do that 175 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:33,400 Speaker 1: in nine minutes instead of ten. Now, why would one 176 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 1: minute matter one way or the other? Well, in a 177 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:40,320 Speaker 1: time to competition where the dog scores are all relative 178 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: to the clock, it makes a big difference. Dogs are 179 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:48,319 Speaker 1: scored on different things, but the main two are who 180 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: barks first and who trees first, just on the score 181 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:55,400 Speaker 1: relating to the dog's tree. And if they happen to 182 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:59,120 Speaker 1: both tree on the same tree, meaning they are both saying, hey, 183 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:02,360 Speaker 1: there's a coon up here, the difference between tree and 184 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 1: first and being one second behind the first dog is 185 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:11,679 Speaker 1: fifty points. If that dog barks second on that tree 186 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:15,720 Speaker 1: a minute after the first one does, the second tree 187 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:19,560 Speaker 1: drops in value dramatically. And that's why a dog that 188 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 1: runs in a pack or likes to be with others 189 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 1: when hunting usually doesn't make for a good competition dog 190 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:32,120 Speaker 1: independent lone wolf hounds are always more desirable. Michael's not 191 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 1: being unbearable, well, not about how his dog hunts. His 192 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:39,839 Speaker 1: total disdain for coffee is often perplexing, but how that 193 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 1: dog strikes trails and trees of coon and the speed 194 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:46,480 Speaker 1: in which it does are imported in competition, and that 195 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 1: all starts when they're puppies. Michael has a littermate, a 196 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:54,120 Speaker 1: sister to Jesse, and he hasn't even named it yet. 197 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 1: We took him both out the other night for the 198 00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: first time, and I said, what's her name? Michael said, 199 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 1: she didn't have one. He's had it for the same 200 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:05,400 Speaker 1: amount of time I've had mine. We picked them up 201 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 1: on the same day mine had a name. When I 202 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 1: found out I was getting one six weeks before I 203 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 1: got her, I asked him why he had named her. 204 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 1: He had Mike, I said, I don't want to waste 205 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: a good name on a sorry dog if she don't 206 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:23,559 Speaker 1: turn out. I get it. It's probably why I thought 207 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:26,199 Speaker 1: my name was to go get Firewood until I was 208 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 1: about eight. Anyway, just like Jeremy Sullivan, Billy Coleman, and yours, 209 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: truly training starts the day you bring them home. I 210 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 1: admit that Jeremy and Billy may have started a little early, 211 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:42,560 Speaker 1: but I can't argue with either his result, especially Jeremy's, 212 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:46,160 Speaker 1: because his were real, while Billy's was a pigurement of 213 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 1: mister wilson Rawl's imagination. But training does start, and it's 214 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:54,600 Speaker 1: the assimilation of that puppy into the new world away 215 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 1: from where for the last eight weeks it's called one 216 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 1: place home. Jesse's learning curve has been mostly a flat 217 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:07,200 Speaker 1: line and somewhat disappointing. And when we got Whaling, he 218 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 1: was six months old and as chill as a dog 219 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:14,040 Speaker 1: can be. It's unfair to compare the two, because, like people, 220 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:17,720 Speaker 1: dogs are different. There's a difference in my brothers and me, 221 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: and the reason I have two older ones is because 222 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:23,800 Speaker 1: my parents stopped after finally getting the right combination of 223 00:13:23,880 --> 00:13:27,120 Speaker 1: brains and beauty. At least that's what I was told. 224 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:32,160 Speaker 1: Whaling wasn't much of a cher and Jesse would make 225 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,679 Speaker 1: a beaver jealous. She's noted up enough stuff around my 226 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 1: house that I've laid in bed at night imagining where 227 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:41,439 Speaker 1: I put the beaver traps to catch her. Allow me 228 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:45,439 Speaker 1: to give you a partial list. The back door ruged, 229 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 1: the old one and the new one. The flap over 230 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:52,319 Speaker 1: her doghouse entrance, the air conditioner cord for her doghouse, 231 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:55,280 Speaker 1: the extension cord to the air conditioner to her doghouse, 232 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:58,959 Speaker 1: the cover from my blackstone grill, the sealed tub of 233 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:03,200 Speaker 1: grilling supplies the contents of the sealed tuble grilling supplies, 234 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 1: the cover for my camp chef grill, the water holes nozzle, 235 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:11,560 Speaker 1: the outside driver vent. I could go on, but I won't. 236 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 1: All you folks that are picking up your phones to 237 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: text her post that the dog is bored. Trust me, 238 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:22,360 Speaker 1: I know this. Telling me that youngster is bored and 239 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 1: looking for things to occupy her time by chewing instead 240 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:28,200 Speaker 1: of twiddling her non existent thumbs would be like me 241 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: meeting Noah and trying to describe to him how bad 242 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:36,200 Speaker 1: the great flood was. He was there, just like I 243 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 1: am here, bearing witness to the buffoonery that seems to 244 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 1: abound wherever my associates lay their heads. I know she's bored. 