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 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: pull you up a chair or drop that tailgate. I 9 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:34,760 Speaker 1: think I got a thing or two and teach you 10 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: My journey is a Coon Hunter Part one. It was 11 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 1: a children's story published in nineteen sixty one that smoldered 12 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 1: old bookshelves with moderate sales until nineteen seventy four. That's 13 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:56,279 Speaker 1: when they made a movie telling the story of a 14 00:00:56,320 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: grown man's perspective and memory of coonhound in his life 15 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: with him as a child. I saw the movie Where 16 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: the Red Fern Grows when I was eight, and before 17 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 1: the movie ended, I knew I was a coon hunter. 18 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,320 Speaker 1: And just like Billy Coleman starting out in the story, 19 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,319 Speaker 1: I didn't have a dog. It would be a few 20 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: years before I got one. And let me tell you 21 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 1: what I did. I never looked back. We're talking about 22 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: all things coon hunting. From what I looked for and 23 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: picking out a puppy to getting them to treat. It's 24 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,959 Speaker 1: a coon hunting Juwilee. This week on This Country Life podcast, 25 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:46,320 Speaker 1: the first I'm going to tell you a story. This 26 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 1: story I'm about to tell you could have come straight 27 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: out of where the red fern grows. The only difference 28 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 1: is this one is true. And while Billy Coleba was 29 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: desired to have a coon dog was fictional, it was 30 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: very real in the heart of my father and would 31 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 1: eventually be passed down to me. This is one of 32 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 1: my favorite stories of all time, and it's the one 33 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: where my dad and his friend Raymond stole a coon dog. 34 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: Nobody Barney lived less than a half a mile from 35 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: the house where my dad grew up. He had been 36 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 1: his neighbor since the moment my dad first saw the 37 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: light of day on April sixteenth, nineteen thirty seven, in 38 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 1: that very same house. This would have been in the 39 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 1: late forties, when my dad was ten or twelve years old. 40 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: Nobody had a good dog, a really good dog, and 41 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 1: one that he guarded like it was a child. During 42 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:42,080 Speaker 1: this time, coon hides were bringing top dollar and having 43 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: a good coonown was just like having a second income, 44 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 1: and most of the time it paid more than being 45 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,920 Speaker 1: a hand at the saw meal. Dad and Raymond would 46 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: go hunting with him, and like anyone I've ever taken 47 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 1: with me that liked it, they liked it a lot. 48 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:59,959 Speaker 1: And anytime Nobody was leaving the house to go there, 49 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 1: there stood Dad and Raymond on the porch waiting to 50 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: go with him. Thirty plus years later, and at about 51 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:08,799 Speaker 1: the same age as my dad in this story, Miss 52 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: Alay Barnett, Nobody's sister, lived there with him, and she'd 53 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: fixed me cookies and a glass of sweet milk anytime 54 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,120 Speaker 1: I just happened to be walking by and ambled up 55 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: in their yard, which was just about any time I 56 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: could smell her bacon cookies. I'd sat on the same 57 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: porch by Dad and Raymond waited on me, eating cookies 58 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: and listening to nobody in Miss Ali tell me how 59 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: much I looked like my dad and walked like my grandpa, 60 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: except there was no coon hunt afterwards, just a heart 61 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: full of old stories and a belly full of warm 62 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 1: cookies and coal milk. They were good folks, They were 63 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: real good folks. Nobody's dog was a tree and walker, 64 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 1: and his name was Tiger, and as far as my 65 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: dad knew, he was the best coon dog in the country, 66 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: and not having many dogs to compare him to may 67 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: have elevated his status to a kid. But he said 68 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: if they went hunting, they nearly always brought coons home. 69 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: Now that's the solid of a testimony for a coon 70 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: hound that you can get. There was only one problem. 