WEBVTT - Ep. 115: THIS COUNTRY LIFE - Squirrel Dogs

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to This Country Life. I'm your host, Brent Rieves

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<v Speaker 1>from coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living.

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<v Speaker 1>I want you to stay a while as I share

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<v Speaker 1>my stories and the country skills that will help you

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<v Speaker 1>beat the system. This Country Life is proudly presented as

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<v Speaker 1>part of Meat Eaters Podcast Network, bringing you the best

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<v Speaker 1>outdoor podcast.

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<v Speaker 2>The airways have to offer.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, friends, pull you up a chair or drop

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<v Speaker 1>that tailgate.

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<v Speaker 2>I think I got a thing or two, and teach.

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<v Speaker 1>You squirrel dogs. This week it's all about the squirrel haters.

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<v Speaker 1>You know what I'm talking about. Squirrel dogs. We're going

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<v Speaker 1>to talk about what a squirrel dog is and how

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<v Speaker 1>one is trained, and the value of having a good

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<v Speaker 1>one and a good one. It's just like money in

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<v Speaker 1>the bank. You never know how important they are until

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<v Speaker 1>they show you. And with that in mind, I'm going

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<v Speaker 1>to tell you a story. We had a little mountain

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<v Speaker 1>cur named Prissy that was mostly white with a light

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<v Speaker 1>brown colored hair on her ears and around her eyes.

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<v Speaker 1>She was a feisty little ball of energy and had

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<v Speaker 1>two speeds, stop and go. She was a young dog

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<v Speaker 1>and a little over a year old at the time

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<v Speaker 1>of this story. And I was young and too and

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<v Speaker 1>I couldn't have been more than ten or so. It

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<v Speaker 1>was laid on a fall afternoon when I talked to

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<v Speaker 1>my dad into saddling up Buck, his big buckskin horse

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<v Speaker 1>that was the spitting image of the one Marshall Dillon

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<v Speaker 1>road on gun Smoke, so I could go squirrel hunting

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<v Speaker 1>behind the house for hour or so before dark. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>small story. James aren't outsizs. Matt Dollon never heard of

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<v Speaker 1>gun Smoke. It's one of the longest running TV shows

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<v Speaker 1>ever and it was set in Dodge City, Kansas in

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<v Speaker 1>the eighteen seventies when dodging bullets, tumbleweeds, and stampede and

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<v Speaker 1>cattle was what them folks call Tuesday. That show ran

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<v Speaker 1>for twenty years, ending in nineteen seventy five, and followed

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<v Speaker 1>the adventures of us Marshall Matt Dillon, all around good

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<v Speaker 1>guy and shooter of outlaws. He was a bachelor and

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<v Speaker 1>showed favor to Miss Kitty Russell, the con hearted owner

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<v Speaker 1>of the Long Branch Saloon, bost of Sam the Bartender,

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<v Speaker 1>and all the saloon gals of sport morality that worked there.

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<v Speaker 1>The Long Branch was an actual saloon during that time,

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<v Speaker 1>and you can visit the real one now in Dodge City,

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<v Speaker 1>just like my dad and I did in July two

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<v Speaker 1>thousand and one. We were on a journey through Cowboy Country,

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<v Speaker 1>just seeing the sights, and found ourselves walking through those

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<v Speaker 1>swinging doors of the Long Branch at nine o'clock in

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<v Speaker 1>the morning. A lady in period clothes of the time

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<v Speaker 1>welcomed us in from the trail and showed us to

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<v Speaker 1>a green felt covered table. She asked us if she

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<v Speaker 1>could get us something to drink. My dad said he'd

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<v Speaker 1>have a cup of coffee, and I said, we'll just

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<v Speaker 1>make it too. As she turned to walk off, she said,

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<v Speaker 1>the Cowboys, we are a full service saloon. I said,

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<v Speaker 1>y'all serve beer. She said yes, and hard liquor. I said, well,

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<v Speaker 1>bring me a mug of beer. My dad had the

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<v Speaker 1>craziest look on his face and he said, son, it's

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<v Speaker 1>nine o'clock in the morning. I said, I know, but

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<v Speaker 1>how many folks from New Edinburgh, Arkansas do you think

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<v Speaker 1>ever had a beer in a Long Branch saloon? Without hesitation?

