Dale called & told me he had a hunt lined up at Gordy's. Picked him up around 7:30 & headed north. Wade was already there when we showed up. We had a one hour hunt for $5; Dale didn't have a dog so he was the judge...
We went to the approach on the south side of the curve for the first drop. Mabel struck, then Roy and a little while later Queen. They were in the swamp before too long, working in the same general areas but not really working together. I figured we would spend the entire hunt on this track. We were telling stories while they all trailed around, they sounded pretty nice tonight. I stopped listening to stories for a second 'cause it sounded like tree barking out there. Just then Wade treed Queen. I heard Mabel in there so I treed her too. Roy had been working off to the left of them but he didn't waste too much time checking them out & he treed with them right away. We walked out there & they had the coon. It only took twenty minutes for this one, it was one of the nicer tracks and trees I've had in quite a while.
We drove around for a while & finally dropped at the pothole behind Gordy's house. Roy struck pretty quick on the pothole, Mable struck a little later in the woods and then Queen kind of between them. None of them sounded like they had much to work with. Roy started treeing after a few minutes but Gordy didn't tree him. We started talking about the "dog treeing but not declared" rule. We all know there is an interpretation by UKC but we're still a little foggy about how to apply it. Gordy ended up treeing Roy, Queen came in and checked but didn't join him then Roy got quiet. Mabel was the only one barking now, just one bawl every two or three minutes. After a little while we heard Roy treeing, way out by the woods at the tree. Mable was just fumbling around the pothole, covering a lot of the general area but never putting anything together. Queen was out there with Roy treeing now, Gordy treed and then Wade.
On the way into the tree, Queen left, swung out into the corn and went back to treeing. Not much of an infraction but, we were standing in just the right place when it happened & she got "busted". It was a big tree in what looked like pasture.
We had a pretty good look at the whole tree & couldn't see a coon. We circled the tree even though I don't think there was a coon there. But... just the other night Mabel had treed out in a swamp on a much smaller tree than this. That coon never looked & I didn't think there was a coon there either. Just happened to catch sight of the body there. So with that fresh in my mind I didn't mind circling this tree, it was a pretty big tree.
We headed back to Mable; she was still just grubbing out a poor old track, bawling once every few minutes. I got lucky and she tried to cross the road right by me. We had all the dogs now and called it a night.
Mabel ended up with the cast win because Queen left that tree and swung out into the corn for a few seconds.
That first track was really nice but I would say the rest of the night was "sub par". I attribute this to the fact that it's been so dry in addition to the time of year. I figure in a few weeks we'll start popping up coons with style all over the place.
I'm a lucky guy to have friends that like to do the same things I do. Even though I was a little tired and the dog work wasn't real flashy, it's always a good time up at Gordy's. You just can't beat getting out for a few drops on a Saturday night.
The river is getting a little tough for finding coons. I've been planning on hunting up north instead for a while. Paul came hunting though & he live's south. I assumed he would want a short drive home so I went to the river. Turns out he's up for the weekend so we could have hunted up north with no problem. Never assume...
Anyway we walked one strip of ripe corn, no strikes. We drove a little and then walked the road by some trees where I suspected coons were still living. Nitro struck and Josie joined in. They fumbled around in the thick brush at first, Josie slick treeing. Nitro finally started to move it down the river and Josie followed. It was too late, the coon had too much of a head start by then. We let the dogs try to work it out for a while & then finally caught them.
Called it a night, no reason to push puppies around down there when the coon have been thinned out like this. You'll have them running junk before you know it if you do.
Back to the northern spots for a while now.
Decided to head north with Mabel tonight. Sent her in above the old school house. She struck by the first pothole.. 2-/1/4 hours later I made it back to the truck....
She grubbed around that pot hole for 1/2 half an hour and then headed north. I walked the edge of the woods keeping up with her. She was moving slowly, this was a bad track. I might have been able to catch her a few times but let her work. Finally I though I better get ahead of her, I took an edge and got north of her. She had headed west though & was still quite a ways. I took an edge in her direction and she treed while I was walking. She was on a dying tree on the edge of a dried up pothole. I was really surprised when I saw a coon up there. I think she had been trailing this same coon the whole time.
I could hear Pearl barking in her pen south of me. I had no idea that I was that far north! Probably 1-1/2 miles from the truck.
