The Hunting stories of John F Lott

[Letum]

I was doing a Google search on my grandfather, John Freeman Lott of Goliad, Texas, for a genealogy project when I found his name mentioned in your forum, http://biggamehoundsmen.com/forum/quest ... 29178.html. My grandfather is 99 and 11/12th years old and still sharp as a tack, but he is also deaf as a post. I had my mother ask him if he knew any of the gentlemen mentioned in the forum post, and she relayed this story back to me.

“A big time Houston oilman (he did business in Canada and Saudi Arabia… that kind of big business) named Mr. Crutcher called me out of the blue. He liked to hound dog hunt and had heard about me, so he called requesting a hunt. Mr Crutcher drove down to Berclair in a big truck, pulling a trailer with a Jeep, which was all fixed up. Freeman [John Lott's son] was about 14 years old and he got to drive it a little. He thought it was a Cadillac! Anyway, I took Mr Crutcher on a hunt on the Dial ranch and that lead to a friendship that lasted for years.”

“Mr Crutcher arranged for a hunt down deep in Mexico, almost to Tampico. He flew down to Beeville in a private plane, which Mother [Allene Lott, his wife] said was beautiful, but when they opened the plane door, they had to literally kick the dogs back into the plane. We then flew down to Mexico.”

“Mr Snow [one of the hunters mentioned in the above forum post], Mr Crutcher and I hunted on horseback in a forest, looking for lions. These aren’t panthers, but lions. Bigger than the ones I have hunted in the past. The Mexican guide had a gourd covered in hide and a braided string of horsehair that he used to make a roaring sound to call the lions.”

“Anyway, the dogs hit on a trail. Mr Snow and I couldn’t keep up with them, riding through the forest as we were, and we ended up losing them. Fortunately they came back the next morning, not one of them missing.”

That was about all from that hunting story that I got. I will try to get more details when I next speak with him, as well as any of the hundreds of hunting stories that he has tucked away in his memories.

On a tangent story, my grandfather did add that Mr Crutcher called him and stated that he had tickets to a baseball game in the new Astrodome. So my grandfather took his family (my grandmother, my uncle, and my mother) to the Apr 9, 1965 inaugural baseball game where they watched the Yankees with Mickey Mantel, lose to the Astros, 2 to 1.

[Dads dogboy]

Robert,

Tell Mr John and your Mother Hello and Happy New Year from the Clays.

You will find Mr. John's name mentioned many times here on BGH.

He is a TRUE Gentleman and was a Great Bobcat Hunter in his day.

You all have a Picture of him looking up a big tree with the Hounds Treeing up it. This was Easter weekend about 1966 or 67. He, and his Hunting Partner Rip Farley were in Louisianna Hunting with Dad and the Melville, LA folks. It was one of many Great times spent with Mr. John. Get him to tell you the Story of the Hunt pictured and the one later that afternoon!

I will have a Book out about Dad later this year, it will have a Chapter on Mr. John as well as one on Mr. Joe Rufus Lyne.

Mr. Crutcher was quite a character. He had lots of money but was never the Hunter/Houndsman Mr. John was/is!

Tell Everyone down Your way Happy New Year for us!

[Letum]

I will definately get him to tell the story, and I look forward to seeing your book as well!

[Dads dogboy]

Robert,

Here are the pictures I referenced in the above post. These were taken at the Balihack Hunting Club, Atchafalaya River Basin, LA. Easter weekend 1966.

Left to Right are: E. Finney Clay (Brenham, TX), Joe Tomason, Bill Tomason and Banks Cason (Melville, LA), John F. Lott (Berclair, TX), Eugene Scott (Burton, TX)

Kneeling with two of Mr. Lott’s fine Bobcat Hounds is Rip Farley also from South TX.



Here is the picture of Dad’s good white bitch treeing a Cat one morning on this trip. This big tree had a hollow about 30’ up. Mr. John was giving Dad much good natured teasing about it being a slick tree ( Bill Tomason saw the Cat climb just before it was going to be stretched).

That night Mr. John’s Hounds jumped a Cat who ran for 30 minutes heading straight to this same tree. It was dark, dark that night and Mr. John only had two cell flashlight, yet he started hollering a hundred yards away “I see that hollow from way out here”! A good laugh was had by all.


I hope he is doing well as Dad is not right now....but he will still want to go "Trotem"!

[Letum]

Those are wonderful pictures. I am getting mother to show them to John Freeman. I will let you know what he says.