Not just hunting

[TreeChopper]

Mt.music, Yes Danm right! I wish I could hear hound barking and I am deaf, I am in love with hounds chasing Treed and made jump off, Bayed on ground etc and I tracked on find dogs on my own and sometime alone by myself in wood. I always had great time with my dogs and cats. I have NEVER shot one down myself with in FIVE YEARS as houndman. I always going back catch same cats because I could keep chase all the times where I know Cats are! Best thing Taught me were about Old man who running 30 years houndman, I thank one of BEST Houndman (Bill) I ever know taught me everything BEST WAY to chase for good time and not about kill.


TreeChopper

[Mt. Dog]

MTmusic, Maybe I can share the story from the other persrective, the Dad's side. I'm pretty close to your dads age but not as many health problems. Jusy bad knees from following them dogs around the steep sidehills too long. The best days Ive had on the mountain have been with my son or daughter,the easy trees, the all day hikes, some with a tree at the end in the dark and some that didnt end in a tree. Anyway if you are a son or a daughter that hunts with your dad cut the old man some slack somedays and enjoy those times. As a dad I wouldnt trade em for anything! Cant wait for the grandson to get a little older. JMO
Mtmusic, I hope your dad can get around in that truck for years to come.

[kehrer10]

thanks for sharing, hope you can get out more often with your dad. it's amazing how you get choked up hearing that stuff after you have a kid of your own and can't wait to bring em along.

[pegleg]

Its not so much what you do its how and who you do it with. that's what gets under your skin to your heart. if your out huntin/fishin/ropin etc. and have a lousy day The one thing that can still make it enjoyable is who you shared that lousy day with. A great day can loose a lot of its shine when no one is there to share it with to. As a kid the one reason you want to go with your brother, dad, grampa is to share in what they are doin and grow closer. as a parent you want to share those times with your kids. I have to say though, spending time together doesn't have to be hunting. Just sittin and talkin with older folks can brighten their day with forgotten memories and maybe teach you something in return, remember more has been lost to the pages of time then anyone of us will ever learn in a lifetime.

[MT.music]

[toptom]

mountain music I am a hound hunter since i was 9 years old. I will be 58 on March 23. I have the good fortune of excellent health and continue to run lions on a daily basis. The only part of your post that I didnt like was refering to your father as an "OLD MAN" I have never agreed with the disrepect of calling anyone an old man or old lady. To me that is like leaving your hat on when the American Flag is presented before you! I guess you might call me old school but i know for fact that if I had ever called my dad that he would have kicked my butt!!!

[dukes71799]

that is what life is all about right there. we need these old timers to get their stories out of growing up. i dont think they relize how fasanating their lives were. im sure he has some great stories. i want to read them

[B-N-Trees]

There are some interesting developmental stages most hunters go through. There is the trigger happy hunter who just wants to shoot, even if there in no chance of hitting anything they are just excited to pull the trigger. There the hunters who have to kill something or it was all a waste of time and everyone around them will have to be miserable too. There are hunters who care about nothing except a trophy size animal, they will go through great lengths to accomplish this and no price is too high to pay. There are hunters who specialize and seek to become very proficient with a bow, a handgun, long range shooting, muzzle loader or what ever else. Everything has to be accomplished this way. Then there are hunters who have learned to appreciate the experience. Just as Mike Leonard said so well, "We all should stop for just a minute the next time we are out there and just say a word of thanks for the blessing of being able to experience it." Mt. Music this is what is all about.

[Benny G]

Mt Music, great story! I absolutely love the time I have spent in the woods with my kids. As for TopTom's issues with your refference to your dad as the "old man", to each thier own. I too was raised the old way. I don't however see this particular reference as disrespectful. When people, and especially families, spend time together and grow close they earn certain priveleges-ie; pet names. I am truly blessed to be growing into "the old man" of my family. When my children and my friends' children love me enough to have a pet name for me that is not meant to be disrespectful my life becomes richer. Thanks for your personal story.
Benny

[MT.music]

i can still hear my old hound dog barking chasing down a who do there ccr thanks every one

[Peter Meyer]

This story is exactly why I stand in front of the California Fish and Game Comission. It is a way of life for us and for those that threaten it they have no clue as to the fight we'll mount. They consider it a war and have even won a few battles but when it comes down to it they can stop me from hound hunting they pry the leashes from my cold dead hands. Take a kid hound hunting and preserve our future and honor our past. -Pete Meyer

[countryboys]

I am new here and where I live there are no lions but thanks to you guys I get to sit here on this computer and dream about one day being able to go where you guys are and run some.
I coon hunt and I can remember my dad carrying me on his shoulders to the tree. Since we have been hunting he is 65 now and I am about to turn 30. He has now had to quit due to his health. I remember he had open heart surgery back in the late 90's and it wasnt but 4 weeks later that he was back out treeing coons and had a pillow taped around his chest. He says when he has his back and hip surgery this winter he will be back in the woods. He wont go and listen with me because he says he will want to go to the tree. I pray for one day to walk to the tree with him at least one more time. I also want him to go out west with me and my son to tree a lion. Dont really want to kill one. Just run it and tree it with some good hounds.

Just writing this has got me all choked up. So remember we run different things but we houndsmen are all the same.