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<v Speaker 1>He looked back at her and said, bring me one too. Anyway,

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<v Speaker 1>me prissy and buck head off behind the house for

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<v Speaker 1>a quick hunt, and pressy tree too real quick, and

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<v Speaker 1>I killed both of them with my twenty two. She

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<v Speaker 1>then took off and treated a pretty good way's away,

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<v Speaker 1>and it took me a little bit to get to her.

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<v Speaker 1>When I did, I slid down off buck and walked

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<v Speaker 1>up to the tree in time to see that squirrel

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<v Speaker 1>start running through the treetops. With Prissy and Meat in

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<v Speaker 1>hot pursuit. It seemed like we went forever when that

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<v Speaker 1>squirrel finally made it to its den and disappeared. Now

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<v Speaker 1>I'd been running and chasing that squirrel, looking up the

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<v Speaker 1>whole time, circling trees and pulling vines. When that race

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<v Speaker 1>ended at the den tree, I couldn't tell how I

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<v Speaker 1>got there or which way it was back to where

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<v Speaker 1>I dropped the reins on my horse. It was cloudy,

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<v Speaker 1>starting to get dark, and I thought I was fixing

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<v Speaker 1>to have to spend the night in the woods. Prissy

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<v Speaker 1>was standing on a big old stump, looking right at

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<v Speaker 1>me with her tail waggon and panting with excitement and

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<v Speaker 1>waiting to see what was next. For all I knew

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<v Speaker 1>camping was next, at least since the dad came and

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<v Speaker 1>found me. But I didn't want to be rescued. I

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<v Speaker 1>always wanted to show him that I could make it

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<v Speaker 1>in the woods and do anything that he could do,

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<v Speaker 1>and all the things that he'd been teaching me my

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<v Speaker 1>whole life. I was going to be embarrassed if he

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<v Speaker 1>had to come find me. But I was starting to

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<v Speaker 1>get a little cold and a lot scared. I didn't

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<v Speaker 1>know what else to do, so I looked pretty dead

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<v Speaker 1>in the eyes and told her to go find Buck.

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<v Speaker 2>Now.

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<v Speaker 1>I said it twice, and on the second command, she

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<v Speaker 1>took off like she was late for work, in a

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<v Speaker 1>direction I was confident wasn't remotely close to the.

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<v Speaker 2>Direction of where Buck was.

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<v Speaker 1>I instantly regretted my decision of telling her to leave,

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<v Speaker 1>especially since she was going to be my only source

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<v Speaker 1>of heat for the night. And if I managed to

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<v Speaker 1>lose Buck and Prissy on the same day, if I

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<v Speaker 1>did make it out alive, my butt wasn't going.

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<v Speaker 2>To hold chucks.

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<v Speaker 1>After Dad got through with me, about one hundred yards away,

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<v Speaker 1>Prissy commenced a tread. It was really getting close to

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<v Speaker 1>dark now, so it's as fast and as safely as

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<v Speaker 1>I could go, Towing my rifle and fighting through the

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<v Speaker 1>bushes and briars. I headed in a bee line straight

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<v Speaker 1>to where she was barking. I busted out of that

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<v Speaker 1>little thicket ten yards away from her, and there she stood,

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<v Speaker 1>in the fading light on a big old log, right

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<v Speaker 1>beside buck, barking away to let me know where to go.

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<v Speaker 1>I loved her and petted her up, put my rifle

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<v Speaker 1>in the scabbard, climbed up on that monster of a

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<v Speaker 1>horse and gave him a little spur, and he turned

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<v Speaker 1>and walked straight back to the barn where Dad was

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<v Speaker 1>waiting on me. I'd asked her to tree squirrels, and

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<v Speaker 1>she did. I'd ask her to find my horse, and

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<v Speaker 1>she did. Not only did she find him, but she

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<v Speaker 1>also told me out loud where to come find him.