71 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: Nobody had a job and could only go hunting on 72 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: the weekends, which really wasn't a problem until school was 73 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 1: let out for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Dad and Raymond's hunting 74 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: had been limited to weekends only, just like nobody's. But 75 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: now that school was out Friday night and Saturday night, 76 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: that wasn't nearly enough time for two aspiring young houndsmen 77 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 1: to get their fix on hunting, and no amount of 78 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: begging to persuade Nobody to sacrifice a good night's rest 79 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:41,919 Speaker 1: when he had to be at work so early in 80 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: the morning. Now, Dad said it was absolute torture to 81 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:49,600 Speaker 1: walk by and see Tiger tied out by his doghouse, 82 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: knowing they weren't going to be able to go hunt 83 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:56,480 Speaker 1: that night. This is when the innocence of my father's 84 00:04:56,520 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: youth took a dark turn. Dad said he he told 85 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: his friend, well, if he won't take us hunting, we'll 86 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 1: just take his dog. The plan was formulated when nobody 87 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: went to bed, Dad and Raymond would slip up to 88 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: the edge of the yard, remove Tiger's collar and fashion 89 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:15,720 Speaker 1: it back like he pulled lookes from him, and then 90 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 1: they'd go up. The first night they did it, Dad said, 91 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: they slipped up to the woods at the edge of 92 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 1: the yard and waited for the lights to go out. 93 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:33,919 Speaker 1: When they did, they waited for a little bit, and 94 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 1: he left Raymond to watch the house, and Belly crawled 95 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: across that yard like he was sneaking up on the 96 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: enemy bunk, hoping old Tiger didn't start barking, all the 97 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: while watching the house for any signs of movement. He 98 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 1: made it up to Tiger, who'd been watching him the 99 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:52,600 Speaker 1: whole time, wagging his tail. Dad took his collar off, 100 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: fastened it back, and they led him a long way 101 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: from the house with the lead rope he'd made from 102 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:01,720 Speaker 1: some haystring. He got out of the bum, and once 103 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: they were far enough away they figured nobody couldn't hear 104 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: Tiger barking. They cut him loose and the hunt was on. 105 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: They treated a coon or two and as happy as 106 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 1: they could be. They're planning to workship perfection. They'd gotten 107 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: away with it, and when they were done, they walked 108 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: Tiger back to within side of the house and let 109 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: him go, knowing full well that he'd go back home, 110 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 1: and he did. They hid their coons up in the 111 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,159 Speaker 1: barn that night and skin them later the next day, 112 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: after nobody and everybody else had gone to work up 113 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:33,360 Speaker 1: in the day. They walked by and checking, sure enough, 114 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: they're laid Tiger back on the chain, sleeping the day 115 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: away mission accomplished. That was easy, so easy that they 116 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:45,040 Speaker 1: decided to do it again. They did this several nights 117 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 1: over the winter school break, each taking turns doing the 118 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 1: belly crawling while the other one was the lookout. Dad 119 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: said they did it so much the tiger would be 120 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: sitting outside his doghouse looking for him to slip into 121 00:06:56,360 --> 00:07:00,360 Speaker 1: their hiding spot, waiting on him to go hunting. They 122 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: did it. It was the same hide out till dark, 123 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 1: crawl across the yard, hitched Tiger up to the homemade 124 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 1: lead rope and fix his collar back exactly as it 125 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 1: had been leaving nobody eating. No other answer for him 126 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: to being off the chain other than he pulled out 127 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: of it on his own. Now, Tiger always went home. 128 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: It was the perfect victimless crime and one that they 129 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: had no intention of stopping. One school started back, he said, 130 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 1: if they could borrow a man's prize coon now without 131 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 1: him knowing about it, and then they could surely slip 132 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: out of the house and go hunting, because not only 133 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 1: were they hiding their actions from Nobdee, but the Reeves 134 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:42,600 Speaker 1: family too. My great grandpa would not have approved of 135 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: him borrowed someone's dog, especially one is valuable as that one. 136 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 1: Folks didn't have a lot of pets back then, and 137 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: you can bet if they were feeding a dog, he 138 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 1: was serving a purpose, and one that could put food 139 