coonhound

Steve is joined by Plott breeder and fancier Bill Shininger and by Bill’s handler Alex Recker to discuss their attraction to the Plott breed, why they chose Plotts and why they continue to compete with them.  Much of the conversation centers upon the differences in Plotts and other hound breeds.This one covers breeding, competition and pleasure hunting and unveils the secrets that have made Shininger a successful breeder in a relatively short span of time.  He was recently named the American Plott Association’s Coon Hunter of the Year.  His stud dog Saddle Up Lazarus has twice been named Coonhound of the Year.  Recker presents the story from a handlers perspective and reveals the passion and skillset that makes him a successful handler.If Plotts intrigue you, this one is full of answers.  

 Before a fun filled night of great raffles, a couple cold ones with some great customers/friends, and raising some serious coin to support hound hunting in the great state of Idaho, Jason was able to sit down with IHA President Kolton Hines and past President/Vice President Cody Rollins.  The guys had some time before things started to kick of to talk a little about IHA and some of the events they hold as well as their involvement in the fight to preserve hound hunting in in Idaho.  It was really nice to get back to an IHA event, a huge thank you to IHA and your membership for the hospitality. 

Steve catches up with Strickland for a fast-moving, wide-ranging conversation about his latest sensation, Lone Pine Lady, which he co-owns with last week’s guest Randy Smith and with which he won the recent ProSport truck hunt in Claremore, Oklahoma.  Strickland discusses his partnership with Smith, how Lady got his attention and how he and the three-year old Treeing Walker got on the winning track.  This one is for listeners than wonder what it’s like and what it takes to play in the majors; an entertaining hour and eight minutes that you will probably listen to again.  

Buddy, Jason and Elijah recap the weekend at the MBHA banquet.  It has been a while since DU had been to Michigan but Buddy and Jason made the trip out and had a great time with fellow houndsmen.  The guys talk a bit about their new custom shirt program as well as tells stories of the trip home that rivals "Planes, Trains and Automobiles".  We had a great time and cant say thank you enough to the MBHA for your hospitality and all your hard work. 

Our guests for this episode are two of the most passionate among the ranks.    One is an established veteran, a breeder, trainer and competitor, on the big stage and the other a pleasure hunter that lives for the hunt and “the locate” that quickens the heartbeat of coon hunters across the broad spectrum of the sport.  The thing they share in common is a passion for coon hunting that can only be described as off the charts. Coon hunters at all levels of experience will enjoy these conversations.  When done, there will be no doubt that our guests have gone to the dogs. 

Pull up a chair and listen in to some great stories as told by a Southwest Sportsman.  Brett, Jim and Mike cover a lot of ground in this episode.  Stories ranging  from guiding “Zorro”, to a real and honest conversation about why we hunt.... "for the dogs!"

Mike is no stranger to making “big circles” and putting in days on the trail, so let him take you along this ride.  There are lots of laughs, a little advice, and plenty of perspective! Make sure to check out “Born 100 years too late” on Youtube for the video footage of this great gathering. Thanks for another great bonus episode Brett!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtVDfG3GPTm8FbNY0Bb-oBA

https://www.mikerootguide.com/

Guests Billy Dwyer and Charlie Butler bring the full range of experience, emotion and elation drawn from their personal experiences. This is one every hound hunter should absorb, just in case.

Paul kicks things off with a great story about one of the smartest bears he has ever chased.  The guys also talk about the added challenges when hunting with clients and how not everyone has what it takes when its time to get down to business. Jason has Paul describe the conditions and terrain to paint a picture of what dogs/hunters face when chasing bears and Paul’s personal favorite, bobcat in the great woods of Maine. Paul even give an inside look into the bobcat playbook. If your ever find yourself in Maine make sure to look up Paul and the Grand Lake Lodge at https://grandlakelodgemaine.com/

Special guests Jim Garrison, Morris Hardy and Nubbin Moore provide insight into what it means to reach the golden years in a sport many have enjoyed all their lives.  Garrison shares his own experience at age 72 in addition to the life of longtime friend Warren Wilson who lived and hunted to the age of 97.  Morris Hardy, a lifelong coon hunter and English fancier shares what keeps him going several nights a week at the age of 78.  Steve’s traveling buddy Nubbin Moore, who just celebrated his 82nd birthday, shares his views on whether or not he’s too old to quit.This is an episode for all coon hunters and hound people.  Humorous at times, the guests show the spirit that has kept them at it longer than most and reminds us, that if we keep at it long enough, we each will face the decision one day.   

  If you have been in dogs any time at all you know that it is a constant struggle to keep the next generation on the rise.  Buddy and James give a little insight into what they are looking for from a young dog and how they expect it to behave. 

In keeping with the memory theme, Steve turns the pages of a coon hunting magazine printed nearly fifty years ago and shares the ins and outs of the sport when lights cost less than fifty bucks and a fifty-pound sack of dog food was eight.  A trip to the first Leafy Oak field trial in 1927 is worth the listen.  If trivia is your thing, this episode will have you hankering to turn back the clock to the pretty good old days. 

Today Buddy and Jason talk with Rachae Stewart about her dogs recent “adventure” and give some tips and tricks to locate your dog even when there is no GPS.  Sometimes you have to go a little bit old school with this new equipment when things go south.  We hope you never have to use them, but just in case here are some tools to keep in your toolbelt.  This episode is a true example of the special bond and determination of hound and Houndsman… or should we say Houndswoman. 

