An Allen Dunn memory

[david]

Allen Dunn was an old school cat hunter living in Dallas, Oregon. I think he had also held some kind of government position in the town or county. By the time I met him around 1981 he was very old. I can't remember ever seeing him walk, but I think he still could because I don't remember a wheel chair.

Allen was a learned man and had a large library of books. His house was filled with book shelves. I think he must have had every book ever written on hounds. I think many of his books may have went to Dirk Olson of Albany. But I am not sure about that.

The chair he always sat in while we talked had arms that were wooden toward the end and swirled in a scroll like curve. His right hand would constantly rub that knob as he spoke and the blonde wood was very smooth with the finish completely gone on that side. The left side still had a dark finish.

Allen knew all the cat hunters in the area and many of them in other parts of the US. He was close friends with Steve Mathes, for example. He had known many that had already died as well.

But Allen loved to tell stories, and I loved to listen to them.

And the strange little memory that popped into my head for some reason was this:

They hunted the coast range west of Dallas. Any one who has hunted there knows how wet your pants become in about five seconds in the salal if it has rained at all. And you get so cold when wet and hypothermia can become a problem. (I would rather hunt in ten below zero and be dry).

Well, they figured out to wear hip waders; but they had to fit very tight or they were too sloppy to maneuver in. But he said sometimes their feet might swell or whatever and there was absolutely no way to get them off except to cut the waders off.

We often give thanks for the amazing electronics we now have that Allen knew nothing of. But even the clothing we now have is something to marvel at. And from what little I saw of the dogs, I think some of our bobcat dogs have come a long way as well.