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Just got done having a Thanksgiving dinner with the family. And my daughter Casey is married to Shane Perkins, whose great grandpa and grandpa started the Perkins Ranch. There's never a time that I'm not looking forward to talking to Tom Perkins. The stories from back in those days never cease to amaze me. Which brings me to the question I would like to see if someone might be able to answer. We were shooting the baloney about lion hunting, and he mentioned the fact that his dad which is Shane's great grandpa bought a dog off of Clell Lee. And was just wondering possibly if any of the Lee's relatives, or any of the real old-timers may remember the dog. The dog's name was Drifter. Supposed to have been a pretty fair dog, I guess one of the dogs that they use down there chasing them jaguars. Anyway just curious.

Take care, Willie

Willie

I have a book that has a picture of Dale and a client with a big jaguar and two dogs,Texan and Drifter that was taken in 1956. Give me a call if you want and we can figure out how to get the picture to you. 541-979-3734 Leave a message if ya dont get me

Mark, what book is that?

Dean, the book is. Cold trail by Riley Miller i believe Buddy sells them on this site.

I know those lee brothers spent a lot of time in that country! They hunted in kingmon a lot with my grandpa. U tell old Mr Perkins I said hi I have had a lot of good meals made by Marge at that house!! Small world!! Thanks Gene Roberts

Geno,

I most certainly will tell them that you said hello. The wife and I are going to try and have dinner with them before they leave to go back to New Mexico on Thursday. Between my wife's meals and when I go there to eat, it seems to be getting harder and harder to push away from the table. The meals just get better and better.

Geno if you ever get down this way look me up. Maybe we can get these trash runners out a little bit.

Take care, Willie

P.S. My daughter Casey said to say Hi

Yea will have to do that soon. We still got a lil place there to run a cat. That place they got in new Mexico is suppose to have cats in it! what kind of dogs u running now?

Although I never met Dale Lee personally and met Clell only once I have been able to visit many hours with men who not only hunted with them but also supplied dogs to them especially during the time period you discussed the late 40's and early to mid 50's.

As many know they Lee Brothers were very close friends with the Evans brothers who ran the giant Slash Ranch in New Mexico and were among the most famous dry ground lion and bear hunters of all times. If you read the book ( Life of the Greatest Guide and also read Slash Ranch Hounds) you will find that these families traded dogs and bred dogs crossing the better hounds of each's pack for many years. Although the Slash hounds came in many colors there was a high percentage of black and tans or high tan dogs in their rank due to the early infusion of American Black and Tan's which weere the long eared variety mixed on redbone with a dash of bloodhound in them. this is where the famous Brownie line of dogs came from and the Lees reported over the years having many high tan dogs in their packs sired by either Old Brownie or like their famous Scout dog who was sired by Little Brownie. Also along this time they worked with a man who lived near Kirtland, New Mexico whose name was Casey Jones and he was a well known hunter trapper who raised many black and tan colored dogs and sold them to the Lee Brothers. Casey told me that many times on his trips to bring dogs to the Lees he would find over 100 hounds at their place in Arizona. Also at this time they had bought out the Guide outfit and dogs of famous lion and jaguar hunter Billy Chester who was based out of the Tuscon area. Billy had many great high tan dogs and was highly regarded by Dale lee who said he was the best dog trainer he had ever seen.

So there could have been many sources these high tan dogs came from but one thing is for sure they were among the best of the hound owned by the Lee Brothers, and many of them sold for record high prices for that day in time.

I'm sorry to change the subject a little, but while visiting my grandpa for the holidays I found out that his dad and uncle ran hounds down in Las Cruses NM and Mexico back in the 20"s to the 40"s, just curious if anybody knew them that could tell me a few things. Their names were William Jefferson and Dewey Farnsworth thanks again Kraig Teichert 435 616 0216

Quote: and many of them sold for record high prices for that day in time.

Mike,

I didn't even mention that part. Although Tom said he was pretty much washed up when his dad bought him. He did get two seasons out of him and was able to train some nice young hounds. But even in that time and age, he still had to part with $1500 to get him. Pretty good chunk of change for those days!

Thought I might share one other thing that he did say. That will give some an idea of the trailing conditions that we do have here. He told me he watched Drifter and a couple of young pups run a bobcat in a thick overgrown pasture. And said that he saw the bobcat half dozen times. And never once was it more than 25 to 50 feet in front of those dogs humped up in the brush. And they never did put it on the wood. And we both agreed that if people were honest the ones that do tree bobcat here on the dry ground. More than likely have a site chase and a quick pop up. We both sort of felt there probably isn't a whole lot of dogs that had colder noses and better trailing ability then that old dog. But there will probably be some that will lay claim to the fact that they can cold trail a bobcat for an hour or so down here and still put it to tree. To this I personally call BS. Because if a hound stubs his toe's too many times chasing the short tales here, the parties over.

Take care, Willie

Willie,

You won't get any argument from me on that bobcat theory cuz I have been in that country. There is an old saying that says even a blind sow will find an acorn once in awahile but they don't come in bushel baskets. LOL!


I too have seen that bobcat scenario many times and have actually seen a cat set down with dogs trailing all around it in a grass flat and if the dogs would pull their heads up and look they would see the cat and nearly bump into it several times.
Finally
the cat just stands up and trots off a different direction. LOL! right here is where it pays to have a smart old cur dog along that will throw up his head go to sight and airborne scent only and boom! Mr. cat is in big trouble!