Random Memories by Wallace Griggs

[Jason Waterhouse]

Has anybody ever heard of this book it might of come out around 1987 if so and you have a copy to sell.I would buy it. Thanks

[greg]

Jason I just talked to wallace's son Wilbur a few days ago, he has some copy's he lives in Danville Vt. I don't have his phone number but i'm sure you can get it through information.
Greg

[Paul Conway]

What's it about Jason, Greg?? Thanks, Paul Conway

[Jason Waterhouse]

Thanks greg i will try and get a hold of him.Paul i beleive its about bobcat hunting not really sure. I saw it advertised in a old copy of full cry figured i would throw it on here and see if i got any responce.

[Paul Conway]

Thanks Jason, if you get it let us know how you liked it. Paul Conway.

[greg]

Hi Paul, Jason
The book is mostly about his life. which include's lot hound hunting he started out as a fox hunter and went out to western canada for awhile (a prarie province) running coyotes i think, moved back to vt started cat hunting for bounty . interesting book . it was written just as he wrote it he wouldn't let his daughter inlaw edit for him so it's little confuseing at times but still a nice read . Wallace used to do a lot corrisponding with other cat hunters . after a hunt we'd go back to his house enjoy reading his letter's from guy's like Mike Leonard , Jeff Allen, Glenn Mcarge (sp) from the south west Marv Grover from Michigan Dennis Graham was in florida at that time .numorouse others those are just a few i can think off right now.

Greg

[Mike Leonard]

Interesting stuff Greg, yes Wally and I use to write back and forth a lot, and my buddies Jeff Allen and the late Glenn McCarg did as well. Most know of Jeff Allen but let me tell you a bit about old Glenn McHarg.

Glenn was formerally from Michagan and ran the Bear Hunter's Lodge for a long time up there. He was one heck of a bear hunter and was a local legend. He had many newspaper clippings of feat he had pulled off and marathon hunts in the deep woods of the UP. Whe he retired up there he moved to Kanab, Utah and bought a little motel over there. He met Jeff Allen who also lived in Kananb and got started in lion hunting. Although Glenn was getting up in years then he never lost his excitemnt of the chase.Glenns old Merchants line of walker dogs were well known as some of the best bear dogs in the country. While in Utah Glenn found his bear dogs were not ideally suited to trailing lions in a slow and methidical manner that is sometimes required in the red coral sand desert country. He got some dogs from Jeff allen, Wiley Carroll, and Jerry hughes of Nevada and put together a pack. Glenn had some personal difficulties after losing a grandson on a lion hunt in a terrible blizzard. It was an awful event and it took them some time to find the lad, they even had to call in legendary lion hunter Garn Blackburn who knew the country like the back of his hand to find the boy, but it was too late. Glenn sold his busines there and moved over to a small place out of Aztec, New mexcico not far from me. Glenn accompanied me on some hunts although he couldn't do much walking at his age, he always liked to go. When he passed on I took his last old dogs and gave them a good home until they passed on. Glenn was also a musician and played with a small band while in Michagan and even wrote some songs. I still have one of Glenn's old guitars and I always think about old Bear Hunter Glenn when I take it out and strum it a bit. too bad he could have written a heck of a book himself. He knew about every bear hunter alive in his day, and at times would have several hundred hounds there at the lodge.

[greg]

Mike
I went to utah met glenn, jeff, had a nice hunt with jeff. i haven't talked to him few yrs i should contact him. i spent a lot time in the week i was their chatting with glenn really enjoyed it looked at a bunch off his old pictures and articles written on him and his hounds. He had an old outdoor life magazine with a painting or water color on the cover off his hounds on the world record bear he got at that time i don't remember the size off the critter like mayby 650 lbs at that time they didn't use skull measurments .
was a good story not anything like actual hunt he said if i remember was killed by 14 yr old .
i'm going to see if by any chance wilber kept any off wallaces old corrispondences .
Greg

[cecil j.]

Interesting stuff Greg, yes Wally and I use to write back and forth a lot, and my buddies Jeff Allen and the late Glenn McCarg did as well. Most know of Jeff Allen but let me tell you a bit about old Glenn McHarg.

