Took Roy up to the vegetable garden and sent him into the woods. He only got about 20 yards and sat down and treed. I was really surprised that he had a coon right there. I was expecting to hunt late tonight. I went back to the truck and headed out. As I drove by the old schoolhouse I could see a truck. I pulled up and there was Pete with Josie. She'd treed a couple of times in the section to the north. We talked a little & then I headed home.
It's been a light rain for several days now. Took Roy and Ruby to the easy spot and walked them into the woods. They took off right away, I kept walking but never saw them. Finally I heard Roy, he opened up on a tree. I thought it might be slick just from the sound of it. I headed to him. Ruby was there but wasn't going to tree. Instead she screamed a track out in the corn. Roy couldn't take the pressure and left his tree to go after her. They ran hot for a few minutes and then Roy treed again. This time he was there to stay. Ruby tried to pull him again but finally she settled down and treed too. It was about a 25 lb coon up the tree. Ruby and Roy might make good training partners this fall. Roy stops a little too soon and Ruby doesn't want to stop. They might just balance each other out.
Picked up Pete and went to the easy spot. Let Josie and Ruby go in the corn. They started a track and were moving it. They drove it to the woods located, and then left. I knew right away it was Ruby that took off. Just like Mabel when she was a pup. I caught them deeper in the woods and put Ruby on a leash. Then I walked back to the corn where Josie struck another hot track. She treed on a big oak by a slough. I walked Ruby in on a leash. I didn't see a coon. It could have been hollow but, it looked like a place where a coon would give a dog the slip too. Had some work to do so I called it a night.
Stef came by with the girls and we headed up north. We picked up Charlie and Billy & drove to a new spot. We sent Roy out hunting and kept Pearl on a leash. Roy struck and grubbed out a weak track. He treed before it ever sounded good enough to send Pearl in. We checked the tree, a big oak, probably slick. We walked a little and sent Roy out again. He struck what sounded like a good track and I let Pearl go. Roy got quiet after a while & I caught Pearl. Roy opened up grubbing a little deeper in. He treed on a hollow tree. Charlie climbed and looked, it was empty. Called it a night. Looks like Roy is about 50% right now. I'll just hunt him for a while to get a feel for what he's doing. Soon I'll have to hunt him alone and start disciplining him when he goofs. One good thing, my wife loves Roy so I don't have any trouble at the house.
Sent Roy north from the vegetable garden. He was going to turn & go behind me but I yelled at him & he came back the way I sent him. I liked that he listened to me. It's a good thing too, I know where the coons are better than he does right now. Sure enough he stuck about 50 yards in the woods. 3 barks & then quiet. About 1 minute and then more barks deeper in. This went on for about 15 minutes. Finally he treed about 1/2 mile in. He had a big coon up a large oak tree. I can see that Roy has lost some confidence, but he is doing very well this week. I expect him to be able to compete again in nite hunts by the spring.
Took Ruby to the easy spot and walked her to the corn. She struck a track and took it south quite a ways. She treed on a hollow tree. I banged on the tree a little and the coon came out the top. Pretty nice job for a midget.
Picked up Charlie. Dropped Roy and Pearl in the corn. Roy struck across the swamp. We picked up Pearl and drove around. Thought it was slick but ended up seeing two coons finally. Knocked one out & it caught Roy by both eyelids. Blood was spewing out of his forehead & I thought he'd need stitches. Looked OK by the time I got back to town & he's fine this morning.
Picked up Pete & went to the easy spot. Sent Josie and Ruby in. They struck a toubh track & I caught them. Walked them to the corn, struck and treed but loose on the tree. Got in there and made Josie stay, Ruby came back in. Let Ruby try to run another we saw on the road, but caught her when she bogged down. Good puppy night.
Sunday night wth Roy, very dry. He struck in the corn, trailed through the woods & treed. Looked slick but, big oak, chips on the bark, a coon could have been up there. Let him slide. Took him to the easy spot, he grubbed an old track for a while, I just called him in.