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 1: on the table and money in your pocket was more 140 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 1: valuable than any. Dad told me he didn't know how 141 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 1: many times they pulled that off, but it was a lot, 142 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 1: he said. It all came to a screeching hault one 143 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: night when it was Raymond's turn to fetch Tiger. He said, 144 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: Tiger wasn't setting up waiting for him like he normally was, 145 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 1: and they could see him under the night light, still 146 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:19,840 Speaker 1: in his house. They guessed him to still be sleeping, 147 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: and deservedly so, after all, he had been hunting quite 148 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: a lot during the weekends, not to mention all the 149 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: times Dad and Raymond had him out during the week 150 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:31,320 Speaker 1: Dad said it was Raymond's turn to get Tiger, and 151 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 1: he washed him crawl off toward the doghouse, ready to 152 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 1: hit the woods and tree some coons. Then Raymond came 153 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:42,320 Speaker 1: crawling back and said, Buddy, something wrong with Tiger. It's breathing. Funny. 154 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 1: Dad told there ain't nothing wrong with that dog. We 155 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 1: hunt him every night this week, including last night. Was 156 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:51,319 Speaker 1: nothing wrong with him then, And when we checked on 157 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: him this afternoon, I bet he's just sleeping in his house. 158 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 1: I'll go get him, And off he went, crawling across 159 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: the yard like an aggravated Gi Joe. To find that. 160 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:04,080 Speaker 1: Raymond was right, he said. He stopped right before he 161 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 1: got to the doghouse and listen, and he can hear 162 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: him in there breathing, kind of laboring to do it. 163 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 1: He said it It sounded to kind of like he 164 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 1: was snoring in and out. That's he didn't know what 165 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: it was, but he whispered, come on, Tiger. Tiger got 166 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:26,079 Speaker 1: up walked out of the doghouse. He said. He reached 167 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 1: up to grab his collar, and he said it was 168 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: so tight that he could barely get a finger under 169 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 1: it to take it home. Nobody had apparently grown tired 170 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: of time. Nobody had apparently grown tired of Tiger slipping 171 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 1: out of his collar and had been slowly tightening it 172 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 1: up every morning when he'd leave for work, he'd come 173 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 1: home and there was Tiger on the chamberside his doghouse. 174 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: He'd go to bed and wake up only discover his 175 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 1: prize coon dog was loose once again the next morning 176 00:09:56,679 --> 00:10:00,199 Speaker 1: from slipping out of his collar. Dad said, if we 177 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: would have took Tiger out one more night, when nobody 178 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 1: found him loose again the next morning, that he would 179 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,520 Speaker 1: have tightened his collar up so much it would have 180 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:10,120 Speaker 1: choked him to death. Before nobody got home from work 181 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 1: that day, Dad loosened his collar and they never barred 182 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 1: him again. And that's just how that happened. My journey 183 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:31,680 Speaker 1: as a coon hunter. Coon hunting has always been a 184 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 1: part of my life since I was a kid. I 185 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 1: got my first hound when I was fifteen. He was 186 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:39,960 Speaker 1: a registered tree and walker and I got him from 187 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:44,760 Speaker 1: mister Lloyd Corker, who on Corker's feed store in Warren, Arkansas. 188 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: He cost me seventy five dollars is an eight week 189 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:50,840 Speaker 1: old puppy. I had a job working at the local 190 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:53,600 Speaker 1: sail barn, pushing cows from one end to the other. 191 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 1: As the sale progressed every Saturday and a little trapline 192 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:00,839 Speaker 1: money left, but I was still twenty five dollar short. 193 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 1: Dad told me he loaned to me, and we paid him, 194 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 1: and mister Corker gave me a bag of feed before 195 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 1: we left. I named him Tom. Want to know what 196 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: you do with a night week old coonhound? Absolutely nothing 197 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:16,440 Speaker 1: as far as training the coon dog goes anyway. They're 198 00:11:16,440 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 1: too young. The brains are like jello, and some of them, well, 199 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 1: some of them never grow out of it their infants, 200 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:25,760 Speaker 1: and they don't know the buds from fifteen since. When 201 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 1: it comes to anything about what their purpose in life is, 202 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: that's gonna come later. But there's lots of things