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<v Speaker 1>And her she did all that on her own. She

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<v Speaker 1>was the heck of a dog. And that's just how

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<v Speaker 1>that happened. Squirrel dogs, Where you gonna get one? Facebook,

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<v Speaker 1>Jenny Craigslist, No you can't. You can't find a dog there,

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<v Speaker 1>But I'm gonna tell you where and how to find one.

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<v Speaker 1>Find a place where coffee and biscuits are sold. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>I ain't talking about under the Golden arches. I'm talking

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<v Speaker 1>about that spot where the floor creaks when you walk

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<v Speaker 1>in and the waitress calls you sugar, and the old

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<v Speaker 1>men gather.

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<v Speaker 2>Talk to the waitress, ask.

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<v Speaker 1>Her who she hears that's a squirrel dog man. She's

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<v Speaker 1>bound to have heard the name or two from all

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<v Speaker 1>the tails she's overheard while topping off coffee cups where

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<v Speaker 1>the old folks hold cord every morning. If she gives

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<v Speaker 1>you a name, tip heavy and slip out the door

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<v Speaker 1>and drive to the next spot and do the same

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<v Speaker 1>thing again, and repeat it until you get the same

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<v Speaker 1>name twice. When you do, that's your man. That's the

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<v Speaker 1>cat that knows this business well enough that other folks

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<v Speaker 1>know it too. Now, seriously, if you personally don't know anybody,

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<v Speaker 1>just google it. I did, and I found a ton

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<v Speaker 1>of very useful information and names I recognized as being

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<v Speaker 1>longtime leaders in the squirrel dog business. Talk to the breeders,

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<v Speaker 1>talk to his clients. There's lots of stuff on the

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<v Speaker 1>innerwebs about squirrel but there's no substitute for putting your

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<v Speaker 1>eyeballs in person on the pup you're considering. If you're

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<v Speaker 1>gonna do it from scratch with no leads or suggestions

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<v Speaker 1>from friends or hunting buddies, take your time and do

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<v Speaker 1>your homework. If it works out like it or to,

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<v Speaker 1>you're adding a family memory that you get to choose,

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<v Speaker 1>unlike that crazy old Uncle Frank that you just got

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<v Speaker 1>by default. Before I found my coonhound Whaling, I looked

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<v Speaker 1>for six months and I talked to a whole bunch

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<v Speaker 1>of folks about dogs, pedigrees, and just about everything you

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<v Speaker 1>can imagine. I put in the time and the research,

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<v Speaker 1>and I got lucky. Lots of folks will go through

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<v Speaker 1>several dogs before they find one that suits them. I

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<v Speaker 1>was blessed with bringing home a coonhound that turned into

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<v Speaker 1>a coon dog. Now there's a big difference in coonhound

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<v Speaker 1>a coon dog, just like there is between a man

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<v Speaker 1>that fishes and a fisherman. Whaling was born a tree

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<v Speaker 1>and walker Coonhoun. His ability to learn and to sniff

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<v Speaker 1>out old tricky ricky raccoon consistently time and time again

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<v Speaker 1>is how he earned the title coon dog. The same

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<v Speaker 1>applies to any dog that has a specific purpose. Bird dogs,

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<v Speaker 1>squirrel dogs, hogdogs, cow dogs, on and on. So we

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<v Speaker 1>got an idea on how to look for a squirrel dog.

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<v Speaker 1>What kind are you looking for? Cur feist hound, terrier

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<v Speaker 1>the room you have to keep one will tell you that,

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<v Speaker 1>along with how much walking you want to do. But

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<v Speaker 1>you're looking for a dog that's got some smarts and

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<v Speaker 1>the drive to get out and find a squirrel. Bigger

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<v Speaker 1>dogs usually range farther than the little ones closer. I've

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<v Speaker 1>seen everything in the world tree a squirrel.

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<v Speaker 2>Here's an example.

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<v Speaker 1>Remember my old cow dog Luke that I accompanied on

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<v Speaker 1>that trip to the vet when my truck was shedding parts,

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<v Speaker 1>going and coming like a I talked about in episode four. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>he was supposed to have been a cow dog, but

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<v Speaker 1>he tree squirrels too, But it wasn't his main purpose.

