1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,160 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 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 1: think I got a thing or two to teach you. Dogs, hogs, 10 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 1: and submarines. Those of us who value the companionship and 11 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:47,120 Speaker 1: love of a good dog are many now. You spend 12 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: enough time with them and they'll fill your head and 13 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: your heart with some great memories. I talk to folks 14 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: all the time about my dogs, and I listen to 15 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: stories about theirs, and you can tell which ones that 16 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: have really made it impact on them by the way 17 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: they look when they talk about it. We're gonna talk 18 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:07,320 Speaker 1: about a couple today that will forever be at the 19 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 1: top of my list as favorites. But first I'm gonna 20 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: tell you a story. Zach was a giant black labrador. 21 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: He belonged to my brother Tim and was about as 22 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,320 Speaker 1: big as a lab gets. He was a monster, and 23 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: the good Lord chiseled him out of patience and brains. 24 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 1: He was smart. Tim had trained him on the basics 25 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: of obedience and retrieving, But that dude possessed an abundance 26 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: of inherent natural ability of what made good labs great labs. 27 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: You've heard me say before that just about any kind 28 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: of utilitarian dog that there desire to go and do 29 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: what theyre bread to do is an untrainable treat. Just 30 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 1: because the dog is a Labrador doesn't make him a 31 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: good retriever, just like having a coonhound doesn't make them 32 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 1: a coon dog. There's a big difference. A coon hound 33 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: is a breed category within a group of hunting dog breeds. 34 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 1: A coon dog is a title given by hunters to 35 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: a specimen from one of those breeds that consistently strikes 36 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 1: a track, follows it to a tree, and barks so 37 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 1: you can find him and the coon You can see 38 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 1: beautiful specimens of each breed of sporting dog every Thanksgiving 39 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: when they have that Westminster Dog Show on TV. We 40 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: hardly ever miss it. They have some beautiful beagles and 41 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: retrievers and coonhounds and bird dogs. They are the epitome 42 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 1: of what all those breeds are supposed to look like. Height, weight, earlength, gate, stance, color, 43 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: and build are all judged according to a set of 44 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: list of requirements. Some of them may even be good 45 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 1: hunting dogs. They obviously possess the outward traits of the breed. Unfortunately, 46 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,160 Speaker 1: that's not how it works in the real world. They 47 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 1: not only have to look the part, they have to 48 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 1: be able to perform it. The show dogs are what 49 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: one of my old football coaches would say when describing 50 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: an athletically built player with zero ability as looking like 51 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: Tarzan but playing like Jane. Well, Zach not only looked 52 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 1: like Tarzan, but he played like Tarzan. And King Buck 53 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: had a baby. If you don't know who King Buck was, 54 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 1: look that dog up. Anyway, Zach not only looked the part, 55 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: but he played the part as well. Add in the 56 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: mixture that he was a perfect family dog, and you 57 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: get Zach. Zach was in his prime in the mid eighties, 58 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,360 Speaker 1: and he was a constant companion of any of the 59 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 1: Reeves Boys' activities as long as Tim was there, whether 60 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 1: it was Me and Tim or Tim and his two boys, 61 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: Matthew and Will. Zach was a fixture on every outing 62 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: and adventure. I recall a time in the summer that 63 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: truly dim illustrated Zach's patience with children. This is what 64 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: made him such a great family dog. We were shooting 65 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 1: clay targets in front of Tim's house. It was in 66 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: the middle of the summer and duck season was still 67 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:15,440 Speaker 1: a couple of months away. Matthew and Will were watching 68 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: and helping load the skip thrower, playing in the dirt, 69 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: and just doing what boys do. Will, the younger of 70 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: Tim's sons, was around I guess around five years old, 71 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:30,160 Speaker 1: and was standing safely behind everyone as we took turn shooting. Now, 72 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: Will didn't miss a lot. He paid attention to everything, 73 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: but he didn't make a lot of racket and could 74 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: easily entertain himself. But I remember him catching my eyes 75 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: I waited for my