Hunts I remember. Al Baldwin.

[al baldwin]

This hunt I am hunting three veteran cat hounds and two year old trainees. Skinner, Cody a six year old 1/4 carter cur, 3/4 walker and molly 1/4 carter cur & 3/4 mixed running & treeing walker. I no longer have any interest in skinning bobcats, for the pelts. It was a nice late morning when i headed to an area where I knew a very dog wise cat lived. After a short time on the road skinner first dog to notice cat scent. Soon all five were flagging and trying to work the scent. Advanced scent out of road and began trailing on a steep hill above the road, dogs were just walking that track, only skinner and cody had opened and very little mouth from them, but when skinner opened it was is real excited bark that made me think that cat is not very far ahead of those dogs. that same type track style continue, looking on Garmin realized dogs had crossed the road up a head of me and were working along salmon creek. I eased up the road and standing, watch an open spot saw skinner cody and molly work thru that open & into the brush. The two trainees entered that open, noses to the ground, that cat came out of the brush where skinner, cody & molly had just entered. The cat spotted those two young dogs tipped toed between those young dogs and entered the brush where those dogs had just came from. Those young never realized the cat had just walked between them. Cat had no more cleared the open when skinner came back into that opening gave a very excited bark and crossed open entered the brush, same spot cat had about couple minutes ago. That kind of game between dogs & cat lasted a while. Later, all of a sudden Molly got a very excited jump, others joined her and very soon the cat was treed. Appeared to be and old tom, looked a little beat up. True story so help me God. Al

[lawdawgharris]

The smarts of some animals is really amazing. Was there much difference in those two young dogs with the curr in them once they were really going, I’m talking style wise?


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[al baldwin]

Lawndog, think you misunderstood, those two young dogs were mostly all hound, one was out of Cody, guess he had 1/8 Curr in him. Yes he matured into a very good dog and I sold him to a man named John Harpo, John used him on cougar, bear and bobcat, told me he was the best dog he ever owned. John used trace on damage complaint calls for the state of Oregon and as his hunt for pleasure dog. The other young dog, honestly cannot recall what happened, age and too many young trainees in my time. I later got a pup given to me out trace. Gave that pup to Tom Hawkins, TJ as Tom called him, made a very balanced strike track & tree dog straight on bobcat and cougar. Tom kept him until he was 8 years old, gave him to me he passed and is buried here on the place. TJ had checked too many coyote races for Tom & I to ever sale him. Those two mature 1/4 currs that help catch that cat, were both dandies. Each had a very different style, Cody was a large female had the color and body of an oversized redbone. She was vary smart, full open trailer, good track, box dog, locate and tree dog and would also check a trash race. Molly the other 1/4 curr who actually caught that cat, small built, tight mouthed, vert fast track dog, always looking for the front end of the track and most of the time had the front. Treed good with other tree dogs, loose on tree if hunted with dogs that roamed the tree. HOPE HAVE ANSWERED YOUR GUESTION. Al

him.

[lawdawgharris]

Yes sir you answered them. Don’t let off of the gas. I’m loving these stories. Did you ever hunt any other breeds besides hound?


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[macedonia mule man]

Al, what breed of cur do use up there to mix with the hounds or should what do you like to mix ?

[al baldwin]

