BigGameHoundsmen.com

ok,so let me set the stage leading up to last nights hunt.My daughter twisted my arm and got me knee deep back into hounding after about a twenty year abscence,by buying a couple bluetick pups early this spring.We then purchased an older walker pup trainer to save us some time getting them going,along with the other necessary paraphenelia needed for someone addicted to this sport.I figured out,by being on this site way to much, that the only thing I was lacking was a good cold nosed strain male pup to cross up on my little fireball female cameron pup when she cycles this coming spring,and id be set.. Well a phone call to Jeff allen, and a night or two later I was off to kanab.Ten hours later,(at five a.m.) still dark Jeff and I picked out what I thought were the best two looking male pups out of the litter.(talked my little brother in to getting one also) loaded them up and back to colorado we headed.A little ways past kayenta,(2-3 HOURS DOWN THE ROAD) we stop for a little potty break,when I discover one of the pups has mysteriously turned female over the past two hours. I call jeff and tell him what has happened and ask if I need to bring her back,or send him an extra hundred bucks as that is what he was getting for females.He tells me keep driving and happy birthday for being honest. Well we get home with the pups,I end up with the female and half interest in the male(to breed my blue dog),the female is doing awesome but three weeks later the male gets parvo and dies.Another phone call to jeff and we discover he has one male left. Another twenty hour turn several days ago,puts me back home at 9p.m.,I call my little bro.to come pick up his pup,to which he says(ill be there in the morn) So I unload pup,watch him get reaquainted with his little sister,run in the house for thirty seconds to set some stuff on the table,comeback out and hes gone! I mean GONE, I search everywhere,but to no avail.

after about thirty minutes searching it occurs to me to leash up one of the older pups and see if they will track him down for me. Sure enough little cameron female is pulling my arm off, but after nearly half mile im convinced its one of the resident foxes were pursuing until we come up on the fresh dump he left on the ditchbank.Ok, so we keep trailing him up to the edge of town,its now eleven thirty at night im wearing a flashlight on my head going in peoples back yards, their dogs are barking at me and im wondering is this really worth being shot for??? So I go back home grab my truck and spotlight and spend the next three hours cruising around looking at three foxes,two skunks,half a dozen cats,every other dog in town,but no pup. Over the course of the next two days we drive every street in town half a dozen times,talk to everyone we see,have a couple unconfirmed sightings,but still no pup. Which brings us to last night,I decide I need to take the dogs I do have out to releive a little stress,as my wife is sure we will never see the money for that little fart again.

So ,I load up my pups, and as im doing so the old dog is letting me hear it for loading her last.I start thinking,maybe ill just let her sit here and bellar, and that might bring the pup back. So we go off on our hunt, which is pretty unproductive other than the exercise, nearly six miles according to garmin. So I get home, I'm chaining dogs back up, and start back for the house when I hear a faint whimper coming from the willows along the creek bed. I shine my light over there, and sure enough, the little convict has returned. But as I call to him, it's off in the willows again. I'm telling myself, "not again." He was so close. Then the thought occurs to me to turn the oldest pup loose on him. I run over, unchain him, and run back over to where I saw the little guy. He goes screaming through the willows, and two hundred yards later, he has the little fart bayed up.I come rushing in grab him by the nape of the neck,save his life,my little brother comes by and pays me and picks him up...AND he throws some awesome pups next spring,I HOPE !!!!later,DOUG

Doug,
Sorry for all the troubles you've had with the pups. However, it did make for a good story. Glad you got your pup back. I'm sure he'll make a fine hound. It seams to me that anything easy usually isn't worth a hoot. This troubled little devil should make into a dandy of a hound. Good luck and keep us posted.
Shorty

ya,I dont think jeff has the time to socialize these pups much at a younger age,in his defense jeff said hed only been out of the stable where he was born three times since he was born,(three months) . Any how we will control his environment a little better until he gets a chance to bond and build a little trust before he is set free in the wilds of colorado again.

Crazy story tere but glad ya got him back.