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<v Speaker 2>And I'll tell you why in just a minute.

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<v Speaker 1>Luke could tree enough to keep you from starving slapt

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<v Speaker 1>to death if you could shoot worth anything. But he

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<v Speaker 1>wasn't a patch to the most famous bobtailed cur that

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<v Speaker 1>ever drew a breath, Peanut. Peanut was a mountain cur.

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<v Speaker 1>He had a yellow blanket back, four white socks, a

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<v Speaker 1>small peanut shaped patch of yellow on his head. But

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<v Speaker 1>he was also my daddy's favorite son. Just kidding, not really,

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<v Speaker 1>but let's get back on track. There's basically two kinds

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<v Speaker 1>of dogs that tree squirrels, the ones that do it

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<v Speaker 1>by sight and the ones that do it by smell.

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<v Speaker 1>Now bear with me and pay attention just about any

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<v Speaker 1>old fruit through ankle biting, yippity yapping dog will run

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<v Speaker 1>a squirrel up a tree when they see it. That

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<v Speaker 1>don't make him a squirrel dog. That's just a dog

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<v Speaker 1>hunting squirrels. Remember there's a difference. And that's what more

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<v Speaker 1>or less Lou was doing. They're just out there minding

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<v Speaker 1>their own business. When they catch some movement and squirrel,

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<v Speaker 1>they take off in pursuit and run nut joker up

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<v Speaker 1>a tree. Sometimes they bark, most times they don't. They're

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<v Speaker 1>just out there jumping up and down and looking back

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<v Speaker 1>at you for help or praise for them for saving

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<v Speaker 1>your life by running that rabid creature up a tree.

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<v Speaker 1>Those dogs are just using their eyes. What you want

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<v Speaker 1>is one that'll do both tracking dogs or scind dogs

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<v Speaker 1>will use sight to a certain degree, but they're mostly

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<v Speaker 1>using their nose to find where squirrel's been on the ground.

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<v Speaker 1>That was peanut in a nutshell? See what I did there.

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<v Speaker 1>When those dogs are hunting, they look like a MetalMan

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<v Speaker 1>in a shooting gallery, just running back and forth in

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<v Speaker 1>every witch away, But there's a method to their madness.

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<v Speaker 1>When they smell one, they'll follow that scind it left

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<v Speaker 1>and determine which tree it's gone up and start treeing.

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<v Speaker 2>Tree.

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<v Speaker 1>It means the dog is usually reared up with his

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<v Speaker 1>front paws on the tree and barking to let you

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<v Speaker 1>know where he is and that he's found a squirrel.

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<v Speaker 1>It's important that he barks in a good loud bark

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<v Speaker 1>that you can hear. Sometimes the barking will cause the

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<v Speaker 1>squirrel to take off through the treetops to escape, and

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<v Speaker 1>that's when a good dog will use his sight to

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<v Speaker 1>follow them from tree to tree as the squirrel tries

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<v Speaker 1>to get to the safety of his nest or his den,

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<v Speaker 1>just like Chrissy did. I grew up hunting squirrels from horses,

0:12:24.559 --> 0:12:26.959
<v Speaker 1>and I'd try to be the first one to the tree,

0:12:27.200 --> 0:12:30.040
<v Speaker 1>jump off my horse and stand opposite of the direction

0:12:30.200 --> 0:12:32.640
<v Speaker 1>my dad would be riding up on and getting ready.

