• Login
  • Contact Us
  • My Account
  • Subscribe to the Clay County Free Press
  • Clay Free Press e-Edition
  • Logout
Friday, January 15, 2021
  • Login
Clay County Free Press
  • News
    • Local
  • Sports
  • Notices
  • Obituaries
  • Courthouse News
    • Booked
    • Magistrate News
  • Opinions
    • Can You Identify
    • Cook’s Corner
    • Echo From the Hills
    • Salt & Sonshine
    • The Baptist Classroom
  • Spiritual
    • Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
    • Transcendental Meditation
    • Parabola
  • Contact Us
  • epress
  • News From Around The State
  • News From Around The Country
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Local
  • Sports
  • Notices
  • Obituaries
  • Courthouse News
    • Booked
    • Magistrate News
  • Opinions
    • Can You Identify
    • Cook’s Corner
    • Echo From the Hills
    • Salt & Sonshine
    • The Baptist Classroom
  • Spiritual
    • Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
    • Transcendental Meditation
    • Parabola
  • Contact Us
  • epress
  • News From Around The State
  • News From Around The Country
No Result
View All Result
Clay County Free Press
No Result
View All Result

Old dogs, great hunts and great memories

Mountain Messenger by Mountain Messenger
December 23, 2020
in Local Stories, News, Top Stories
0
Old dogs, great hunts and great memories

Bones and Blackie on the hunt. Allen Hamrick photo.

0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

By Allen Hamrick

Ol’Daisy, a bear’s nightmare. Justin Duffield photo.

People say a dog is a man’s best friend, and down through the ages, dogs have proved that this is a possibility.  Throughout time, since they were domesticated from wolves nearly 12,000 years ago, dogs have lived with humans as a hunting companion, a bodyguard, and a friend.  They have been cross bred to more than 400 different breeds since the gray wolf and have been bred for different purposes to benefit their human companions. Because of their loyalty, friendship and ability to protect, dogs have become a regular part of the family dynamic, especially in our part of the globe.  In early American culture, dogs were mainly hunting companions and were the front line against predators, animal or human.  In the cattle and sheep industry, dogs were the protectors and the herders, saving the owner many hours of work.  In modern days, dogs are still used for those purposes but are also used as guides for blind and disabled people.  They are also on the front lines of police work and rescue and also play a role in the military. Dogs have sniffers on them that make them the best at tracking other animals and in finding missing people, explosives, drugs, and sometimes their masters by their scent.  Most of all, dogs adapt to their situation and make the best of it.  Their loyalty is impeccable and unbreakable.  As the line goes, put your dog and either your wife or husband in the truck of a car, drive a mile down the road, and when you raise the trunk lid, see which one will be happy to see you.

Bones and Blackie on the hunt. Allen Hamrick photo.

Around this part of the country, most families have dogs that hunt and protect, from blue ticks to red ticks, beagles to plots, mutts to bloodhounds. They all have been with us in the woods at one time or another and have let us know when intruders are around.  Some of those hunting dogs have proven beyond any doubt that they can get the job done when duty is called.  There have been and still are a lot of dog owners around here that raccoon hunt, bear hunt, rabbit hunt and squirrel hunt.  Stories can be told of great hunts that couldn’t have been possible without the dogs, stories of dogs that have become legend in Clay County, the best at their craft of hunting down predators or game.  I know of several dogs that have earned the right to be remembered.

Macy getting down and dirty on the hunt for rats. Allen Hamrick photo.

Dan, an English Red Tick, held the title of Grand Night Champion raccoon hunter and was featured in a raccoon hunters’ magazine.  He was a legend who took hunting raccoons to an art form.  Unfortunately, all photos of him were lost in a fire.  Bobby’s Jo, a night hunting champion legend in the state of WV;  Macy, a Jack Russell Terrier, was a legend at killing rats;  Thunder and Lightning, two Norwegian dogs that could make raccoons and bobcats wish they were in Never Never Land; Lady, a beagle that was a rabbit’s worst nightmare;  Daisy and Lou, a Blue Tick and  Plott team that became mythical bear hunters;  Lil Magill, Bones and Blackie, a three part squirrel hunting team that could fill your pot with squirrels.  Lil was a Mountain Fiest/Border Collie mix, and Bones and Blackie are both an unlikely cross of Norwegian and Chihuahua. These dogs are just a few on a list of many greats that have earned their place as master hunters.  Most of them are gone now, but there are some up and coming dogs that will try to fill the paw prints of those now drifted into legend but are still remembered around hunting camps as some of the best.

Maukwa, an up and coming bear’s nightmare. Allen Hamrick photo.

One of the stories I will share is of the triple threat of Lil Magill, Bones, and Blackie.  Their hunting techniques were ones of mastery.  Lil Magill was the fastest of the three dogs.  She would circle high above their target and wait until the other two dogs were in position.  Once set, Lil would charge down the hill so fast that the squirrel would not have time to get into a tree and would run straight into the other two dogs.  It was something to watch; the squirrel would be completely surrounded with nowhere to go but up and into the sights of the hunter.  One of Lil Magill’s techniques was to get into a hollow log and wait, especially if she was hunting alone.  If you would like to have your dog’s photo and story featured, send it to us we will be glad to put it in print.

Lady with her eyes on the prize. Allen Hamrick photo.
Previous Post

Reverse Christmas Parade Brings Cheer to Clay County Children

Next Post

Lew and Zeb – Tourney fishing the hard way

Next Post

Lew and Zeb - Tourney fishing the hard way


Full Access To All Our 40 Editors, reporters & writers.

100’s of stories each week.

Click Here


 

  • News
  • Sports
  • Notices
  • Obituaries
  • Courthouse News
  • Opinions
  • Spiritual
  • Contact Us
  • epress
  • News From Around The State
  • News From Around The Country

© 2021 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Local
  • Sports
  • Notices
  • Obituaries
  • Courthouse News
    • Booked
    • Magistrate News
  • Opinions
    • Can You Identify
    • Cook’s Corner
    • Echo From the Hills
    • Salt & Sonshine
    • The Baptist Classroom
  • Spiritual
    • Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
    • Transcendental Meditation
    • Parabola
  • Contact Us
  • epress
  • News From Around The State
  • News From Around The Country

© 2021 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
  • Sign in

Forgot your password?

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive mail with link to set new password.

Back to login