Billy Dwyer of Slidell, Louisiana and Kesten Jessee of Lebanon, Virginia share a common goal; to finish a well-bred coonhound pup from scratch without help from other dogs.  Both are accomplishing what they intended to do and this episode covers their stories.

Billy’s hound Ruby is a Treeing Walker female and Kesten’s hound Clyde is a Treeing Walker male.  Both are less than two years old and each of them had their owners often questioning their future outcomes.  The boys discuss how they accomplished the goal of having each hound treeing raccoons on a regular basis and making their owners proud.

This is a short list of basic steps that enabled the hunters to realize their goals.  Each hound remains a work in progress but with more than one hundred coons treed to date, the plan is working to near perfection. 

This is an episode for the hunter that would rather have it his or her way than to purchase a hound created by someone else.  Don’t let the title of this episode fool you.  These guys know their stuff.  

This week we have a great episode with Brett Vaughn that starts  off with Brett's eyewhitness account of a lion picking its scent up and how the dogs reacted.  We all speculate what happens out there when the dogs make a loose, but its not often you actually get to watch it happen.  For the meat and potatoes of this episode Brett is joined by good friends and fellow dry ground lion hunters Jim Buhler and Steve Smith.  Jim and Steve are a wealth of knowledge and great storytellers to boot!  

Audible books, for many, are replacing hardcopy for many reasons but mainly for convenience.  Hunters particularly enjoy the ability to listen while logging windshield time to and from the hunt.  Testing the waters so to speak, Steve has chosen to read an essay from his book titled Time Travel.  The piece spotlights Steve’s physical journey to the land of 1950’s author and self-proclaimed “perfect” hunter/houndsman Samuel J. Hunnicutt who wrote the cherished Twenty Years Hunting and Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains.  Steve read the book in the 1950s and it remains one of his favorites.

Additionally, Steve visits by phone with octogenarian coon hunter Fred Moran the Redbone Man to catch up on the night-hunting exploits of one of the sport’s oldest and most active hunters.  The visit is vintage Moran with hunting stories and humor to burn.   

Want to hear the rest of Steve's story?  Make sure to check out "GONE TO THE DOGS - A COON HUNTER'S JOURNEY" 

 Steve Fielder Books

Gone to the Dogs  (dusupply.com)

Bear finally got the chance to sit down with Jon Steinar Vangen. Jon Steinar is one of scandinavia's most dedicated houndsmen and bear hunter. His hound of choice is plotts. We discuss bear hunting in sweden, plotts, and even talk about some pointy eared dogs and moose hunting. 
Follow Jon Steinar on instagram @nwot.no

and check out his bear hunting videos at www.nwot.no

Jim Meeks was, at his peak, known as one of the hardest hunters in the sport of raccoon hunting.He is most noted for his association with the Yadkin River strain of Treeing Walkers.  He takes no credit for naming the strain but no man has hunted and promoted more of the famous dogs from the line.  Hounds like Yadkin River Tom, Jeff, Champ, Chico, and Tar Rattler lace his conversations like rawhide on a well-worn pair of Irish Setters.  Jim Meeks and Yadkin River Walkers are forever intertwined. 

Jim and Steve have been sharing conversations around the barns at the Grand American for over forty years.  This episode is but the latest collection of coonhound-related chatter that flows when the two get together.  Readers have enjoyed Jim’s writing in coonhound magazines through the decades as well.  Never claiming to be a competition hunter, his Just Coon Hunting columns are ripe with some of the most entertaining stories to be found.  Coon hunters wet behind the ears and long in the tooth alike will enjoy this episode recorded live at the largest annual gathering of coon hunters in the nation, the incomparable Grand American.   

Today we get to hear the rest of the story as Buddy was able to get out and do some testing of the Triple Mag Mount Ground Plane Antenna and the Browning Magnet Mount Antenna.  Buddy Jason and James take a look at the data and break it down.  So if you have been following the all the antenna talk lately, the results are in.  Make sure to check out our youtube video to follow along!  If you want to skip ahead here is a little cheat sheet for you!  You can also follow along with us by watching our video version  at (1) Double U Podcast: Ep 256 Results of The Great Antenna Debate. - YouTube  

1:28  James tells a story of an Ice Rescue and why he is late.

8:10 We start talking about the new handheld Antennas including the new Tactical flip and Stubby

16:00   edge mount

17: Triple Magnet bases

19:50 we dive into the Results of the two antennas

54:40  Buddy discussing why he was really nervous about the results, was it a KO..

58:00   We learn to Measure the tracking points of each collar was received and do a side by side. 

1:15:00 What could we do to improve antennas more??? 

1:17:00 Signal loss

1:19:00 Buddy gives a Million dollar idea..

Today Buddy and Jason get to catch up on a little "shop talk".  Buddy talks about the common factor in collars catching fire, how to detect a bad battery, tips/tricks and more. But the PSA of the day is “CHECK YOUR BATTERY” if there is any kind of physical damage to your collar, it could save your dogs life!  

Steve joins longtime friend David McKee a trip down memory lane that includes David’s activities as president of the Grand American Association, hosts of the annual Grand American Coon Hunt in Orangeburg, South Carolina each January.  McKee takes listeners on a verbal tour of the event including preparation, staffing, the phenomenal crowds and some memorable happenings over the years since 1995. 

Old friends discuss pleasure hunting, their mutual friendship with octogenarian Johnny Brinkley and their annual visits to hunt with their treasured friend.  McKee relates a funny story involving Steve and a pair of cell phones. 

The discussion moves to younger hunters and a surprise confession and commitment from Steve going forward.   A good one to help us start the year out right.