It struck me on the way home that I've never seen any of this country during the day. I've been hunting it nightly for 20 years & I only know what it looks like in the dark.
Dale came by & we went to the river. It is DRY down there. We dropped Josie 4 times before she got a good strike. She was locating in the woods by the west end & I could tell she was struggling. I walked into the general area and spotted the coon a few yards away from where she was working. I was tired so I just called her into the right tree.
I felt like putting a little more power into the woods tonight. I waited 'til late & took Mabel down to the river. I turned her loose into the north entrance strip about 11:30. Nice & cool but noisy tonight. You'd have to be there to really appreciate the accoustics but something about the river valley can "collect" noise and turn it into a kind of sonic mud. When there is a lot of highway traffic it can get very hard to hear dogs down there. Throw in the train or a few airplanes & you can't hear anything. A dog could be treed 100 yards away & you wouldn't know....
Mabel must have run the corn out to the end and then run the creek back in my direction. She struck a few hundred yards from me & was heading in my direction.
I didn't really want her going this way; it's too easy to end up on the highway. She trailed all around for about 45 minutes but finally I was able to head her off by the melon field next to the gate.
I drove around and turned her loose again in the last strip of corn by THE big tree. She struck hot about halfway to the big curve but got quiet after a few minutes. She was still opening a little but not sure if it was the same track. I halfway expected to smell skunk when I drove up that way, but no she was just trying to work a track. I'm still not sure if it was all one track or not. Anyway, she treed after a while. From where I was standing, it sounded a lot like she was across the river. Sound travels in mysterious ways on the river though. I didn't panic yet, I just drove along the river. I finally found that she was treed on my side of the river, near where the club creek feeds into the river. I parked on the curve and headed to her across what used to be a corn field. It hasn't been plowed or planted for over 10 years now. I think the government has taken it over & it never will be plated again. Anyway, it's getting pretty wild and hard to cross. Finally got to Mabel & she had a nice big coon up her tree.
...........Poor old Mabel..........
On the way back to the truck, she was TIRED! She was holding back and at one point she just stopped walking and lay down. She can hardly walk this morning & it'll be tomorrow night before she's ready to hunt again. She had put on some miles and had treed for quite a while tonight.
..........Mabel hasn't been out for over a month because I've been training Josie. She's out of shape AND she's 9-1/2. This fall I'll have to use my head with Mabel. Probably give her a few nights with just 1 drop until she gets back in shape. Even when she's toned up again I'll probably have to limit her to 2 drops a night from now on. She's just too old to hunt hard. If I take care of her, choose my spots and limit her hunting times, I should be able to enjoy her company in the woods for another year or 2. I really love this dog, so I want to have fun with her for as long as possible. Sure wish she would just start acting like an old dog and take it a little easy. It's not in her though; she only knows how to go full speed when I turn her loose though.
..........Ready or not, Josie will have to step up and be my main dog this fall.
She should be more than ready for the next step in her career.
I've certainly put the time into her, from April 'til now; I've had her in on over 50 coons already. I don't know if I'll ever totally warm up to her style, and no doubt, I'll start another pup one day soon, but for now, I'm committed to Josie, aka Mabel Jr.
Sun is setting a lot earlier, fall is approaching. Took Josie to the river and put her on a "hot" one. She ran it well and treed HARD. It was early so I sent her along the north entrance strip. She struck right away but struggled with the track....
She took it out in the swamp & fumbled around for about an hour. I didn't have any faith in her being able to tree this one so I just drove around for a while to pass the time. Ran into the farmer from Brazil & talked for a few minutes. When I went back to the drop spot Josie was there. Kind of nice to have a dog that comes back for a change.
I don't hold it against her for not treeing on this drop. Many more experienced dogs have failed in that swamp. She'll be a better dog for having tried.
Brutal heat for several days and nights. Took Josie to the river anyway and put her on a "hot" one. She treed hard but I didn't see the coon. Still 85 degrees and high winds! Instead of making her look some more I just loaded her up and went home.
It was just one of those nights when I didn't really feel like going out. I waited for it to cool down, but the temp just stayed around 72. I finally went down to the river about 11. I drove to the west end & there were a couple of deer standing right where I wanted to drop. I didn't feel like testing Josie tonight so I moved..