Glenn was formerally from Michagan and ran the Bear Hunter's Lodge for a long time up there. He was one heck of a bear hunter and was a local legend. He had many newspaper clippings of feat he had pulled off and marathon hunts in the deep woods of the UP. Whe he retired up there he moved to Kanab, Utah and bought a little motel over there. He met Jeff Allen who also lived in Kananb and got started in lion hunting. Although Glenn was getting up in years then he never lost his excitemnt of the chase.Glenns old Merchants line of walker dogs were well known as some of the best bear dogs in the country. While in Utah Glenn found his bear dogs were not ideally suited to trailing lions in a slow and methidical manner that is sometimes required in the red coral sand desert country. He got some dogs from Jeff allen, Wiley Carroll, and Jerry hughes of Nevada and put together a pack. Glenn had some personal difficulties after losing a grandson on a lion hunt in a terrible blizzard. It was an awful event and it took them some time to find the lad, they even had to call in legendary lion hunter Garn Blackburn who knew the country like the back of his hand to find the boy, but it was too late. Glenn sold his busines there and moved over to a small place out of Aztec, New mexcico not far from me. Glenn accompanied me on some hunts although he couldn't do much walking at his age, he always liked to go. When he passed on I took his last old dogs and gave them a good home until they passed on. Glenn was also a musician and played with a small band while in Michagan and even wrote some songs. I still have one of Glenn's old guitars and I always think about old Bear Hunter Glenn when I take it out and strum it a bit. too bad he could have written a heck of a book himself. He knew about every bear hunter alive in his day, and at times would have several hundred hounds there at the lodge.

I hurd bout that bear hunting club in Mich. Ole Charley Pinkey of Rio Linda Ca was a contractor broker for em/ out here on the west coast. He bought ol Salty a black dog from Sonny Kendricks here and shiped it too them in mish. and they Like the hound/ Charley got him back a few yrs later when theywas done needen him. that was back in the 60`s and then in the late 70`s Charlie Pinkey got hold of my Big Bow walker dog a gd son of Old Topper and sent Big Bow too them in Mich. and when they was done needen him shiped him back too Charley/ both Ol Salty and Big Bow died in Charleys yard and Charley hunted em till the ends came for each.
Bill Pearce introduced me too Charley once and he inquired bout Big Bow/ I didn`t then want too sell the dog I was haveing too much fun makeing the dog then at around 3 yrsold. They said that bear club had hounds shiped in from all over the nation for the club. AMAZEING STUFF hard to conceive a club membership keepen a colective pack like that/ but they had the money and spent it too buy good hounds !

[Jason Waterhouse]

I called wibur twice and couldnt get no answer left messages on the machine but no response

[Ricky]

Jason, Keep trying I am sure you'll get him eventually. I read the book and really enjoyed it, like Greg said it's a good read. I run into Wilber every now and then, I will ask him if he still has any books available.

[Jason Waterhouse]

Greg thanks for getting me a copy of the book,Im about half way done it.So far it has ben really entertaining.Wallace had some life.I love reading about the cat hunts and where alot of them took place he talks about different towns where he has hunted. He talkes about my home town of berkshire ,also enosburg,montgomery and north troy,jay.I like reading about history that you can actually relate to.Good book

[Jason Waterhouse]

Im done with the book once again great book.

[Mike Leonard]

I recently re-read Wally's book and sure enjoyed it. He was a great cat hunter, and he had so much life and health about him. Even at an age where most men would set in the rocking chair he was busting thru the brush and snow after the cat dogs and out walking men half his age.


Interesting Wally's famous cat dog old Pat was a legend, and when he was gone Wally got a pup out of a Nance's Little Topper female and sired by Stan's Sailor Jr. and he made a great cat dogs as well and he named him Pat II.

[BKMFR]

Greg,

It's interesting you mention Marv Grover. He and his grandson met a tragic end on a bear hunt......very sad. Some of my buddies have still have some of his stuff in their kennels.

Cecil mentioned a bear hunting club im MI. I would suspect that was Carl Johnson's group. He was the father, or one of the fathers, of hound hunting bears in MI. My neighbor ran with him. He had a dog they shipped in from Mike's country in NM. He was a black and tan. He was killed on his chain from a lightning strike.