turn to shooting. He was staring 76 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:46,040 Speaker 1: at Zach, who was standing in front of him at 77 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,839 Speaker 1: Tim's side on the firing line. Zach, as I failed 78 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: to mention, was a male dog. His name was a 79 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: context clue, but for the sake of the side story 80 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 1: that I'm on right now, that fact needs to be 81 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 1: understood completely. Also, it was extremely warm and inn keeping 82 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:09,360 Speaker 1: with how nature has provided that dogs of Zach's persuasion 83 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: keep some of their parts cool by allowing them to 84 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: distance themselves somewhat from their normal anatomical position. Zach was 85 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:23,160 Speaker 1: a big dog, you remember, Zach had a noticeable amount 86 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: of his anatomy that needed cooling, and that was what 87 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:32,360 Speaker 1: caught Will's attention. I watched Will as he watched the 88 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:38,359 Speaker 1: south end of Zach. He was seemingly hypnotized, like he 89 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:42,160 Speaker 1: was watching the pendulum of a grandfather clock, swinging back 90 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: and forth, back and forth. I could see the wheels 91 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 1: turning in his head and the confused look on his 92 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 1: face as he wondered what he was looking at. He 93 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 1: slowly walked forward, and before I could stop him, he 94 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 1: reached out with his right hand and he took hold 95 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 1: of Zack's swinging and he squeezed. Zack never made a sound. 96 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 1: His hind end lowered a couple of inches, and he froze. 97 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: A normally expressionless dog. Zack slowly turned his head back 98 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:17,480 Speaker 1: to see what had captured him, and I could see 99 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: the horror of the situation encapsulated on Zack's face. His 100 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: eyes bugged nearly out of his head, yet showing no 101 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:29,599 Speaker 1: signs of aggression or panic. Now I was scared to 102 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 1: move for fear of startling with Zack and the bite 103 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: and Will, and as quickly as if it started, Will 104 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 1: slowly released his grip on Zach's person. Will walked away, 105 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 1: curiosity satisfied, and resumed playing in the dirt and never 106 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 1: set a word. Zach turns. Zach turned back around and 107 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:53,599 Speaker 1: slowly sat down at the hill on Tim's left side. 108 00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:57,240 Speaker 1: Zach was a chump at family life, and he loves 109 00:06:57,320 --> 00:06:58,440 Speaker 1: those boys. 110 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,599 Speaker 2: As just as much as we all love. That's why 111 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 2: he got to go everywhere that we went, and it 112 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 2: was usually only an arm's length away when we were 113 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 2: doing something, which leads me back to the story I 114 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 2: started telling way back at the. 115 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: Beginning of this. Sometime around that time frame, after dark 116 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:18,200 Speaker 1: and maybe even the following winter, Tim and I were 117 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 1: skinning a wild hog we'd killed down in the bottoms. 118 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: It's a pretty good bar hog that we'd caught and 119 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: cut sometime earlier. I'm going to talk in depth about 120 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 1: wild hogs in the future, but for right now, all 121 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 1: you need to know is that a bar hog is 122 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 1: a boy hog minus a couple items that make him 123 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: a boy hog that had been removed by us the 124 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: previous winter after our squirrel dogs had bade him up 125 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 1: down in the bottoms. So we had this hog hanging 126 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: in a pecan tree in Tim's backyard, and we were 127 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: removing his hide in strips. It's an easy way to 128 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: skim the hog if you're not intending on cooking him hole, 129 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 1: which we weren't. I remember he was a fat rascal, 130 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: and some of that fat was nearly as thick as 131 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: your fist. Between the meat and the inside of his hide. 132 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:07,680 Speaker 1: The hair on that hog was coarse, thick and jet black, 133 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: the same color as Zach, who sat beside us watching 134 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: the whole operation. He was licking his chops, and Tim 135 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 1: cut off a piece of fat and chunked it towards 136 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: Zack and he caught it in midair. And every time 137 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 1: we'd cut off a little chunk, we'd lob it over 138 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 1: to him and he caught it. Every one of them. 139 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: The bigger, longer, thicker strips of hide and fat we 140 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 1: piled up on the other side of the tree, away 141 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 1: from where Zach was sitting. They never whimpered, wined, or 142 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:38,079 Speaker 1: made a sound. The only thing you heard was the 143 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 1: occasional chump when we blindly tossed the chunk hog fat 144 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: in his direction. We were skinning that hog in the 145 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: dark except for the truck lights, and Zack was as 146 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: black as a shadow. Anyway, Now we got that hog 147 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: skin quartered on ice, and we loaded all the guts 148 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 1: and the skin in the back of the truck and 149 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: we haulted off for the couch and the buzzards to 150 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 1: take care of the next day. I just lived down 151 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: the road from Tim then, and we were meeting early 152 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:07,080 Speaker 1: the next morning to go duck hunting on the Sleek River. 