to 203 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:34,199 Speaker 1: do before you ever turned that rascal loose in search 204 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:37,120 Speaker 1: of a coon. Now, this was my approach and the 205 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:39,960 Speaker 1: methods that I used to train My first one was 206 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: from what my dad taught me later on, and as 207 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: recently as right now. I'd ask my uncle Jim Ray, 208 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:48,880 Speaker 1: whose favorite dog he had many years ago was a 209 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 1: tree and walker named Willie Nelson. I thought it kind 210 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 1: of ironic that now I have one named Whalen. Anyway, 211 00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: some of what I learned is from friends like Rex Whiting, 212 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 1: Michael Roseman. But the best lessons I got was from 213 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:07,680 Speaker 1: cutting that hound loose in the woods. But only after 214 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:11,559 Speaker 1: I'd made sure of one thing that he'd mind me. Remember, 215 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 1: I said, this is how I do it, what works 216 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 1: for me. I ain't looking to defend this as a 217 00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:20,280 Speaker 1: doctoral thesis. Everybody has an opinion this one. It just 218 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 1: happens to be mine. Dad told me it does me 219 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:26,560 Speaker 1: no good to have a dog with no way to 220 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: control him. So from day one he has to learn 221 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 1: that I am his boss and he's safe with me. 222 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: Wherever I am is always a good place. That's the 223 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: only way that a dog will leave what he's doing 224 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 1: or is interested in and come to where you are 225 00:12:42,559 --> 00:12:45,320 Speaker 1: is if he recognizes your authority and feel safe and 226 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:49,360 Speaker 1: secure there. How do I get him to come to me? Well, 227 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 1: that for me starts when I'm picking him out of 228 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: the litter. You can't tell what a dog was gonna 229 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:56,600 Speaker 1: make when they're two months old. Old time coon hunters 230 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:58,960 Speaker 1: wouldn't even start messing with a coon dog until he 231 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 1: was like a year more older. So here's a few 232 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:05,200 Speaker 1: cues that I've found to be helpful. I'm looking for 233 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:09,200 Speaker 1: a puppy that looks at me. Michael Rosevean will tell you, 234 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 1: and I believe it that a dog that will make 235 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:14,959 Speaker 1: eye contact with you has some potential to take direction 236 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 1: he's paying attention. That doesn't mean to tell tree coons 237 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:21,560 Speaker 1: and not chase deer. It's just a starting point. Dogs 238 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:24,960 Speaker 1: are like people and that they have personalities. There is 239 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 1: different as night and day. There's no one size fits all, 240 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:33,480 Speaker 1: just traits to look for. Genetics are important up to 241 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 1: a point, and to me, it's just a baseline of 242 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:40,200 Speaker 1: skills that a dog should inherently possess. Notice I said 243 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:44,839 Speaker 1: should possess just like Mama, Daddy, Grandma, grandpa, and aunts 244 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 1: and uncles can do it. It don't mean Junior can 245 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:51,040 Speaker 1: or any of his litter mates. I've got to teach 246 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:52,960 Speaker 1: this joker to come to me when I call him, 247 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 1: and one of the easiest ways is to use food. 248 00:13:57,400 --> 00:13:59,439 Speaker 1: Call the name when you put down some food or 249 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:02,160 Speaker 1: a treating, praise him when they get there. But that's 250 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: not the way I like to do it. That'll condition 251 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:07,839 Speaker 1: a dog to look for food every time that they 252 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: come to you, and it won't take many times if 253 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:13,200 Speaker 1: you forgetting to bring any or running out, and soon 254 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:16,680 Speaker 1: that dog might say, ah, I hear you calling, but 255 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 1: you don't ever really have anything to eat. I think 256 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 1: I'll just stay here. Well, I'd rather have that dog 257 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:26,400 Speaker 1: come to me from the rapport that we've developed together 258 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:30,640 Speaker 1: through socialization. I'm the guy that feeds him. I'm the 259 00:14:30,680 --> 00:14:33,320 Speaker 1: guy that waters him. I'm the guy that makes sure 260 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,320 Speaker 1: his dog bed is cleaning, his kennels are washed out, 261 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 1: and in Whalen's case, I'm the guy that cleans the 262 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 1: filter in his air conditioned doghouse. I spend time with 263 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 1: my hound. But Dad always said that a dog that 264 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 1: gets messed with and hunted will make the best tree dog. 265 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:53,400 Speaker 1: So I don't look at him as a tool. He's 266 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: not a hammer in his doghouse, ain't a toolbox. I 267 00:14:57,160 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 1: don't just pull him out of the kennel every time 268 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:01,520 Speaker 1: I want him to go a coon. He's a member 269 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 1: of this family, and he got there by doing what 270 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: I wanted him to do, or he be a member 271 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 1: of somebody else's family. I wasn't looking for a pet 272 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: when I got him. I was looking for a coon dog, 273 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 1: and it was my responsibility to give him every chance 274 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 1: to be one. It goes back to that looking at 275 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 1: you thing. If they're looking at you, they're paying attention. 