Sanderson TX

[Cowboyvon]

Any of you TX guys know or ever hear of Florenceo or "FM" Galven" ?

[Gary Roberson]

Yes, I have heard of him but don't know of him. I don't know much about his dogs or if he has any at this time. His name is not one that is mentioned often in lion hunting out west of here. Now that does not mean anything, he may have the best hounds in the Trans Pecos.
Adios,
Gary

[Cowboyvon]

Thought someone should of heard of him...I got to visit with him for awhile I guess he hunted lions for the bounty back years ago. Never could get out of him how his dogs were bred or how he got them . I got to look at his photo album and get some pictures. He is old now and how he put has that " damm cancer" he really can't do anything I guess so he enjoyed our visit. I'm in Fort Worth now when I get home I will see how the pictures came out and post them

[Gary Roberson]

I am planning a hunt between Alpine and Marfa for next week if all goes well. There is a good lion population in some of the country although a 110-120 lion is a pretty big specimen. The biggest obstacle around the Dryden, Sanderson area is the dog pear. I am sure that Mr. Galven talked of it. What brings you to this part of the world?

[Mike Pearce]

Mr. Roberson I have been hunting in the Ft Davis Marfa area this past winter the country is simular to my local areas . I enjoyed hunting the area and plan on returning this winter would enjoy disscussing the different areas with you . If you would like give me a call on my cell phone 1-965-2674 thanks Mike..

[Cowboyvon]

Gary I had some work to do in Asherton and a friend of mine owns the best western in Alpine so I had a free night stay and I really like all that country through there. In the early 80's I went to Valentine and tried to get a dog from Henry but couldn't get it done...and I still remember the lions he had in cages there.

I know that country has some good lion hunting so when I stopped at the gas station in Sanderson to get a cup of coffee I asked the gal there if there were any lion hunters around. So she told me about FM and that he was real old and sick...I told her I would like to visit with him one of these days..she said well you better hurry and that he lived right across the street so I took some time out and did it...I really enjoy talking to those old timers.

[Gary Roberson]

A guy can learn something from the Old Timers if he will keep his mouth closed and listen. I know it is not the best time to hunt out there but a buddy of mine asked if we would make a trip out there as he has a lion or two killing mule deer on his ranch. This is not the easiest country to hunt as there are very few trees and it is has some rugged, bare rims that break off to the park. These are highways for the lions coming and going but not the easiest place to cold trail a cat because of the shortage of vegetation. The Fort Davis area is much better as you know, trees and if you get a little rain, grass. We are fortunate as it has rained out there a week or so ago and a little chance this week.
By the way where is North Percha?
Adios,
Gary

[Cowboyvon]

It rained as I drove to Alpine Monday night...humidity seemed high to me so I bet it will be ok hunting until the heat sets in. I have a friend that has a ranch down in that area somewhere and he has invited me to come hunt it some ...they even employ a trapper to keep things thinned out including the lions I just haven't had time. I bought some dogs from Ralph Donahue over by Fort Davis a few years ago. North Percha is between Hillsborro and Kingston NM ..not a town just where my place is, it borders the Aldo Leopoldo wilderness in the Gila Forrest. I'm above the Ladders Ranch...

I have another place down by Caballo NM that I'm having to fix up. A little more accessible and a better place to stay during the fire season..last year during the fire the Forrest service made me get out for over a month. It's a good place to hunt out of though if a guy doesn't mind sitting on a mule or a horse all day .

Mike did your father live there in Virden and hunt lions in that area? I was there earlier this year and the man that takes care of the water service for the town was telling me about him

[Mike Pearce]

Yes my father did live here he's pased on now. I am trying to carry on his legacy it seems we never do realize how much I relied on him until he was gone. Thanks for asking about him. If you are around again let know and come by . I live next to Virden...

[Cowboyvon]

Here is a slide show of what was left of FM Galvans photo album. I also tried to do some commentary on some of the things we talked about. Of course I added a little music... the audio is terrible but thats all I got and it was right after we talked ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WwNyfbN ... bNY0Bb-oBA

[Dan V]

Thank you for posting that video, I sure did enjoy it.

[1bludawg]

That's one of the odd things about houndsmen.You could be living within a few miles of a great hound dog man and never know it.Some are reclusive in nature and not much for talking. You would never know of them if it weren't for some chance meeting or someone you know who knows of them.Even in this day and age i'll bet there are more than a few out there who it would be great to meet. That was a good and interesting video.

[Gary Roberson]

Great post. I enjoyed seeing the photos. I have stumbled across some of that country over the last 40 years. I really think that the predator situation is worse down there today as no one is trying to control predators. When I started hunting there, the wool warehouse in Sanderson handled more wool than any warehouse in Texas and today, they handle none. There were a lot of Angora goats out there but they too, have disappeared. Much of the land is absentee ownership and interested in deer hunting only. It would be great to ride the country with Mr. Galvan and mark all of those "sweet spots" that it took him 50 years to find.

[Gary Roberson]

Joe and I had a good hunt SW of Alpine last week and it our flatland potlickers knew anything about bluffs and ledges, we would have had a lion. We trailed the hussy for a couple of miles and finally got her jumped when she went up a small header. Some how, she doubled back and the dogs that were on the back of the pack were suddenly running her as she came back through the dogs. They ran her about 3/4 mile and had her bayed up on 25 foot bluff for some time. Only three dogs had her bayed and I think that is why she held up there for as long as she did. Of course, she jumped and our dogs stayed on top of the rim, baying off while she slipped on up the canyon. I told Joe the only way to gat the dogs used to that country is to hunt them there son now that is our plan. It was a beautiful ranch that is interested in growing big mule deer and tired of the lions killing them. We found fresh tracks of a large male but was unable to ever get him going.
Adios,
Gary

[southern fox]

I would say that is probably some of the toughest hunting one can do , that country is some bad stuff and would probably abt kill me ! man has to be tough to follow hounds there, and the dogs got to be tough also, bet it takes awhile for one to make doing that ! here where I hunt has nothing like that ! I have watched them on national geographic putting radio collars on them , and used dogs to tree them with in the snow and I was very impressed of the toughness of the people and the dogs, guess its another day at the office for them, I wouldn't make it 100 yards in that stuff