mark wrote:I hunted the Banjo blood and different crosses of it for 11 or 12 years. I am not saying they couldnt catch cats. All i know is with the ones i hunted, if your life depended on the dogs being able to catch a tough hard running ducking cat or a hard running rank bear you better put them on the bear.
Yes sir Mark I certainly agree with that! Thinking back I believe that applies to all the hounds I have hunted with that ran both bear and cat. There is always a better chance those ducking, dodging cat will throw the best of them a check that disappears in thin air, than there is on a stinking bear track. Al
One should reflect back on the origin of the treeing walker hound and the mix of dogs that made up the original foundation stock...You can trash talk all you want. The definition of true houndsmen = Kind of different......How much influence did you have on the origin? Calling it like it is, is half the battle in the hound world. Safe travels over the road!
I was using the term "Rank Bear" to mean one that was mean and liked to run dogs, hard to get stopped or to get up a tree. I am in no way trying to take any credit away from what the banjo blood did for the cat hunters around these parts. They caught cats! Sam Faulk was the only straight bear hunter that i know of that put that blood into a straight bear bred dog/dogs. In my experiences i had way to many cats get away from my dogs and to many slick trees. Put them on a mean bear and you had to figure on killing it or physically going in and drag dogs off of it cuz they weren't going to quit on their own even if they had been ruffed up. David, great book and thank you for giving me many great memories of dogs that were above average on a bear and decent on a cat. Either way it fanned an addiction that was already in me to one that went out of control because they would catch game.
Elmer and I tried to cross Nikki with Spot. They hung up a couple times but never took. Sure would have been interesting to see how the pups turned out. Of the two I hunted (Nikki and Bucko) Nikki was, by far, the better cat dog. She wasn't a superstar at anything but she was good at everything and consistent and easy to read. I can only recall one tree with her that made me question if there was anything there. As both her and Bucko got older, they seemed to get senile and false tree but were already at the point they were no longer hunting very well. In fact, Bucko would strike off the box and jump down and tree right at the truck. hahaha He was more of what I would call a bear dog. He wasn't much for thinking but, if you pointed him down a track, he wanted to bite whatever was at the end of it.
David, I ran across this a while back and forgot to post it. Probably brings back alot of memories!! TWBTA has posted all their old yearbooks on their site.
I’d be willing to buy a copy from someone if they would like to sell one. My female leopard has Rachel in her pedigree and I really enjoyed that story about her and the bear! If anyone wants to sell a copy my number is 757-618-6496. Thanks.
What about a downloadable copy instead of re-printing another round of books and running out again? There are lots of ppl wanting a copy of your book. Myself included. I was lucky enough to borrow a copy and read it twice. Would still like to own it one way or another!
Only way to find out is to auction it. Get David to autograph it first. I can't imagine an unread version. I would like a hardback edition ,would keep it nice. Hint, Hint
They go for a couple hundred bucks on Amazon when one comes for sale. There have only been a couple come up for sale in the last 3 years. That is used good condition.