245 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:48,000 Speaker 1: I also know she's a puppy, and this two shell pass. 246 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 1: The tricky part in training puppies is it's like planting 247 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:57,960 Speaker 1: apple trees. Takes a while before the apple started making Now. 248 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: My better analogy is how I described to Alexis yesterday 249 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:03,360 Speaker 1: while we stood on the back patio and did a 250 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: bomb damage assessment on the battlefield we used to call 251 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:10,680 Speaker 1: the backyard. Training a coonhound to be a coon dog 252 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 1: is going on a journey. You know where you want 253 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 1: to go. You want to go to coon dog Land, 254 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:21,720 Speaker 1: the mystical place where coons stirred right at dark, Possums, 255 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 1: ticks and mosquitoes don't live, and there are no leaves 256 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:28,800 Speaker 1: on the trees year round. Bad thing is there's no 257 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 1: map on how to get there, and the compass you 258 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:37,320 Speaker 1: have is powered only by patience. You'll hear me refer 259 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:41,080 Speaker 1: to these dogs as coonhounds and coon dogs. They are 260 00:15:41,160 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 1: two different things. A coon hound is a word that 261 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:48,920 Speaker 1: describes a particular set of hounds specifically bred for the 262 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:53,040 Speaker 1: purpose of treeing coons. A coon dog is a title 263 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 1: a title given to a coonhound that can go strike 264 00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 1: the center of a coon, trail it to a tree 265 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 1: and bark until you get there. To the houndsman, purest 266 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 1: all coonhounds aren't coon dogs, but all coon dogs are coonhounds. 267 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: Now that statement will raise questions and opinions on which 268 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: breed is best, and have folks saying, well, I've got 269 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 1: a half poodle and a half Shetley pony that will 270 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: treat coons as good as any pure bread hound on 271 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 1: the planet. And that may be true, but that ain't 272 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: no coon dog. That's a half poodle and half Shetland 273 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 1: that trees coons. Sorry, I don't make the rules, I 274 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:35,840 Speaker 1: just live by them. But I stand in support of 275 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 1: you and whatever creature you used to chase coons, regardless 276 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 1: of what it is. It's just that, like Doc Holiday, 277 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 1: my hypocrisy only goes so far. So on July the twelfth, 278 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: I left matter than a mashed cat wailing the wonderhound 279 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 1: at home with Alexis and loaded Jesse for her first outing. 280 00:16:56,960 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 1: Since I brought her home and literally unleashed her un 281 00:16:59,840 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 1: a bashed calamity on our property and happiness. I expected 282 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:09,000 Speaker 1: nothing fruitful or even remotely satisfying, and anticipated a steady 283 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 1: den of barking from the dog boxes. I made my 284 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:15,200 Speaker 1: way to Michael's house to pick him Heck, and Jesse's 285 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:19,680 Speaker 1: sister or what's her name up. Not one people was made. 286 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: I pulled into Michaels and he had his two ready 287 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:25,680 Speaker 1: to load, and in short order we were making our 288 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:29,400 Speaker 1: way toward our first evaluation of the sisters. We'd invested 289 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:32,440 Speaker 1: money in to see if the investment of time would 290 00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:36,639 Speaker 1: be worth the expenditure. Adding two dogs to the box 291 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 1: didn't even register a sound from Jesse. We stopped for 292 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:43,119 Speaker 1: gas and Michael pe in the dog box, expecting to 293 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: see terrified and cowering eight month old pups. They were 294 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:52,119 Speaker 1: just chilling, no worries. All right, so far, so good. 295 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 1: We arrived at our hunting spot, unloaded the side be side, 296 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 1: transferred all three from the dog created my truck to 297 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:02,199 Speaker 1: the one on the side by side, and outside of 298 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:05,919 Speaker 1: Michael's pups slobbering all over Heck, from the experience of 299 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:09,719 Speaker 1: the trip, neither one got sick or messed in the box. 300 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:12,960 Speaker 1: Now that's a marking the plus column. Before we even 301 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:16,919 Speaker 1: get started, we drove down the river levee and spotted 302 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:19,880 Speaker 1: a coon. Pretty quickly we cut them all loose at 303 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:22,119 Speaker 1: the same time, and Heck wended the coon and started 304 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:25,400 Speaker 1: treeing in short order. Now we ignored the pups, who 305 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:28,040 Speaker 1: had no idea what was going on, but I'm sure 306 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 1: were interested in not only all the new sights and 307 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:35,680 Speaker 1: smells in location with the added element of darkness, but 308 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:38,800 Speaker 1: could sense our excitement and praising of Heck, whose attention 309 