I took her to the next field east and let her go. I was surprised that she took off so fast and then struck a couple hundred yards east of me. It sounded hot & I was worried that it might be a deer. I don't know why, Josie has been pretty good. Anyway, she started to fumble with the track soon. Let me explain.
There was one strip of corn by the swamp, then a picked section, one more strip of corn, another picked section, the road and then the strip of trees next to the river. It hasn't rained for a long time & it's like a desert down there now. There is dew in the standing corn then bone dry on the picked sections.
She struck hot in the corn by the swamp. It must have run to the trees across the road. Josie had a hard time trailing across the picked section. In the next strip of corn she trailed hot again. At the next picked section she stalled once again. I let her try to work her way to the trees for a while, but she kept coming back to the corn. That dew just smelled too good I suspose. I finally just caught her. I've seen this happen to countless other dogs on the river. It used to bother me, now I know better. In fact, I liked to see her struggle with this track. I can see she is starting to learn about tough tracking. Maybe next year she'll finish these.
I took Josie down to THE big tree. There is some corn there that is not quite ready. She ran up about half way & then came back. I just loaded her up and moved.
Went to the middle field at the club side. Josie struck and grubbed around in the trees for a few minutes and then headed east along the river. I don't think she was barking at coon there. She did this a couple of weeks ago & I saw something low to the ground later. Belle treed a woodchuck at night right there a couple of years ago. Maybe Josie nwo too?
She struck again about halfway down the field. When I got to her she was just running back and forth on the edge of the woods. I just caught her and went home.
So, it's hot, dry and most of the good spots to hunt corn aren't quite ready yet. I may take a break for a few days.
I'm back after taking a few nights off.
I drove down to the west end & sent Josie along the creek side of the last corn.
She didn't hesitate at all & was in the corn right away.
I started after her and noticed a nice breeze in my face.
It's really dry down there, but I thought that breeze would help Josie find a track.....
Sure enough I heard her open in the woods.
I expected her to tree right away, but she trailed a little while first.
She finally located on a big tree, it was almost to the west end of that woods.
I didn't bother to check, but I suspect that it was pretty close to the parking lot down there.
I was able to find her coon after a few minutes.
She looked pretty good tonight.
They are still irrigating some fields down there.
I'll try to clean them out the next few nights.
Went to Gordy's. We hunted for a couple of hours with no luck. Josie had to go through some cattle. SHe didn't like it but went anyway. Roy treed a family across the road finally.
Ran into the farmer from South America. He was setting up irrigation tonight. Man is it ever dry. Drove to the west end gate and let Josie go. Looked up and there was a coon already sitting in the tree next to the truck. She had a hard time finding the tree. Never opened on the ground, just located and started treeing. I walked her through the corn but didn't pick up any more tracks even though I saw a lot of evidence of coons having been there. Called it an early night.
Carl and Paul came up tonight. The corn has been going fast & I was not quite sure how to approach it tonight. We sent Josie, Buddy and Nitro east along the last strip leading away from THE big tree. All three of them pups. About 1/3 of the way down they struck. It wasn't too hot of a track but they headed north into a little swampy area. I've never had much good luck when dogs head out there. Only once did I tree there, late in the year when that was the only corn left. Lucky for us we were able to catch them and move..
Went to the middle club field and all three struck right away. They headed east into the jungle. Buddy located once but went on. Josie seemed to be making good progress and Buddy joined with her. Nitro seemed more interested in working an area behind them. I thought I heard Josie locate & I started into the woods, but now Buddy was trailing back the way he came. Josie was quiet & I'm sure she went with him. A lot of bawling around and then Nitro and Buddy treed. Josie finally joined them. I think the tree was probably slick. Nice to see Josie come in and tree with them at least. She needs all the socialization she can get.
Went back to the big bend and let them go. Nitro headed right into the brush and struck while the other two stood on the road and looked stupid. We found an opening and walked the other two in & they finally got to trailing a little. Saw a deer run out of the woods and into the bean field. Buddy and Josie came out of the woods at the same spot, not trailing though. Carl walked them into the beans along the path the deer took. I didn't bother to wait and see if they would open, I just let Josie have three or four good shocks. She ran back to the truck and jumped in the box. Not sure I did the right thing there, not sure what I'd do different either, seems like a lose-lose situation. Nitro treed and Buddy joined him. Looked like a slick tree.