Muleman, there are very few curs here in this area that i am aware of. Those two females had what they called Carter Cur in them. At the time I bought those females I had never heard of a carter cur. Quite a story but will explain how I happen to owe those dogs. I had made a tough decision to sell a couple cat dogs that was using to train skinner and a litter mate to him with. Those two cat dogs i sold were a male called pusher & female called red. I had raised and trained both of them. Good dogs that caught cat, handled nice caused no trash problems, only thing was they were both tight on the cold trail. One day they trailed for hours and I got maybe a hand full of barks. A good friend had been trying to get me to price Pusher to him, that same I priced pusher at 4000 dollars, he knew I sold on impulse, he was at my house hour later, wrote me a check. He kept pusher until he passed and was very pleased with pusher. Then My good friend & hunting partner, Tom Hawkins, had told me he was looking for tree power, Red was a lock down tree dog, once she settled on a cat tree, dogs could leave tree or what ever, if red knew the cat was there she was not leaving. Priced her at 3000 dollars, he bought her over the phone, picked her up next day. When hunted with pusher & Red, skinner had shined like a super star, but I soon realized he was not as good when hunting with is litter. I then paid 2500 dollars for a six year old female that was suppose to do it all, she was a decent hound, real cold nosed, only had one speed on track. Skinner and his litter would run off and leave her and I discovered she would not locate a bobcat coming in behind those two younger dogs. Sold her for the 2500 I paid for her, she worked fine in that person/s pack and all was happy. Looking & found a man that was quitting cat hunting, dove over and hunting with Cody & Molly, We never treed or jumped anything, did work several old track. I left there with Cody & molly on a thirty day trial, must have been my lucky, he was asking 4000 for cody, but he kept saying how molly was in the lead on lots of his races, but she was not treeing & was a one man dog. So talked him into throwing that young molly in for the same 4000 dollars for both dogs. Home with new dogs on trial, on the third hunt I made Cody struck from the box. after a good trail job, those dog jumped covered a bunch of ground and blew the top out of a treed bobcat. Skinner had lead the way on that track, but soon found after cody & molly got into running shape molly was always going to have the lead on a running cat lots of the time. Of course, I called the man who sold those females to me and said cash the check. Best money I ever spent on dogs. I then sold skinner/s litter and kept tabs on him he too made a good one and a guide in Minnisota told me that dog made him lots of money. True story as I remember it, swear to God. Al

[lawdawgharris]

You were lucky all the way around. Getting back what you paid for the one female and that person liking her was maybe the best luck you had. It’s funny how different dogs fit different people.


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[al baldwin]

Lawdawgs, I was lucky. Red that I sold to Friend Tom Hawkins he was very happy with her, kelp her until she was over eight and i helped him sell her to Betty Nelson, George/s sister-in-law. Betty was up in years, Red continued to tree a few bobcat for her and betty loved red, gave tom 500 for her, betty said best money ever spent and red had a great retirement home. Red was a half sister to skinner, strange how that memory just came back to me. This typing hard for me, but helps my mind. Thanks to anyone who has read my stories. have a good day, go tree one. Also remember that trace who I sold to John Harpo was out of skinner & Cody. Also remember Robin Powell bought a brother to trace as a pup from me. He trained Rusty and sold him for 5000 dollars on 30 day trial to some hunter in Washington. Guess Rusty must have pleased them, they kept him. Al

[al baldwin]