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: was loudly focused on treating that coon. The pups eventually 310 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,120 Speaker 1: made their way over and smelled on the ground where 311 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:49,000 Speaker 1: we'd first seen the coon, which was only a few 312 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 1: feet from the where Heck was treeing him. Now I 313 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 1: watched him as they showed interest in every aspect of 314 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:57,920 Speaker 1: what was going on, even though they had no idea 315 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 1: what it was. We praised Heck and loaded them all 316 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 1: up and changed locations to a pasture edge where we 317 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:07,280 Speaker 1: strike a lot of coons in a shallow slough that 318 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:11,080 Speaker 1: floods out into the field. Heck struck right away and 319 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:13,920 Speaker 1: was off. The grass was much shorter here, and the 320 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:16,879 Speaker 1: puffs moved all over creation with their noses on the 321 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 1: ground and in and out of the water. Jesse poked 322 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:22,600 Speaker 1: her head in the water up to her eyeballs two 323 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 1: or three different times, and moved around with purpose, sometimes 324 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:28,680 Speaker 1: fifty or more yards away. The Heck treed that coon 325 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:31,639 Speaker 1: across the levee on the flooded timber and we changed 326 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:34,679 Speaker 1: locations again. This time we moved to the edge of 327 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:38,480 Speaker 1: a big cornfield that bordered a big old cypress swamp. 328 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:43,080 Speaker 1: Ground zero for coons to be operating between their dens 329 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: and one of their favorite meals, free fresh corner on 330 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:51,199 Speaker 1: the cop. I admit it's one of my favorites too. 331 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:53,240 Speaker 1: This was a great place to see if they would 332 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:56,480 Speaker 1: venture all further away from us. The border between the 333 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:59,600 Speaker 1: swamp and and the cornfield was a sand farm road 334 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:03,119 Speaker 1: that the coons would have to cross from woods to 335 00:20:03,160 --> 00:20:05,919 Speaker 1: the corn patch, back and forth. We walked the pups 336 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:07,760 Speaker 1: and Heck down the road away from the side of 337 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 1: the side, and we cut them loose, and the Heck 338 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:13,119 Speaker 1: left like he was late for work, like he always does, 339 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:16,160 Speaker 1: And at one time the pupps ventured out about two 340 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty yards down that road in front of us. 341 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 1: Heck was working a track out and swamping. They were 342 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,879 Speaker 1: just meling around, doing their own thing and seeing what 343 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:27,880 Speaker 1: they could find. They never made a sound, they never 344 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:30,440 Speaker 1: acted like they had a clue what was going on, 345 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:35,080 Speaker 1: But they didn't hang around us looking timid, sad, scared, 346 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:39,120 Speaker 1: or like they wanted to be somewhere else. Those are 347 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:42,800 Speaker 1: all positives, and in the puppy training world, you look 348 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:47,159 Speaker 1: for the positives and work off of those. It's repetition 349 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 1: and positive reinforcement that wins this race, along with being 350 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 1: patient enough to know the dogs like people learned at 351 00:20:55,600 --> 00:21:02,040 Speaker 1: different spins by matching our expectations, how that individual dog 352 00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 1: soaps in the lessons we're trying to get across teaches 353 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: us just as much as we teach them. It's up 354 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:12,720 Speaker 1: to us to recognize the pace at which both of 355 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:16,200 Speaker 1: these things happen and realize that if that hound doesn't 356 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 1: get what we're trying to get across to him, it 357 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 1: may not be their inability to learn, It may be 358 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 1: our inability to teach. Some are natural and instinctive learners, 359 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:31,640 Speaker 1: and really the only job we have is to tell 360 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:34,119 Speaker 1: them what we don't want them to do. That was 361 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:37,640 Speaker 1: wailing for me, and it will spoil you to dogs 362 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:42,440 Speaker 1: that require more patience and time. Will Jesse turn out 363 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:45,399 Speaker 1: to be that way, Well, you're gonna find out what 364 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:49,280 Speaker 1: I do. This is going to be our project, Jesse, 365 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:53,920 Speaker 1: this Country Life Coonhound project, and I'm gonna take you 366 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 1: with me and keep you updated as we go along. 367 00:21:56,600 --> 00:21:59,439 Speaker 1: I think it'll be fun to mark her progression or 368 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:02,720 Speaker 1: lack of as we attempt to navigate from the coon 369 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 1: Hound coon Dog. It's gonna be fun. Thank y'all so 370 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 1: much for listening, and my goodness, y'all are snatching those 371 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:14,720 Speaker 1: this Country Life hats and t shirts up like biscuits 372 00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:17,680 Speaker 1: at breakfast. I thank you so much for the support 373 00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 1: and encourage you to snag yours sooner than later they 374 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 1: tell me they're going out the door faster than they're 375 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 1: coming in until next week. This is Brent Reeves signing off. 376 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:29,000 Speaker 1: Y'all be careful.