0:12:33.200 --> 0:12:36.160
<v Speaker 1>More times than not, when he got there, the squirrel

0:12:36.200 --> 0:12:38.640
<v Speaker 1>would jump back around on my side of the tree

0:12:38.640 --> 0:12:41.120
<v Speaker 1>and I'd shoot him out now here, I am talking

0:12:41.160 --> 0:12:43.640
<v Speaker 1>about shooting squirrels, and we ain't got our dog trains yet,

0:12:44.480 --> 0:12:47.959
<v Speaker 1>So how do we train one well, the easiest way

0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:50.199
<v Speaker 1>is to start out with a dog that it's bred

0:12:50.240 --> 0:12:52.600
<v Speaker 1>to do that sort of thing, and the most popular

0:12:52.640 --> 0:12:56.120
<v Speaker 1>breeds where I'm from are curved and fists or a

0:12:56.160 --> 0:12:59.800
<v Speaker 1>mixture of both. Now you like a hunter's please save

0:12:59.840 --> 0:13:03.199
<v Speaker 1>you hate mail. You've got a proven squirrel dog, even

0:13:03.240 --> 0:13:04.800
<v Speaker 1>though it looks like it ought to be pulling a

0:13:05.320 --> 0:13:08.000
<v Speaker 1>slid in Alaska rather than tree and squirrels in the

0:13:08.080 --> 0:13:12.200
<v Speaker 1>river bottoms, which reminds me of a story. So thanks

0:13:12.320 --> 0:13:19.360
<v Speaker 1>Jack London looking squirrel dog for reminding me. I was

0:13:19.360 --> 0:13:22.600
<v Speaker 1>in Alaska filming a hunt one time, and the folks

0:13:22.640 --> 0:13:24.800
<v Speaker 1>we were staying with at our flying camp had a

0:13:24.800 --> 0:13:27.719
<v Speaker 1>big old Golden Retriever that were always.

0:13:27.400 --> 0:13:29.000
<v Speaker 2>Running around outside barking.

0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:31.440
<v Speaker 1>It was my first time up there, and I was

0:13:31.520 --> 0:13:34.200
<v Speaker 1>expecting to get monkey stumped by a moose or et

0:13:34.320 --> 0:13:37.600
<v Speaker 1>by a bear at every turn. That dog wasn't helping

0:13:37.600 --> 0:13:41.280
<v Speaker 1>me relax by barking constantly. I asked the pilot what

0:13:41.440 --> 0:13:43.920
<v Speaker 1>that dog was barking at, and he said, he's outside

0:13:43.920 --> 0:13:45.200
<v Speaker 1>tree and squirrels.

0:13:45.640 --> 0:13:46.600
<v Speaker 2>The devil, you say.

0:13:47.800 --> 0:13:50.840
<v Speaker 1>My fears of winding up in wolfscat were immediately gone.

0:13:51.320 --> 0:13:53.839
<v Speaker 1>I borrowed as twenty two, went outside and commenced to

0:13:53.920 --> 0:13:57.320
<v Speaker 1>working on them squirrels. I proudly hold the record in

0:13:57.360 --> 0:14:00.600
<v Speaker 1>the Riz family of being the only want to shoot

0:14:00.600 --> 0:14:05.000
<v Speaker 1>a treed squirrel north of the forty ninth parallel. Put

0:14:05.000 --> 0:14:07.760
<v Speaker 1>that in your pipe and smoke at reeves. Is back

0:14:07.840 --> 0:14:13.160
<v Speaker 1>to training. I promise a puppy from a proven family

0:14:13.200 --> 0:14:16.560
<v Speaker 1>of squirrel dogs is a good head start. They're usually

0:14:16.600 --> 0:14:19.160
<v Speaker 1>not cheap, and that can be downright expensive for one

0:14:19.240 --> 0:14:23.160
<v Speaker 1>that's one hundred percent finished and fully trained. But we're

0:14:23.200 --> 0:14:26.360
<v Speaker 1>talking about a young dog and the first thing you

0:14:26.400 --> 0:14:29.320
<v Speaker 1>want to do is to have him mind in you.

0:14:29.320 --> 0:14:31.320
<v Speaker 1>You don't want to cut him loose without the ability

0:14:31.360 --> 0:14:32.080
<v Speaker 1>to call him back.

0:14:32.160 --> 0:14:33.200
<v Speaker 2>That is no boino.

0:14:34.200 --> 0:14:37.080
<v Speaker 1>You also don't want one that's gun shy if you

0:14:37.120 --> 0:14:40.120
<v Speaker 1>can't keep him around when when the shooting starts, that

0:14:40.240 --> 0:14:43.160
<v Speaker 1>one squirrel or trip ain't gonna be enough to feed nobody.