Not too good, but this IS the river. Have to remember all of the good dogs I've known that have done just the same under these conditions, or worse.. much worse.
Paul headed home & Carl was catching a ride with me back to his truck. Before heading out for the night, I wanted to just survey the rest of the river area. We drove down to the east end & it looked like there was a little corn left. Checked a little closer and it actually started to look like it would be a hot spot. I still felt a little bad about shocking Josie, this looked like a good way to end the night on a positive note. We got the dogs out but Carl didn't have Paul's tracker on Buddy anymore. We just sent Josie out to be on the safe side. She hunted out pretty good for a dog that had recently been fried, and she struck. We waited to see how the track was going and then sent Buddy in. They brought it out to the edge of the woods, Josie stalled there, Buddy was still going but struggling. I saw some coons sitting up. I didn't want to risk losing a dog without a collar on down there, so I called Josie in to me and walked her into the tree. Buddy turned out to be very close & may have found this on his own anyway. Let them tree for a few minutes, glad to see Josie showing no ill signs or hesitations.
Not a pretty night but, "All's well that ends well".
Wade came down with Queen tonight. We sent her and Josie west along the far edge of the middle club field. They didn't get too far before striking. The dogs dropped down onto the river bank and trailed back east. It's rough in that direction and I didn't really want them to go that way. When the opportunity arose, we caught the dogs and moved...
We drove to THE big tree and sent the dogs west. Josie struck in the corn and was running a track pretty well. Queen was a little slow to join in and maybe she never really did. Queen was running a track about where Josie struck, while Josie had moved out of the corn and was in the woods by the big bend. Eventually the two dogs ended up together on the river, by then the coon had put too many moves on them. The dogs fumbled around for a while, Josie quit and then a little later so did Queen.
Wade was a little sad that Queen would quit a track and come back. I had to remind him that this is the river and even the best dogs can't finish some of the tracks down here. It doesn't bother me at all anymore when a dog quits a track down here. In the early days, I got rid of some pretty nice dogs because of the poor performances I witnessed on the river. Now I know better.
We went back to the middle club field butr this time let loose from the other end. Josie struck and headed east, Queen checked her and didn't bark. Josie shut up and we kept walking the dogs east. Within 50 yards, both of them began trailing east again. Queen got hung up in the thick brush & we called her to get her past this. This is the same spot where Josie hung up two other nights this wee. The dogs were going pretty good now & I headed back for the truck while Wade continued after them.
As I walked by the spot where Josie first opened, I saw some eyes low to the ground. From the color, didn't seem like a coon, maybe a possum, skunk or even a woodchuck? Maybe this is what she opened on & why Queen didn't bark? Not sure she did anything wrong, but I'm always questioning what those young dogs are up to.
I drove up to meet Wade & he was already to the woods. The dogs were now in the spot I had been trying to avoid on our first drop. Josie got hung up on some fallen trees and I caught her. Queen had already made it past there and was trailing towards the swamp.
Queen was grubbing out a tough track & we just let her continue. I kept Josie in the box, she doesn't have the experience to work something like this out and could only have made it tougher on Queen.
She trailed for about 20 minutes and then sat down and treed. She had a mother & 3 kits up the tree. I told Wade that she had done a really nice job, but I'm not sure he believed me. It's true though, it's incredibly tough trailing down there & she really grubbed this out nicely.
That was about 1:30, enough for tonight.
Let Josie go by THE big tree. She went into the corn and struck a good track. Either this coon is the same one from last year or all coons are the same. Josie took it west and then south to the river. There I caught her locating on the river bank. I could see the coon trail going down to the waters edge. It was about a ten foot drop straight down..
Josie stayed on top & wouldn't go down to the water. I didn't mind too much. Of course Mabel or Belle would have been down there in a second, they've done it many times, but rarely do they ever tree a coon like that. I just end up catching them down the river later. So, Josie looked a little timid here, but I can live with it.
I walked back to the truck and loaded Josie up. As I was getting in, I spotted a coon sitting up in the big tree. I let Josie back into the corn to see if she could find it. She didn't open, but I could tell she was on the track. She worked her way into the woods and finally located the big tree, and started treeing hard. This was a nice job for a pup. I've seen a lot of old dogs unable to find the second coon there.