Dale & I went up to Gordy's with Mabel & Ruby. Mabel looks like she's in heat so Gordy took Lucky. They struck a hot track in the corn & treed pretty quick. Ruby was treeing but stayed way back from those other dogs til we got there. With a little encouragement, she got right up on the tree with the big dogs. We sent the dogs on from there. Ruby struck on a hot track & took it across the section, probably deer. She did a fine job on it, just like Mabel would have at her age. Mabel grubbed around for about an hour in one spot & I finally just caught her. Just a coincidence, but a coon was up in the tree next to me when I called her in. She located & treed when she got to me. Lucky got out of hearing and treed, so she was the hero tonight. I brought Roy home with me. He's been slick treeing & I'm going to try to correct the problem. So I'm back to too many dogs in the house again. Luckily he's a small dog & my wife has always liked him. Mabel looks really old this morning & with Belle gone I need a medium dog for a little while anyway. Hope this works out. Nitro made NT CH Friday night. Paul really got lucky to get a dog like Nitro. I figure he was the best in this litter, but maybe he's the best out of ten litters. We may be talking about Nitro for a long time.
Waited 'til 11:30 to drop tonight. Went to the school house section. Mabel got deep & treed. I heard Ruby bawling while I walked in. Ruby had stopped barking by the time I arrived. She was standing on a log staring up into the tree. It won't be long now..
Took Ruby to the easy spot. Walked right through the woods to the corn. I could tell she was on a track but she wasn't barking. She whined a few times & I turned on my light she was right by a tree with a coon up it. I shined around and saw a few more. I'll take her back there a few times.
Took Mable, Ruby and Pearl to the middle cornfield up north. Kept the pups on a leash and let Mabel south into the corn. No barks, took Pearl home and drove around looking for Mabel. She ended up in the next section to the north. Deep in the swamp treed. I shot the coon out but it was only wounded and ran deeper into the swamp. I didn't let Mabel go find it. Made it back to the truck & took Mabel and Ruby to the easy spot. Had a quick strike and tree, Ruby opened and was at the tree but not barking. I saw another coon up a few trees away..
Went back to the middle corn field with Sam & Pearl. A few barks here and there out of each but that's it. We walked around the whole field & nothing. Just caught the dogs and went home. The weather seemed perfect, really surprised we didn't see anything. Next few nights I will use Mabel to scout around. I need to know where those coons are hiding out these days so I can set up some easy tracks for those youngsters.
Took Sam back up & got Pearl. Charlie & I walked them around the west field no strikes. Sam barked at first but I think he was happy barking. Went to the middle field, Pearl opened on something. We kept walking and saw a coon up. Waited a while & called the dogs in & got them treeing. Dry & bright, should be a lot better tonight.
Waited til 11:30 to drop tonight. Let go at the west end of the schoolhouse section. Sam opened right away and ran a track for about 5 minutes. He finally just gave up on it. Several dogs have done the same thing right there already this fall. I walked him in the direction of th woods to the south......
He took off & I heard him locating in a few minutes. He was moving & I couldn't figure out what he was doing til I got close. There was a fence there & he was running back and forth. I could see coons up on the other side so I crossed and called. It wasn't much of a fence but Sam seemed scared of it. I went back and made him cross. He took off & treed in a few minutes. It was a coon farther back in the woods that I wouldn't have seen if he hadn't treed it. Well he trees nice and hard, but what a puppy stunt at the fence. We'll have to work on that a little.
I took Sam down to a spot where I thought a coon would be on the river. Sure enough he stuck right away and trailed out of the corn & towards the swamp. He ran it for a whil & then treed, went on and then treed again. I started wlking in and he really locked down. I didn't see a coon & it was just the sort of place where a coon would give him the slip. I just walked him away and down to the late corn across the club bridge. He worked it pretty good but no strikes. When he came by I just caught him & called it a night. Maybe I'll take him to the schoolhouse tomorrow night.
Took Sam out to the easy spot. He went out a little ways and treed, but it sounded funny to me. Got there & he had a possum up a little apple tree. I shot it out and then shocked Sam pretty good. Poor boy, but I think I may have broke him.
Took Ruby and Sam to the river and put them on a hot one. Both did well.
Carl and I are trading dogs for a little while. Sam seems like anice dog, only hyper for his size, which is huge.
Took Belle and Pearl to the cornfield on the west end of the schoolhouse section. The pup hunted out with Belle for a while. No barks for about 15 minutes so I caught the pup as she came through. Belle opened a few minutes later & I went to her with the pup on a leash. Belle treed as I got close so I just walked the pup right in and tied her. She's still getting used to the hunting routine so she didn't bark at the tree. I can see in her eyes that she is about ready to kick in. Almost ran out of gas on the way home. I should pay attention to what I'm doing.
Took Mabel and the pup to the river. Let them go at the club gate, I wanted to check the late corn. Mabel raced the road & the pup came back. I drove after a few minutes & found Mabel treed between the dam & the middle field. Walked the pup in & she got more excited tonight. She won't let Mabel get away for too much longer.