Dennis Carson Interview

[Cowboyvon]

For those that are interested here is just a trailer I put together. Dennis spent some time with Dale Lee hunting Jaguar down in Mexico. I had a chance to sit down and talk to him last year. I haven't had much time and just now figured out how to digitize the VHS tapes I have of Dale and his hunts. I will be trying to get the rest of the video out by the end of the month Thanks!

https://www.patreon.com/posts/dennis-carson-8351586

[pegleg]

I appreciate your effort Vaughn. For those that haven't been there I will say, it's one hell of a trip. I have a hard time with trying to imagine it as it was in that time. Even today in new trucks on improved roads it's risking life and limb and takes days to reach that area even from the border. I dont know exactly which road system they took. But having driven older trucks a good deal. And knowing that they had to transport nearly everything they might need along with the hounds it must have been a caravan of trucks. With the brakes as they are on old trucks, they must have cut through the low desert to the coast and taken the coastal route. Which isn't a picnic today. But the mountain roads I just don't believe they could have passed through them. There's many areas so steep that even in 2nd gear you will turn the disk brakes red hot today. And before anyone says how steep so and so pass is in the states remember here they have maximum grade limits.
And of most interest to me is how they managed to keep their hounds healthy or even alive in that environment. My hounds are vaccinated here and again in Mexico. Then they are given a anti parasitic injection every 28 days. Then they may be given antibiotics or other medication as needed.
But the first two months a hound is in Mexico I know they'll get sick. And in the summer it's worse. I've had hounds who have had the spot treatment and injection come in at night with hundreds of ticks. They are dead or dying but still bit the dog. This cause them to be ill for several days at best. I've learned to avoid waterholes as best I can or any place cattle shade up. In order to overcome this I sprayed the ground where we built the kennels then added four inches of fine gravel and thoroughly soak it once a month with long lasting pesticide and soak the bedding and dust it weekly. It amazes me they managed to keep a pack in hunting shape back then during the time they spent there. Hunting lions in dryier areas is safer but down low in the wetter areas jaguar like it's just hard on dogs and anything else not native it seems. I had a hound get what a vet assured me was a spider bite on the belly and she lost two nipples and a area the size of your palm that seemed real close to going through her stomach muscles before it started to heal.
Its a interesting place to hunt. it just has it's trials. Especially back then I would think.

[Cowboyvon]

Yeah I know they did have some health problems with their dogs and themselves.. we never got into the specifics wish I had, especially with Charlie Settles because he was a heck of a houndsman. Surely with your travels you have some interesting pictures or videos you could share? If you do and wouldn't mind sharing them with others if you want email them to me at brettvaughn@icloud.com

[pegleg]

I don't really have much for video. Just short blurry phone video and some first generation digital with zero zoom. But I have been looking at options. Met a interesting old man in Mexico that hunts with some Fox hound looking dogs that I'm sure have a large dose of mixed blood. Wish I had got a couple hunts with him on video. And another old cowboy who had something that resembled a black cocker spaniel that's caught some lions. He finds a kill and then goes in at three thirty in the morning and swears a lion always is just finishing eating right then and is full and slow. I went once and we ended up tangled in the brush on a wash bank in his rope that hooked some brush . did catch a lion but it was day light before anyone got close to it. And his little bur covered dog was there but if he was yapping to locate or just discomfort I couldn't say. Lol no he had a surprising amount of hunt for whatever he was.

[Cowboyvon]

lol making it happen with whatever kind of dog you have... You know I'm more interested in the how, why, where, what with and the actual adventure of the hunts .. you can get on facebook and see lots of dead lions or cats.. but we all know there is more to it then that .. what ever drives us.. You need to invite me over and I will video lol

I just invited myself lol

[pegleg]

We will have to make it happen sometime. There's plenty of places to hunt so long as this border issue doesn't close things down. I'm not much on politics it just seems to be to big a deal for anyone to really do the right thing and they get side tracked some where. Even the best have faults and in law and legislation it's just hard to accept any faults. But keep on with your videos someone has to be doing it. I will say there's some guys hunting cats in Mexico that really ought to be filmed. They do things different but it works and some of these men have done it their whole lives. Its good to see different ideas. And makes you re examine yours no matter why. They do some things you just can't figure and then you realize maybe we do to. Doesn't mean it's wrong just helps to know why .

[Cowboyvon]

Thanks and I will.. just kind of hoped there would be more of the regular guys interested in it ... there are some behind the scenes that are interested in supporting the project and I do appreciate that..

[Dan Edwards]

Awesome stuff!

[funstuff]

I watched this clip and a couple others you put together.

They rock!

Listening to the old guys before technology makes me feel like I have made, and this really isn't an easy sport.

Thanks for taking the time to meet and share. I look forward to future clips.