153 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 1: Tim picked me up and was Zach sitting in the 154 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: middle between us and his old truck. We headed out. 155 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:15,960 Speaker 1: We didn't have a far drive, and we were just 156 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 1: tooling along when the most mild odorous stitch I've ever 157 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:22,320 Speaker 1: had the displeasure of smelling punched me in the nose. 158 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:26,760 Speaker 1: Sweet Jesus, Tim, what did you do? He said, I 159 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: didn't do that. What is wrong with you? It was horrible. 160 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:33,679 Speaker 1: It was worse than anything I'd ever experienced. I'd been 161 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:36,439 Speaker 1: in the Army basic training in the gas chamber, when 162 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: they make you take off your mask to fill the 163 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 1: effects of the gas, and so you'll trust that your 164 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 1: mask works. That was nothing, absolutely nothing compared to this. 165 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 1: We rolled the windows down, let that cold, frigid air 166 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: rush in and allow both of us to see through 167 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: the tears of agony. I still thought it was him, 168 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: and he still thought it was me. With ten minutes 169 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 1: left after our ride, Whamo, there it was again, Oh 170 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: the silent killer, and this time it was even worse. 171 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 1: I thought I was gonna die Before I could get 172 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,680 Speaker 1: the window rolled down. Tim was driving all over the road, 173 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 1: trying to roll his window down, cover his nose and 174 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,679 Speaker 1: mouth and cuss at me while trying not to breathe. Now, 175 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:20,120 Speaker 1: this hunt had started off terribly. We weren't even out 176 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:22,680 Speaker 1: of the truck yet. I felt like if I hadn't 177 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 1: been so weak from the fumes, that I had just 178 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:27,560 Speaker 1: bailed out going down the highway and just took my 179 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 1: chances with the laws of physics instead of counting on 180 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 1: hold of my breath to save my life. Both windows 181 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: were down and there was no relief. Whatever it was 182 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 1: it was being manufactured in the cap of that truck, 183 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:41,960 Speaker 1: and it was gonna kill us all if we didn't 184 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: get it stopped by Now, I thought, if it is Tim, 185 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:49,679 Speaker 1: he was a lost cause and there's no saving him. 186 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: I'd yet to have children, I still had something to 187 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 1: live for. Oh the humanity. My eyes were burning. I 188 00:10:55,920 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 1: can't breathe mercifully. I felt the truck slow down and 189 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 1: make the sharp turn into the parking spot. We both 190 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 1: had the doors open on his old truck before the 191 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:09,440 Speaker 1: wheel stopped rolling that gum. It was cold outside, but man, 192 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:14,679 Speaker 1: that air was fresh and clean. I looked through the cabin, 193 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:17,200 Speaker 1: saw Tim standing in the door, just as I was 194 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: on the other side of the truck in the dim 195 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 1: glow of the interior light. And then I saw Zack. 196 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: I'd forgotten about Zach. He'd been like the invisible man 197 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: during the turmoil of the darkness. I had totally forgot 198 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 1: he was with us. But there he sat, motionless in 199 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:37,960 Speaker 1: the middle of the bench seat, looking through the windshield 200 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 1: like he was the only one there, before burping loudly 201 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 1: and throwing up a congealed glob of hog fat and 202 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:50,440 Speaker 1: hair that nearly made me faint. It was Zack pulling 203 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 1: the old sneaky pizza on us. Apparently he used his 204 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:58,319 Speaker 1: black coat as a cloaking device and was slipping to 205 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 1: the other side of the tree in the hog skinning 206 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:04,640 Speaker 1: last night and filling his belly up with a pork 207 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 1: fat weapon of mass destruction. Poor fella had to have 208 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 1: been suffering with all that on his stomach, I know. 209 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:15,239 Speaker 1: We were. Tim cleaned the