0:14:43.200 --> 0:14:46.640
<v Speaker 1>And let's face it, hunting squirrels is fun, but eating

0:14:46.680 --> 0:14:51.119
<v Speaker 1>squirrels is funner. There's a million YouTube lessons and countless

0:14:51.200 --> 0:14:53.440
<v Speaker 1>articles on how to keep your dog from being gun shy.

0:14:54.320 --> 0:14:58.080
<v Speaker 1>Most of them teach introducing ever increasing noises over a

0:14:58.120 --> 0:15:00.560
<v Speaker 1>period of time. While that pupp is eating and his

0:15:00.640 --> 0:15:03.200
<v Speaker 1>attention is focused away on a good thing like food,

0:15:03.680 --> 0:15:05.920
<v Speaker 1>which is a good way to train me. As a

0:15:05.920 --> 0:15:09.480
<v Speaker 1>matter of fact, our very own Tony Peterson wrote an

0:15:09.480 --> 0:15:13.720
<v Speaker 1>excellent article called how to Introduce your Puppet the Gunfire

0:15:14.080 --> 0:15:16.680
<v Speaker 1>back in twenty nineteen. You can find it on the

0:15:16.720 --> 0:15:20.040
<v Speaker 1>media the website. While doing a little research on material

0:15:20.080 --> 0:15:23.320
<v Speaker 1>to tell you all about, I found that article almost

0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:26.200
<v Speaker 1>a step by step method of what my dad taught

0:15:26.240 --> 0:15:28.800
<v Speaker 1>me to do with our dogs. Tony, you on me

0:15:28.880 --> 0:15:32.520
<v Speaker 1>twenty bucks. Now we've got our pupp he ain't gun shy. Now,

0:15:32.600 --> 0:15:36.840
<v Speaker 1>so let's hit the woods. Squirrels like acorns, fruit and

0:15:36.840 --> 0:15:39.800
<v Speaker 1>the berries that grow in the hardwood timber, and that's

0:15:39.840 --> 0:15:42.480
<v Speaker 1>where we need to be. Now, hold on a minute.

0:15:42.520 --> 0:15:46.040
<v Speaker 1>Squirrel food that reminds me of a story. I promised

0:15:46.080 --> 0:15:48.240
<v Speaker 1>we're going to talk about training, but you got to

0:15:48.280 --> 0:15:51.520
<v Speaker 1>hear this story. I saw a squirrel eat a fried

0:15:51.600 --> 0:15:54.560
<v Speaker 1>squirrel one time when I was a uniform officer at

0:15:54.600 --> 0:15:57.040
<v Speaker 1>the state Capitol and the little rock I had taken

0:15:57.120 --> 0:15:59.120
<v Speaker 1>my grub to work that was left over from the

0:15:59.160 --> 0:16:02.440
<v Speaker 1>supper of the night before. I was on patrol and

0:16:02.520 --> 0:16:05.040
<v Speaker 1>parked out of the way parking lot behind the state

0:16:05.080 --> 0:16:08.280
<v Speaker 1>Capital to eat my dinner. Those city squirrels up there

0:16:08.320 --> 0:16:11.840
<v Speaker 1>are bold. They ain't scared of nothing. I was sitting there,

0:16:11.880 --> 0:16:14.200
<v Speaker 1>chowing down on the hind leg of a gray squirrel

0:16:14.440 --> 0:16:16.800
<v Speaker 1>and watching alive one a few feet away from my

0:16:16.880 --> 0:16:20.080
<v Speaker 1>patrol car gnawing on a hick or not. We were

0:16:20.120 --> 0:16:23.000
<v Speaker 1>taking turns giving one another stinky. And when I finished

0:16:23.000 --> 0:16:25.800
<v Speaker 1>that leg, I chunked it at that up of the squirrel,

0:16:25.880 --> 0:16:28.120
<v Speaker 1>just to let him know I come from a distinguished

0:16:28.120 --> 0:16:31.840
<v Speaker 1>family of squirrel killers. That dude dodged it like a ninja.