276 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 1: If they're paying attention, they're teachable. And that's half the battle. 277 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 1: If you got an intelligent dog who's inherent desires to 278 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:33,720 Speaker 1: please you, they're boss. And you can't convey what you 279 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:36,040 Speaker 1: want that dog to do. That ain't the dog's fault. 280 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: That's all on you. They say dogs can learn close 281 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 1: to like two hundred and fifty words, go tree a coon, 282 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 1: that's only four. So how hard could it really be 283 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:52,280 Speaker 1: to get one to do that? Well, they got to 284 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: be exposed. You can't teach a dog desire. That's got 285 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 1: to come naturally. They have to have the will to 286 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 1: leave the safety of your presence and go into the 287 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:05,800 Speaker 1: dark unknown, specifically looking for the sin of a coon. 288 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 1: And let me tell you about Old Tom. His registered 289 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 1: name was Reeves Sea Creek Tom. That name come from 290 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: obviously my last name, and the creek that ran through 291 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: our farm that I only a few weeks ago learned 292 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 1: The actual name wasn't Sea Creek, it was Walker Creek. 293 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 1: So I guess you can teach an old dog a 294 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 1: new trick. At least you can teach him a little 295 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:32,800 Speaker 1: bit about the geography. But Tom was his call name, 296 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:35,280 Speaker 1: and that's what it was going to be. Steve McQueen 297 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 1: played a cowboy named Tom Horn in a movie by 298 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:41,280 Speaker 1: the same name. I liked that movie and Steve McQueen, 299 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: so I named him Tom. When you register a dog, 300 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: a pure bred dog, he has to have a unique 301 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: name that separates him from the other dogs in the registration. 302 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 1: There are some real creative names in the registrie in 303 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: some of which make absolutely no sense. It may not 304 00:16:57,280 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: even be what the dog is called. His registered name 305 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:06,400 Speaker 1: could be Buffalo Bill, Cody's Trycolored Tornado, but his call 306 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:09,639 Speaker 1: name might be Carl. That's a whole, whole other show. 307 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:21,639 Speaker 1: So we're gonna go on with the story. Old Tom 308 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:23,760 Speaker 1: gets to be about eight months old, and I'm about 309 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:27,440 Speaker 1: to have a fit to take him hunting. Dad finally says, 310 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:29,959 Speaker 1: come on, let's load him up and go see what 311 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:35,080 Speaker 1: he'll do. Finally, it's Coon hunting time. After six months 312 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:38,119 Speaker 1: of working with this dog and leading him and teaching 313 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:40,720 Speaker 1: him to load, to come to me when I called, 314 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:43,399 Speaker 1: and getting him to do everything under the sun that 315 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:46,159 Speaker 1: I wanted to do except split wood and paint the 316 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:49,960 Speaker 1: barn or anything related to coon hunting, We're finally finn 317 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 1: to get this dog in the woods. I was about 318 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:56,159 Speaker 1: to pee in my briches from excitement. Philly Coleman, you 319 00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:58,479 Speaker 1: ain't got nothing on me, because I'm fitna do this 320 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:02,640 Speaker 1: for real. We loaded Tom up and Dad's dog crate, 321 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 1: and off we went to the neighbor's chicken farm. Dad said, 322 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 1: there was a big persimon tree on the side of 323 00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: the road that goes down to the chicken house. It's 324 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 1: probably got some persimmons on it. If it does it 325 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:16,400 Speaker 1: order to have some coons in it or close by, 326 00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:20,639 Speaker 1: we'll cut him loose and see what he does. Now. 327 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 1: I should probably mention in this point of the story 328 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:26,400 Speaker 1: that I had recently had my appendix removed, like eight 329 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:30,160 Speaker 1: days ago. I