floorboard up as best he could, 210 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: and we went hunting. The buddy of ours came out 211 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 1: a little later and hunted with us in her little 212 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:25,320 Speaker 1: makeshift blind and I told him when he got there, 213 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 1: you better watch that dog. And he said, why will 214 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:31,880 Speaker 1: he bite or is he gonna try to get my 215 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: cheese and crackers to him? And said, oh, he won't 216 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: bite you, and he probably he probably ain't real interested 217 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 1: in eating nothing right now. We put him down wind 218 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:46,680 Speaker 1: to the dog, and it didn't take long before Zach 219 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: started passing gas again, but this time with Tim and 220 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 1: I both upwind. It was funny, Oh man, the look 221 00:12:55,440 --> 00:13:01,559 Speaker 1: on his face. I'm sorry, Gerald, but that's just how 222 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 1: that happened. Billy Coleman starts out in the story where 223 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:15,280 Speaker 1: the Red Fern grows as an adult that rescues a hound, 224 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 1: and while nursing it back to health, he remembers and 225 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 1: tells the story of his journey with a pair of 226 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:25,080 Speaker 1: hounds when he was ten. The format in which it's 227 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:28,720 Speaker 1: told is somewhat reminiscent of this podcast. I pick a 228 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 1: subject and talk about it and tell stories relating to 229 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 1: it that I remember from my own experiences. It was 230 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 1: also quite possibly the best introduction to hunting and hounds 231 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 1: for folks who knew nothing about it. And as I've 232 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 1: said before, it also let the fuse of desire for 233 00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:47,640 Speaker 1: kids at that time to long for a puppy of 234 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:50,559 Speaker 1: their own and to chase and tree coons with them. 235 00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:54,320 Speaker 1: And I was one of them two generations later, and 236 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:58,080 Speaker 1: that story in book is still inspiring people now. I 237 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:00,320 Speaker 1: talk to folks all the time that reference it to me. 238 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,200 Speaker 1: Someone will ask a question about the book or a 239 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 1: dog that they've heard me mention on here, and it 240 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:09,280 Speaker 1: will get the storytelling and memory machine going. I was 241 00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:12,440 Speaker 1: thinking the other day about a recent trip with a 242 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 1: group of friends and old whaling. Whaling is my Tree 243 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: and Walker coon dog, and you've probably seen pictures of 244 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:21,560 Speaker 1: him on my Instagram, heard me talk about him on here. 245 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 1: But we were coon hunting last year and had three 246 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:27,479 Speaker 1: or four hounds out running in the White River bottoms. 247 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 1: It was coonhound pandemonium with dogs, Tree in here, and 248 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: they're at a pretty fast pace. Had we been walking, 249 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 1: and we'd have been in for quite a trick. The 250 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: coons had the running shoes on that night and were 251 00:14:39,280 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 1: making the dogs earn their keep. Seemed like we had 252 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 1: a dog running a good track in every direction, which 253 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:48,880 Speaker 1: isn't a bad thing at all since we were all, 254 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 1: you know, riding four wheelers and cyber sides. But these 255 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 1: dogs were leaving the country these coons. Summer treeing a 256 00:14:56,280 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 1: mile apart and picking our way to the trees through 257 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 1: the river bottoms can take time when you're avoiding slews 258 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: that are too deep to cross and a flat full 259 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 1: of cypress needs that will get you hung up. We've 260 00:15:09,040 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaker 1: been to several trees, and my garment trackers showed whaling 261 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 1: headed back into an area that we treated lots of 262 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 1: coons in. The display map on the garment shows you 263 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 1: the track the dog is making from the signal it 264 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:24,360 Speaker 1: receives from his tracking collar. You can tell by looking 265 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:27,080 Speaker 1: at the picture. It's literally painting pretty well. If a 266 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:30,160 Speaker 1: dog is running a coon, or chasing something off game 267 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: like a deer or a coyo deer, or just about 268 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 1: anything else. The dog is following the coon's feeding patterns, 269 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 1: and having been a student of coons and my own 270 00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: eating patterns for the last fifty seven years, I can 271 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 1: tell at a glance what's going on. Couple that with 272 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:49,800 Speaker 1: knowing how my dog runs a coon, and the sounds 273 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: he makes when he makes them tells the whole story. 