0:16:32.200 --> 0:16:34.160
<v Speaker 1>Then he picked it up and started chewing on it.

0:16:34.640 --> 0:16:36.720
<v Speaker 1>The last time I saw him, he was running across

0:16:36.760 --> 0:16:39.040
<v Speaker 1>that parking lot towing that leg in his mouth like

0:16:39.080 --> 0:16:43.200
<v Speaker 1>a black lab with green head. Squirrels are savages, No

0:16:43.320 --> 0:16:47.840
<v Speaker 1>wonder dogs hate them anyway. Keep turning that dog loose

0:16:47.880 --> 0:16:51.040
<v Speaker 1>where the squirrels live, and eventually, if he's got the

0:16:51.160 --> 0:16:55.040
<v Speaker 1>drive and the natural ability, they're going across paths and

0:16:55.120 --> 0:16:58.040
<v Speaker 1>he'll start seeing the light of his purpose and the

0:16:58.160 --> 0:16:59.320
<v Speaker 1>reason you brought.

0:16:59.120 --> 0:17:00.800
<v Speaker 2>Him and cut him loop to begin with.

0:17:01.840 --> 0:17:04.480
<v Speaker 1>Hunting your pup with a proven tree dog will help

0:17:04.560 --> 0:17:08.600
<v Speaker 1>even more. It speeds up the process. When they can

0:17:08.680 --> 0:17:12.320
<v Speaker 1>see a dog operate and learn from the example that

0:17:12.359 --> 0:17:17.400
<v Speaker 1>a tree dog is given, it is absolutely invaluable. Now,

0:17:17.440 --> 0:17:21.520
<v Speaker 1>dogs ain't that smart? You say, they can't reason? You

0:17:21.640 --> 0:17:24.720
<v Speaker 1>better sit down for this one Pardoner, My brother Tim

0:17:24.760 --> 0:17:27.320
<v Speaker 1>and I were home from duck camp and squirrel hunting

0:17:27.359 --> 0:17:28.200
<v Speaker 1>behind his house.

0:17:28.240 --> 0:17:28.800
<v Speaker 2>One morning.

0:17:29.840 --> 0:17:32.600
<v Speaker 1>We were walking through the bottoms with his squirrel dog, Susy.

0:17:33.119 --> 0:17:35.480
<v Speaker 1>His old lab Zach was in told just for the

0:17:35.520 --> 0:17:37.719
<v Speaker 1>fun of it, and we killed a few squirrels. By

0:17:37.760 --> 0:17:40.520
<v Speaker 1>the time we got down to the bow, Susy had

0:17:40.520 --> 0:17:43.120
<v Speaker 1>made a big circle and was walking up with us

0:17:43.200 --> 0:17:46.160
<v Speaker 1>and Zack to a high bank looking down on the water.

0:17:47.160 --> 0:17:49.040
<v Speaker 1>A pair of wood ducks blew out of there, and

0:17:49.119 --> 0:17:52.520
<v Speaker 1>instinctively we both threw up our shotguns and fired at

0:17:52.520 --> 0:17:55.159
<v Speaker 1>the same kind, killing both of them. It was the

0:17:55.280 --> 0:17:59.200
<v Speaker 1>thing of beauty, a squirrel hunting miracle. We were high

0:17:59.280 --> 0:18:01.600
<v Speaker 1>five and last, and when Tim sent Zack out to

0:18:01.680 --> 0:18:05.040
<v Speaker 1>retrieve the ducks, Susy stood right there where she had

0:18:05.040 --> 0:18:08.200
<v Speaker 1>been all along, watching for the first time as Zach

0:18:08.359 --> 0:18:12.119
<v Speaker 1>demonstrated his purpose in life. He was crawling up the

0:18:12.160 --> 0:18:15.720
<v Speaker 1>bank with that first duck. When kuld chug she hit

0:18:15.760 --> 0:18:18.919
<v Speaker 1>the water swam out and retrieved the other one, just