was still sporting a handful of staples 330 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:34,400 Speaker 1: in the incision. Anyone that's ever had an appendectomy will 331 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 1: tell you they're not fun. Believe them when they say this. 332 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 1: On with the story. I was sitting on the edge 333 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:45,240 Speaker 1: of the seat for the two mile ride down the 334 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:48,920 Speaker 1: gravel road. We made the curve in twenty yards off 335 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 1: the road, and a hundred from that chicken house stood 336 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:54,679 Speaker 1: the persimmon tree, and it looked like it was decorated 337 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:57,600 Speaker 1: for Christmas. When all those coons looked at the truck 338 00:18:57,600 --> 00:18:59,879 Speaker 1: and their eyes glowed in the dark, Dad said, well, 339 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:04,199 Speaker 1: Tom's fixing to get his test. I was ready to 340 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 1: bail out of that truck before it stopped. I did 341 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 1: that ten years prior to this night, and my dad 342 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 1: ran over me on a accident. Six years prior to 343 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 1: this night, I ran over him. But those are two 344 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 1: different stories. Back to the coons, that tree was over 345 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 1: twenty feet tall and as big around as a cantalog. 346 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:26,439 Speaker 1: The first limb was about eight feet off the ground. 347 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:31,119 Speaker 1: It was loaded with for simmons and coons. I counted 348 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 1: six sets of eyes of what I could see. Dad, 349 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:37,160 Speaker 1: what I do? He said, Get Tom out and cut 350 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:39,120 Speaker 1: him loose. We'll just see what he does. He needs 351 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 1: to find him on his own. Well I did just 352 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 1: as he said. Old Tom walked around in front of 353 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,239 Speaker 1: the truck, wagging his tail and looking happy just to 354 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:49,760 Speaker 1: be hanging out with the boys at night for once, 355 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 1: and all of a sudden he caught a whiff of 356 00:19:52,320 --> 00:19:56,280 Speaker 1: scent from the coons, and his whole demeanor change. He 357 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: started moving with a purpose over toward that tree. His 358 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:02,240 Speaker 1: nose was going from above his shoulders back to the ground. 359 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:06,359 Speaker 1: Dad said, he's winding them coon, son, and that means 360 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:08,960 Speaker 1: he was catching their sin as it flowed through the air. 361 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:10,960 Speaker 1: And then he put his nose to the ground and 362 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:14,159 Speaker 1: smell where they'd been walking around. Now, you think that 363 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 1: would be an ideal scenario to train a dog in, 364 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 1: but it really ain't. Dogs don't smell like we do. 365 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:24,400 Speaker 1: If you walked in a house and you smelled someone 366 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 1: cooking homemade soup, you think I smell soup, let's eat. Well, 367 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:33,280 Speaker 1: the dogs never don't work that way. They walk in 368 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:35,919 Speaker 1: the door right beside you, and while you're smelling soup, 369 00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:42,840 Speaker 1: they're smelling tomatoes, salt, pepper, potatoes, garlic, celery, thyme, corn beans, 370 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:46,040 Speaker 1: whatever you got in the pot, plus and everything else 371 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:50,640 Speaker 1: in the house, including you. In an area where coons 372 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:55,440 Speaker 1: have been frequenting, it could turn into sensory overload. Literally 373 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:59,400 Speaker 1: everything around it smells like coons, and when everything smells 374 00:20:59,480 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 1: like a coon, it's hard to discern where the source 375 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:05,560 Speaker 1: of the smell is coming from. That'll mess up a 376 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:08,520 Speaker 1: finished dog just as quick as it is will a 377 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:12,199 Speaker 1: young one. I've seen it. We watched old Tom as 378 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 1: he went back and forth around that tree, left and right, front, 379 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 1: and back over to a big corner post on the 380 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:21,200 Speaker 1: fence ten yards away, and back to the tree again. 381 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:26,280 Speaker 1: He was confused. He was also still a baby as 382 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:29,320 Speaker 1: far as coon dogs go. Now, you coon hunters out there, 383 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:32,160 Speaker 1: save your message just telling me about how your dog 384 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:35,200 Speaker 1: was tring coons by there by theirself when they was 385 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 1: two months old or before they had their eyes open. 386 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:41,119 Speaker 1: I know y'all are out there. It goes for you too, Clay, 387 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:45,240 Speaker 1: Michael Rex, Toby Neemeyer Ain't. Nobody got time for that. 388 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:51,159 Speaker 1: Tom needed some help. So I had to plan, and 389 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:53,919 Speaker 1: I knew if I didn't, if I didn't just do 390 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:56,240 Speaker 1: it on my own, that I'd never get it