274 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 1: The story Whaling was telling right then was that he 275 00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 1: was chasing a coon and was getting close to the 276 00:15:58,920 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 1: bandido that was made in the tracks. With no other 277 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 1: dogs closed that were running a track that hot, we 278 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,960 Speaker 1: headed toward the area where Whaling was making such a fuss. 279 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:12,680 Speaker 1: The group of us stopped our four wheelers and side 280 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 1: besides when my trackers said we were about two hundred 281 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 1: and fifty yards away from Whaling. According to it, Whaling 282 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 1: was moving in our direction, and according to his barks 283 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 1: that I could hear, he was getting close to the coon. 284 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:29,800 Speaker 1: He was barking more and more excitedly. The tempo was 285 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:32,359 Speaker 1: picking up, and you could hear the drive and determination 286 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 1: in his voice. Two hundred yards away now and he 287 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: has loud. He locates with a big long ball, and 288 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:43,640 Speaker 1: I say, tree Whaling, he's got him. Boys, let's go. 289 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:48,080 Speaker 1: We started all the ATVs and drove the short distance 290 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:50,120 Speaker 1: down a wood road that led to within a few 291 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 1: yards of where my trackers showed his location. Now, normally 292 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 1: you can hear him barking over the engine noise when 293 00:16:57,360 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 1: you get that close, but when we pulled up, it 294 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:03,320 Speaker 1: said like he was a quarter of a mile away. Well, 295 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:06,639 Speaker 1: that's weird. My tracker says, he's fifty yards off the road. 296 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:09,679 Speaker 1: We all pile out of our machines and walk to 297 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:13,479 Speaker 1: where my tracker says he's supposed to be. Now whaling 298 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 1: is barking is even more intense now, but he sounds 299 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:20,119 Speaker 1: like he's getting further and further away. It took us 300 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:22,920 Speaker 1: less than thirty seconds to travel the two hundred yards 301 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: from where he was so loud, and now he sounds 302 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 1: like he's traveled nearly half a mile away. Well, my 303 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:33,479 Speaker 1: tracker has an option for a compass display that shows 304 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 1: the face of a compass and an arrow that shows 305 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:41,040 Speaker 1: the direction and the distance from the handheld device to 306 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:45,399 Speaker 1: the collar that's being tracked. I followed it from the 307 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:47,359 Speaker 1: wood road we were parked on to where I was 308 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:51,359 Speaker 1: now standing, and the compass was spinning around on the 309 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 1: display indicated that I was standing on top of whaling, 310 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 1: but there was no whaling to be seen. People were talking, 311 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 1: looking around for him, trying to figure out why he 312 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:04,800 Speaker 1: sounded so far away. Now whaling had trailed this coon 313 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:09,080 Speaker 1: through the bottoms along a big water filled slow and 314 00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:11,439 Speaker 1: I was standing thirty five yards from the edge of 315 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 1: the slough. I asked everyone to be quiet and listen. 316 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:18,920 Speaker 1: According to my device, I should have been standing right 317 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:23,399 Speaker 1: on top of him. They got quiet, Whaling kept barking, 318 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: and I realized my tracker was right. I was standing 319 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:31,560 Speaker 1: on top of him. He was under the ground. I 320 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:33,720 Speaker 1: told everyone to start looking for a hole, but there 321 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:36,119 Speaker 1: was none to be seen. I was in a panic, 322 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:37,879 Speaker 1: trying to figure out how I was going to get 323 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 1: him out of there. Now, if you follow this podcast 324 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: on my Instagram, you know that that dog is a 325 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:47,639 Speaker 1: valued member of this family to my wife Alexis and 326 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:50,520 Speaker 1: my daughter Bailey. He may be more valued than the 327 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:54,159 Speaker 1: coon hunter. I've never taken that survey for fear of 328 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 1: getting my feelings hurt, So going home without him was 329 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:01,720 Speaker 1: a no go. It just wasn't going to happen. Now, 330 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:04,399 Speaker 1: he obviously chased that coon in there and had him bathe, 331 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 1: But how in the world did he get in there, 332 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:08,920 Speaker 1: and how the world was I going to get him out? 333 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:12,760 Speaker 1: I seen him baycons in beaver lodges and then holes 334 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: dug in the side of a creek and slow banks, 335 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:17,439 Speaker 1: but to have him thirty five yards away from the 336 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:20,440 Speaker 1: water's edge on a flat, barren ground was a new 337 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:24,239 Speaker 1: one on everyone there. I'm thinking, how long is it 338 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 1: going to take me to dig that