0:18:19.080 --> 0:18:22.240
<v Speaker 1>like she saw him do. Not only that, when she

0:18:22.320 --> 0:18:25.199
<v Speaker 1>dropped that duck at Tim's feet, she wraared up on

0:18:25.240 --> 0:18:27.800
<v Speaker 1>a big cypress we were standing beside and treated a

0:18:27.840 --> 0:18:30.639
<v Speaker 1>squirrel and we got him too. And she did that

0:18:30.800 --> 0:18:34.200
<v Speaker 1>solely on her own, by watching what Zack had done

0:18:34.280 --> 0:18:37.000
<v Speaker 1>and reasoning that she could do it too, and she did.

0:18:37.560 --> 0:18:40.560
<v Speaker 1>Everyone knows about Pavlov and his slobbering dogs, but it

0:18:40.680 --> 0:18:50.120
<v Speaker 1>was Susie ringing mine and Tim's bell that day. Now,

0:18:50.160 --> 0:18:53.520
<v Speaker 1>taking care of a dog is a big responsibility. I

0:18:53.600 --> 0:18:56.639
<v Speaker 1>was taught by my dad and I've continued that lesson

0:18:56.720 --> 0:18:59.639
<v Speaker 1>with my kids. And if my dad was gonna feed

0:18:59.680 --> 0:19:02.720
<v Speaker 1>one a dog of any kind, they were going to

0:19:02.760 --> 0:19:04.639
<v Speaker 1>earn their victas in the woods.

0:19:05.040 --> 0:19:06.000
<v Speaker 2>I'm the same way.

0:19:07.119 --> 0:19:12.240
<v Speaker 1>My wife and youngest daughter not so much exhibit a.

0:19:12.320 --> 0:19:15.520
<v Speaker 1>Rosie the jack Russell terrorist, as I referred to her.

0:19:15.760 --> 0:19:18.600
<v Speaker 1>That's currently staring at me while I'm talking to y'all.

0:19:19.600 --> 0:19:23.560
<v Speaker 1>That's all she does is follow me around, hate whaling

0:19:23.920 --> 0:19:27.159
<v Speaker 1>and stare at me. She's been staring at me for

0:19:27.200 --> 0:19:30.480
<v Speaker 1>twelve years. She reminds me better than any of my

0:19:30.560 --> 0:19:33.120
<v Speaker 1>youngest and I hope that nerve wracking heifer stares at

0:19:33.119 --> 0:19:36.600
<v Speaker 1>me for another twelve kind of got used to her. Now.

0:19:36.640 --> 0:19:39.760
<v Speaker 1>That's a pretty condensed version of squirrel dogs, according to Brent,

0:19:39.840 --> 0:19:42.679
<v Speaker 1>and I didn't even cover the duel purpose and the

0:19:42.720 --> 0:19:46.880
<v Speaker 1>importance they play in the family. Peanut and Susie, they

0:19:46.880 --> 0:19:50.760
<v Speaker 1>weren't just dogs, they were family. Peanut lived for about

0:19:50.760 --> 0:19:54.240
<v Speaker 1>twelve years, and when he died, we didn't have enough

0:19:54.240 --> 0:19:56.520
<v Speaker 1>shovels to dig a hole big enough for all the

0:19:56.560 --> 0:19:59.440
<v Speaker 1>folks that wanted to go with him. The good ones

0:19:59.480 --> 0:20:02.639
<v Speaker 1>are special and their memories will make you happy.

0:20:02.680 --> 0:20:03.000
<v Speaker 2>Friend.

0:20:04.359 --> 0:20:07.720
<v Speaker 1>I appreciate y'all listening so much. I hope you'll come

0:20:07.760 --> 0:20:10.760
<v Speaker 1>back next week. If you enjoyed it, share it with

0:20:10.800 --> 0:20:14.080
<v Speaker 1>a friend. If you didn't share it with an enemy,

0:20:14.560 --> 0:20:17.040
<v Speaker 1>that'll show them this is Brent Reeves.

0:20:17.119 --> 0:20:19.480
<v Speaker 2>Sign it off. Y'all be careful.