approved 391 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:58,960 Speaker 1: by my dad. So when Daddy walked back to his 392 00:21:59,040 --> 00:22:01,840 Speaker 1: truck to get a light, I saw the opportunity I 393 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:05,840 Speaker 1: was waiting for. I could feel the staples pulling against 394 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:08,480 Speaker 1: my incision as I reached up and I grabbed that 395 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:12,000 Speaker 1: bottom limb of that for Simme tree. It felt like 396 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 1: my guts were about to pop out of that cut 397 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 1: when I finally hooked my leg over the limb and 398 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:20,119 Speaker 1: stood up on it. I was fixing to shake some 399 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:22,720 Speaker 1: coons out of that tree. And if that didn't get 400 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:25,479 Speaker 1: Tom more focused on what we were doing there, I 401 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:28,880 Speaker 1: didn't know what would son get out of that tree. 402 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 1: You feny, tear your staples out now, Just so y'all 403 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:36,240 Speaker 1: know and to adhere to the Beggrease policy manually in 404 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:41,160 Speaker 1: reference to truth and storytelling. That is not an exact 405 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:43,919 Speaker 1: quote of what my father said when he turned around 406 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:47,240 Speaker 1: and saw me eight days out of surgery and my 407 00:22:47,359 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: feet eight feet off the ground. It ain't even close. 408 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:55,640 Speaker 1: I remember it verbatim, and it contained all those words 409 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: I just quoted, but it was also sprinkled with a 410 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:03,040 Speaker 1: string of agitty that were not approved for all agents. 411 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:06,200 Speaker 1: Having kids and grandkids of my own, I get where 412 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:09,119 Speaker 1: he was coming from. Dad. I'm all right, and it 413 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:12,360 Speaker 1: don't hurt. I'm fixing the I'm finna shake these coons out. 414 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:16,240 Speaker 1: Get ready now. I should have paid attention to that warning, aboy, 415 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 1: getting ready I looked up and I could see coons 416 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:21,639 Speaker 1: sitting everywhere in that tree. They were on the limbs 417 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:24,240 Speaker 1: I was holding on to. They were sitting just above 418 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:26,960 Speaker 1: my head. They were sitting on the limbs on the 419 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:29,720 Speaker 1: other side of the tree, And without much effort, I 420 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:32,720 Speaker 1: could have reached and touched every one of them. But 421 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 1: what I did was test the tensile strength of that tree. 422 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:39,840 Speaker 1: Like hurricane reeves that just blowed into town. I was 423 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:43,160 Speaker 1: shaking that tree with every bit of strength I could must. 424 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:47,120 Speaker 1: My side was hurting, but I was making it rain 425 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:49,399 Speaker 1: coons on Dad and Tom. They were dropping out of 426 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:52,919 Speaker 1: that tree as fast as as the precipitons were. My 427 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: plan was perfect, almost perfect. The tree was one hundred 428 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:01,080 Speaker 1: yards from that chicken house, ten yards from that big 429 00:24:01,119 --> 00:24:04,320 Speaker 1: corner post on the fence, and two hundred yards from 430 00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 1: the next tree. In my mind, those coons had two choices. 431 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:11,680 Speaker 1: They could head toward the woods across that pasture or 432 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:15,119 Speaker 1: climb that fence post. Either way, Tom was bound to 433 00:24:15,160 --> 00:24:19,399 Speaker 1: get after him. Six coons hit the ground. One made 434 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:21,520 Speaker 1: three jumps and was sitting on top of that big 435 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 1: corner post matter than a mashed cat. Tom was right 436 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 1: behind him. Barking. Now, this was good, But only one 437 00:24:28,359 --> 00:24:31,720 Speaker 1: of them went up that post. No problem, on, I'll 438 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:34,320 Speaker 1: climb down. We'll let him tree on that post for 439 00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:37,240 Speaker 1: a little bit. Then i'll put Tom on the leash. 440 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:39,520 Speaker 1: I'll get me a stick and poke that coon off 441 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:42,160 Speaker 1: the post and let him run off. I'll turn Tom 442 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:44,879 Speaker 1: loose and let him tree him again. This was gonna 443 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:48,880 Speaker 1: be some good schooling. But I'd made two mistakes that night. 444 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:53,399 Speaker 1: One was climbing that tree so soon after my surgery. 445 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 1: My side was killing me. Two was thinking those coons 446 00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:01,240 Speaker 1: only had two choices once they hit the ground, because 447 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:04,280 Speaker 1: the other five came right back up that p cemetery. 