dog out with 339 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:29,359 Speaker 1: his pocket knife? While someone goes up to the farm 340 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 1: shop several miles away and gets a shovel. I shine 341 00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:34,639 Speaker 1: my light back toward the edge of the slough and 342 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: I saw a ripple in the water. Now, unless there's 343 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,240 Speaker 1: an overflow with the river pushing out into the woods 344 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: over its banks, slows don't have current, so the water 345 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 1: should be still. With us being there, with no other 346 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 1: dogs and all the commotion going on, there shouldn't be 347 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 1: any animal activity in making the waves. I ran over 348 00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:57,399 Speaker 1: to the spot on the edge of the slough and 349 00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: I laid down looking over the bank. The water was 350 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:03,160 Speaker 1: less than a foot below the edge of the bank, 351 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:05,399 Speaker 1: and with my head light I could see a six 352 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:08,639 Speaker 1: inch gap between the top of the water and the 353 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:11,600 Speaker 1: top of a big hole that ran straight back up 354 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:16,639 Speaker 1: in there. About six feet. My heart sank. I couldn't 355 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:19,320 Speaker 1: hear Whaling any better here than I could when I 356 00:20:19,400 --> 00:20:21,439 Speaker 1: was standing right on top of him, way back up 357 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:24,119 Speaker 1: in the woods. It looked like it was just to 358 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:28,360 Speaker 1: wash out, But hoping against all hope, I started calling him. 359 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:31,399 Speaker 1: The barking stopped after a few minutes, and it was 360 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:37,680 Speaker 1: stone cold silence. Here, Whaling, here, come on son here. 361 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:44,240 Speaker 1: There wasn't a sound, There wasn't a ripple in the water. 362 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:48,080 Speaker 1: There was nothing but gloom hanging in the air, and 363 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:50,760 Speaker 1: I whispered the prayer, Lord, please let this dog come 364 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:53,800 Speaker 1: out of there. I looked around for the men of 365 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: the time while I laid there on the bank, for 366 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:58,639 Speaker 1: another entrance into what I thought was going to be 367 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 1: Whaling's grave. As I looked across the slough on the 368 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 1: other side, I saw another ripple push out across the 369 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 1: top of the water, and I followed it back across 370 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 1: several others and looked back into that hole up in 371 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:13,720 Speaker 1: that bank, just in time to see a set of 372 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:17,760 Speaker 1: coon dog eyes pop up from under the water. He 373 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:20,919 Speaker 1: was swimming to me with nothing but his eyes above 374 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:24,399 Speaker 1: the water, and a small gap between the water and 375 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:27,600 Speaker 1: the top of that tunnel, and when he poked his 376 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:29,639 Speaker 1: head out from underneath the edge of that bank, I 377 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:31,840 Speaker 1: grabbed his collar and pulled him up on the bank 378 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:36,000 Speaker 1: beside me. My friend David McDaniel's got a picture of it, 379 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:38,639 Speaker 1: and I'll share it so you can see it on 380 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:42,480 Speaker 1: my Instagram. Good night, nurse. I was glad to see 381 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:47,200 Speaker 1: that dog. I will never forget that feeling of see 382 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 1: in that set of green glowing eyes sticking up above 383 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 1: the water like a periscope on a submarine now wailing. 384 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 1: He was just as happy and proud to be there 385 00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 1: and treated it like it was just another tree coon, 386 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:01,959 Speaker 1: and to him, I suppose it was. I turned him 387 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:05,119 Speaker 1: loose from that spot after I bout petted all the 388 00:22:05,119 --> 00:22:08,399 Speaker 1: hair off of him, and we hunted on through the 389 00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:11,359 Speaker 1: night with my friends and all the other dogs. But 390 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:14,600 Speaker 1: my mind kept going back to that moment that I 391 00:22:14,640 --> 00:22:18,119 Speaker 1: thought all hope was lost and that he was lost. 392 00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:22,840 Speaker 1: I still think about it, and it's a good lesson 393 00:22:22,880 --> 00:22:26,000 Speaker 1: for me. I'm telling you this story now, and that 394 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:29,320 Speaker 1: old coon dog I thought I'd lost forever is laying 395 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:34,320 Speaker 1: at my feet, sound asleep. He's a living, breathing and 396 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 1: loving example that all is never lost. And with the 397 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,800 Speaker 1: little faith you can see the light in the darkest 398 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:49,840 Speaker 1: of tones. I thank you so much for listening, and 399 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:52,400 Speaker 1: I really appreciate the time you give me each week 400 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 1: to talk about this country life of mine. It's a 401 00:22:55,840 --> 00:22:58,159 Speaker 1: good one and I'm proud to share it with you. 402 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:01,960 Speaker 1: Until next week. This is Brent Reeves said, and af 403 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:04,000 Speaker 1: y'all be careful.