Carl Moore coonhunterssupply.com
When I was about six years old my family lived on a farm in Northwestern Pennsylvanian. A friend of my father loved to hunt raccoons in our corn fields. My dad worked in the steel mill near home and could not stay up late enough to go coon hunting with his friend Sig. It was decided that I should go with Sig. to hunt. He had a fine old hound called Joe. Joe could work the corn fields and woods and would always find an old coon trail. When he opened on trail, Joe would give one long Yodel. Then he would just bellow the most beautiful and haunting sounds into the night that I had ever heard. The coon was on the run. Sig never killed the coon Joe treed and after a few chases a smart coon would just lay out a long trail until Joe got too close. At that point the coon would take to tree. When Joe found the tree with the coon sitting up there he would let out a high pitched bark. Then there would be a minute or so of dead air. I would hold my breath, waiting for the next bark. If in deed the coon was up there only then did Joe tree. If the coon had touched the tree and went on Joe would again give his yodel and be on the trail again.
Sig and I would wait and let Joe tree for a while then go to the tree. When we got to the tree Sig would praise that old hound,hug him,and tell that how great he was. There always seemed to be a few candy bars in Sig's pockets. He would sit down on the ground and break off a big piece for Joe. We would just sit there and Sig would talk to the old hound just like he would to his own children. Of course he gave me a candy bar, but I was just an observer, Joe was the show.
We hunted together for many years. Sig, Joe and I not only hunted our corn fields, but we also hunted other areas near home. When I was about eight years I found an advertisement in Out Door Life magazine. The said you could buy a coon hound from a man in Mississippi. A treeing coon hound and guaranteed to trail and tree. Full voice and sharp tree bark. Priced at 35 dollars plus 35 dollars shipping from Mississippi. The hound would be shipped by train and guaranteed to arrive healthy and fit.
I had some money saved up from mowing lawns and other odd jobs. I talked to Sig and he said let him think about the idea for a few days. Little did I know then, that Sig called the man in Mississippi and made sure the dog was indeed a descent coon hound. When I talked to him again, he said he thought my idea over and I should order the dog, but if the new hound was not to Joe liking Sig And I would have to take turns with hunting the dogs. Joe would be hunted the most cause he was the big dog of the two.
I was at the train station at least an hour before the train caring my hound arrived. Dad and Sig were both at work and my mother was with some friends. I think that was the longest hour of my young life.
When the train did arrive a conductor got off and had my hound in tow. I saw the worlds most beautiful dog. She was fairly large, marked just like the pictures I had seen of some of the great Blue tick Hounds of the past. The conductor said her mane was Blue. Her grate was still on the train, but would be set off in a minute. My dad was going to pick us up after work. I left the crate at the train station and told them to tell dad I took the dog home.
The three mile walk home was boy loves dog walk. We walked, sat and just talked, and checked to be sure each and every hair was in place. I let her run and when I was sure she would stay with me. I just let off the chain and we walked. I could not have more proud of her. I probably have kept even if she did not hunt coon.
Sig and I with Joe and Blue hunted for many years together. The hounds hunted like a team. Sig was just as proud of the lady as I was. My first dog Blue was a great hound, but always the perfect lady. coonhunterssupply.com