448 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:10,119 Speaker 1: It was chaos, absolute chaos. Tom was barking and jumping 449 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:13,280 Speaker 1: at that coon. That coon was growling and fussing and 450 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 1: taking swipes at him every time he jumped. Dad was hollering, 451 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:20,200 Speaker 1: get him, Tom, so be careful. Get him tom Son. 452 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:23,080 Speaker 1: Look out, the coons are coming back out of the tree. 453 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:28,159 Speaker 1: Get him Tom, hold on Son. I looked down that 454 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:30,240 Speaker 1: tree truck, and I saw that squad of coons and 455 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:32,879 Speaker 1: a coggle lin coming up so fast that all I 456 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:36,240 Speaker 1: could do was watch. I couldn't jump all my guts 457 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:37,800 Speaker 1: would have come out when I hit the ground, and 458 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 1: I'd have died, never knowing how good that coon dog 459 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:44,120 Speaker 1: was gonna be. I just had to ride the storm out. 460 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:47,440 Speaker 1: Two of them ran across my arms as I bare 461 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:50,880 Speaker 1: hugged that tree. The other three ran across my left 462 00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:54,160 Speaker 1: leg in rapid succession and between my knees as they 463 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:57,959 Speaker 1: cork screwed up that tree. They were circling it like 464 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:01,920 Speaker 1: a coon barber pole. I just stood there watching the show. 465 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:05,160 Speaker 1: All five of them looked me right in the eyes 466 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:07,399 Speaker 1: as they passed my head going to the butt of 467 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:10,320 Speaker 1: that pre cemetery, and I could smell them, and they 468 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:14,600 Speaker 1: didn't smell like homemade soup. They smelled like rav's and hate. 469 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:17,399 Speaker 1: And I was stuck in that tree with them. I 470 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:20,399 Speaker 1: had made an egregious mistake by not factoring in the 471 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:25,199 Speaker 1: precimetery as their alternate route of travel. Now Tom was 472 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:27,600 Speaker 1: still barking at that coon on the fence post, but 473 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:29,919 Speaker 1: he was starting to lose interest for everything else that 474 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:32,760 Speaker 1: was going on. My dad was begging me to get 475 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:36,360 Speaker 1: out of the tree, and I was scared to move. Finally, 476 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:39,280 Speaker 1: I started easing down and my dad grabbed my legs 477 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:42,480 Speaker 1: and put me on his shoulders. He walked to the 478 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,720 Speaker 1: truck and I stepped off on the dog crate. He 479 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 1: checked my staples and they were all still good. I 480 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 1: hadn't pulled anything loose. But while he was checking me over, 481 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 1: Tom made a dash over where we were, and in 482 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:57,520 Speaker 1: that instant that coon bailed off that corner post and disappeared. 483 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:01,000 Speaker 1: I don't know where he went. Dad pulled the plug 484 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 1: on that hunt and we called it a night. We'd 485 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 1: accomplished what we'd set out to do with Tom and 486 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:09,560 Speaker 1: had one heck of a tale to tell folks. Unfortunately, 487 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:12,439 Speaker 1: I never got to see what that hound would have 488 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:16,840 Speaker 1: made he got stolen. He was bad to wander off 489 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:19,600 Speaker 1: and visit the neighbors, and during that time, you could 490 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:22,760 Speaker 1: run deer dogs during deer season, and lots of folks did. 491 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:27,040 Speaker 1: Out of towners were bad about picking up hunting dogs 492 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:29,320 Speaker 1: that didn't belong to them and trade them off to 493 00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:32,440 Speaker 1: other deer camps to run deer, and we're pretty sure 494 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:36,520 Speaker 1: that that's what happened to him. I hated that, but man, 495 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:40,120 Speaker 1: what a wonderful memory we shared with our friends and 496 00:27:40,359 --> 00:27:42,640 Speaker 1: family over the years telling that story, and that old 497 00:27:42,720 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 1: pup made it all possible, Dad Gum, I've been telling 498 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 1: these tales about my journey as a coon hunter, and 499 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:01,280 Speaker 1: we about to run out of time. I guess we'll 500 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:03,440 Speaker 1: just make this part one. If that works for y'all, 501 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:06,720 Speaker 1: that works for me. There's plenty more stories my old 502 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:09,000 Speaker 1: I'm going to tell you, and me and old Whalen 503 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:14,040 Speaker 1: were making them just about every time we go. You 504 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:17,080 Speaker 1: folks have been mighty good to me. All of us 505 00:28:17,119 --> 00:28:19,919 Speaker 1: in my family and my meat eater family appreciate so 506 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:23,560 Speaker 1: much all the wonderful feedback in the reviews that y'all 507 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:26,800 Speaker 1: have taken the time to send in. There's lots of 508 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:29,199 Speaker 1: folks that work on this thing. It's not just me, 509 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:33,159 Speaker 1: not even close. Hey, if y'all can share it with 510 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,240 Speaker 1: others you think might enjoy it. And until next week, 511 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:39,960 Speaker 1: this is Bred Reeves. Sign it all. Y'all be careful