Fred Riley was one of the nicest person i ever knew. I stopped by his place in Coquille, just to visit. Our conservation soon turned to some young dogs about four month old, he and Glenn Dexter had sent Fred/s best female back east and had her bred to Finley River Chief or Chief Jr. There was a small, tight built, tricolor female that caught my eye, I was shocked when Fred told me he would sell her to me for 35 dollars, Fred had selected a male that was as coon footed as I had ever seen, and this female was built like a show dog. Well I did not have 35 dollars on me, Fred said take her home pay me when you can. Queen has I named her was as natural female as the ole belle dog I have wrote about. First time I took her to the woods with the Chub dog, she noticed a scent left the road, Chub paid no attention to her, I am thinking she was found some kind of trash. In short time she opened a few times and started barking treed. She was only 50 yards or lees away, I found she had three young coons treed. I did not want a coon dog but was elated, thinking I can stop that. That young female continued to be impressive, big problem was once she got on a track there was no calling he off until she treed or the critter just eluded her completely. Another problem she was game crazy and proved impossible to break from running deer. Recall one morning Clarence Berg and I had walked the dogs out on Salk Lick, dogs found a track and was cold trailing a like nothing track. A big wind storm started up and we started calling dogs off that track. Got all the dogs back but queen. Clarence took the dogs and headed for the rig. Staying with queen I was trying to get her caught, when she jumped that track before long she was treed, could not believe it, but she had a nice tom bobcat treed. Clarence was shocked when i arrived at the rig, bobcat on my back, Queen on leash. Was shocked to find that she out ran Tom Barnette/s dogs on a coyote race one day, i mean she was so far ahead there was no doubt. Tom had been up set with me and had told me get rid of that crazy female. But, he did make the comment after that race, guess i know why you have not shot her. Few days later TOM found a male littermate to Queen and bought him, he was not the dog queen was .One morning after Queen had jumped her third deer off a cold cat track chub & her were working, I became so flustered I shot at her to my surprise she quit that deer. Discovered the bullet had glazed her back. Called Fred and sold her back to him. Fred had her tree a coyote in a Myrtle tree, had never heard of such, but did not doubt, I knew Queen. Fred hunted queen wit a very good cat hunter, named Harold Middleton, queen shined and Harold had to own Queen. Paid Fred 750 dollars for her. Few weeks later Harold phoned Fred, stated, Fred, not mad at you, how do you get Queen to quit a track? You don/t queen quits when she is ready! Harold said Fred I will sale her back to you for half what I pad for her I paid. Fred bought her back. Short time later, fred hunted Queen with Oakley Fowler, queen shined, Oakley had to own her, Paid fred 1000 dollars for her. Oakley was waiting foe insurance money to pay Fred his money. Fred & Oakley hunted Queen with a man who guided with his dogs. Fred told me they started a track early one morning, ran that track for hours, dogs keep dropping out of that race, finally only dog running that track was Queen. When that guides last dog quit the race. That guide was furiuos, telling Oakley that coyote running bitch has got my dogs on a coyote. Fred said q ueen treed, Oakley then said, now we will find out who is correct. At the tree they found queen had treed a smallish female bobcat. Fred said short time after he got home, phone rang, that guide wanted to know has Oakley paid you yet for queen. Fred stated no. Good I will give you more money for queen. Fred refused the offers. Few months Oakley lost Queen while hunting, never seen or heard of her again. Oakley thought she was stolen. True story on my part & Fred Riley was an honest man. Al

[macedonia mule man]

Not only your are a good hunt story teller I believe you are a pretty good dog seller.

[lawdawgharris]

Man ole Queen was as good selling people homing pigeons, lol. She sounds like a heck
of a dog. I would’ve hunted her!


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[al baldwin]

Mule man I was a poor dog seller, Tom Barnett, told me i sold too cheap. Tom also told my friend Dave Stallard, when i sold Pusher, don/t know what he is looking for, pusher is as nice a dog as he will ever find. Thinking back think Fred gave me a couple hundred for her. He had hunted with Queen & i and knew what abilities she had. Lawndag, queen was not old at all, about 2 & half when i sold back to Fred. Recall i had her on that bear that stoodup over near agness she did a heck of job on it. She also led the race all the way on that cougar we treed early morning and was the first dog to locate and tree on it. Maybe biggest mistake I ever made in dogs was getting disgusted and giving up on her. I should have bred her to chub and seen what happened. Later years when I was able to buy good training collar, would have made it much easier to get her trash running and taught her to come off a track much easier. Harold Middleton was a very good dog trainer, much more experience than I at the short time he owned queen and he too gave up. Water under the bridge. And lawndag to answer your question from earlier post no I never tried anything but hounds, loved to hear them work. Al

[lawdawgharris]

I understand about loving the hounds. They are my favorite as a whole. But…..man they can be trying, just like Queen.


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[al baldwin]

Yes hounds can be hard to trash break, however later years with a place in country where pups were raised with deer present daily. Modern e-collars, Garmin tracking, dogs like Queen much easier to break. The big problem today finding places to hunt and with Me health. Al

[lawdawgharris]

I hear you on both accounts Al. The greatest tool ever invented is the e-collar unless you don’t know how to use it. My bay dogs and catch dogs are all tone broke so that I can call them back if they get too close to a highway or somewhere that they shouldn’t be. I use to hunt alone a good bit, but with my health issues now, it doesn’t make much sense to try it. If I’m good I’m good, but when I’m not, I’m REALLY not. Plus my nephew is my main hunting partner and he’s more like a son to me. I love spending time with him being able to mentor him. Hopefully when I’m gone he’ll still be able to carry these dogs on.


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