Questions about old time Texas Cat Hunters

[CRA]

I'm reading an old hound book and they mention three men in the book that were considered legends in cat hounds in Texas during their time. These men's names were Bob Snow, Jack Frost, and Albert Wilson.

I was hoping Mr. Clay, Mr. Robbie, or Mr. Gary will fill us in on what they know about them. Were try men that knew dogs and set the cat hunting standards for Texas? Does anyone in Texas have any of their hounds descendants out of their dogs?

[twist]

I would guess Mike Leanard will know a little something about them also. I am just not old enough lol. Andy

[Gary Roberson]

The only one I knew was Bob Snow. He and my grandfather J. A. Roberson were very good friends. I would guess that they knew each other from the South Texas Wolf Hunters Association as both ran coyotes with running dogs. They not only hunted with hounds, Bob and my Grandfather would deer hunt together as well. We have two big whitetail mounts at the ranch that were killed when Bob invited my Grandfather and Dad down to hunt on a ranch near Fowlerton, Texas.
Mr. Snow moved to the YO Ranch at Mountain Home, TX and died in Kerrville several years ago. I think he still has a son that lives at Kerrville.
I have heard of the other gentlemen but don't know anything about them. I bet that south texas can give you a little info on the other gents.
Adios,
Gary

[South Texan]

On this forum do a search for "Historic south Tx. bobcat and lion hunters". It talks about Bob Snow and his brother Luther. Interesting reading. Also the last one on that post is Bob & Luther's niece.

Don't know anything about the other two.

I would guess the standard back then (quite a few years ago) is quite different than the standard now. Then, I imagine all their hunting was done a foot or horse-back. Now, about 99% of the hunting is done by roading.

Only local legend I know of here was Ira Woods. He was a cat and lion hunter. Worked for the state for a while. Also was on the King Ranch for a while. He got killed in an automobile accident in the early '80s. I think he was about 82 years old at the time and still hunting regularly. Only way he hunted was horse back. Robbie

[Gary Roberson]

There he is. Thanks, Rob.
How bad are the snakes in your country. Daisy got hit last Fri. nite and was deathly ill in five minutes. I carried her off a tree to the truck and saw that she was bitten in the lower muscle on the left hindleg.
Put her in the dog box and she laid down with all of her offspring jumping all over her. I was afraid she would not make it back to town. I called the house and asked Tom to get in touch with the vet and I would meet him at the clinic. I think I got her to the clinic in about 30 minutes from the time she was bitten.
The vet, Richard Cordes, is a good friend and when he saw the bite, he just shook his head. Long story short, I picked her up on Mon. morning and she is back at the house. I told Richard that she was inoculated with the rattlesnake vaccine last July and if he thought it had anything to do with her surviving. He said, "I would have to say so". He is also my vet buddy who two years ago told me that I was proably throwing my money away on the vaccine.
After having three vaccinated dogs survive snake bites, two on hind legs, I am going to vaccinate every dog I hunt. It is just cheap insurance. I am sure that there are some bites delivered by some snakes that are just too much for a dog to overcome but I think that the vaccine really reduces the swelling and therefore tissue damage.
Adios,
Gary

[Rod Vinson]

We have rattlesnakes here in NC but prolly not as bad as you....I was told to give a Benadryl tablet as soon as you find it and give 1 1/2 cc of pen and 1 1/2 cc of dexamethasone and give a table spoon of hog lard after you get them home. Continue the dex and pen twice a day for 2 days... seems to work well. I had a strike dog that I was roading came back to the truck flying and I noticed fang marks on her jaw, in 3 minutes her head was swelling like a bubble.....I treated her and hunted her the next day...P.S. the best snake is a dead one....I kinda skeered of them...

[South Texan]

Gary,
They have really been crawling down here at Dilley. Seen lots of them run over on the roads. But....been lucky so for while cat hunting, haven't seen a one.

[Gary Roberson]

Rob
Good, hope you don't. We are going to Hebbronville on Sunday and hunting Mon., Tues. and maybe a little while Wed. morning. I think that the country we will be hunting is a little more open than typical South Texas and it may be easier to video the dogs a little more. I hope the snakes leave us alone as well.
Adios and Happy Easter,
Gary

[Dads dogboy]

CRA,

The Thread referred to earlier can be found in the Big Game with Hounds Section!

I am interested in the Book that you are reading, would you mind telling us the Title and Author?

Some of the Very Good Bobcat hunters of the Past in Texas were:

South Texas:
Ira Woods
August Timmerman
Joe Rufus Lyne
Pool Butler
The Snow Brothers, Luther and Bob
John Freeman Lott (still alive at 100 years young)

There were many more that never hunted far from home and raised their own Hounds. I hope that South Texan, Mr. Gary (I hope he can ask Mr. J. Martin for other names), and others can add to the list.

Up along the Rio Grand into the Mountains of West Texas most of the Ranchers either hired Hunters or kept Hounds themselves. This was much the same in NM & AZ, while some were made famous in Books, many more were as good with as good of Hounds, just never met up with a Good Ink Pen or Typewriter to make them famous.

The Evans Family of NM,were made famous in several very good books was from the Mountain region of West Texas. They brought their good Hounds with them and sent back for replacements when needed.

The Book “Big Thicket Legacy” tells of several very Good Houndsmen/Hunters in the Big Thicket of East Texas from the late 1880s through the 1960s. This was when Ben Lilley was hunting there. In these non publicized Hunters company, Mr. Lilly was an also ran. Stan Warren has a whole chapter devoted to him. He has had very few equals as a Bobcat Hunter and Bobcat Hound Breeder.

Just some of my thoughts, hope that others can add to the List of the Geat Texas Bobcat Hunters of yesteryear!

[Ker_man]

I guessing that the Mr Albert Wilson your speaking of was briefly mentioned in Obe Cory's book '' The Trail Hounds'' If I remember correctly he saw him at a local fur buyers place. I'll have to dig out the book.

[CRA]

Ker_man,

I found the names mentioned in "The Lionhounds" by Obe Cory. Do you know anything about Albert Wilson that wasn't mentioned in Obe Cory's book?

[Ker_man]

Sorry I don't know anything about him just trying to help
But I saw it in The Trail Hounds.
Looked it up it is in the chapter about the Lacys.

[dbutlertx]

I am the daughter of Pool Butler and just wanted to let all know that he passed away in May of 2004 at the age of 83. He hunted until about 9 months before he died when his health no longer allowed him to. I remember meeting many hunters from all over who would come to the house to hunt with Dad. He used to say that it made his heart glad that so many of the younger generations were still hunting Cat.