I first started coonhunting when I was 13. I was living on a farm with little to do in the evenings and on the weekends. One day, my cousin asked me if I wanted to go coonhounting. I went and loved it! After that night, I started going with some other hunters.
My dad had hunted before I was old enough to remember but from what I understand he had a pack of about 10 high yellows which was a cross between black and tan and something?
When I was 14, I was able to find a hound of my own. A guy that worked with my dad had a registered Trigg Hound, a deer running fool he was! My buddies tried to tell me he would never tree and you should have heard the gripping they did everytime we went hunting; (...you aint gonna take that deer dog are ya?) but I still took him,, thats when I learned that treeing ability just about HAS to be bred into a dog, because they were right he never did tree! Big Cloud, my trigg hound, was hit by a car one night after running the hair off an alabama white tail and then I got serious about finding something that would tree.
I heard about a guy that ran deer with dogs that had a Bluetick that he wasn't happy with because he would stop in the middle of a deer race and tree Coon! I talked My brother into driving me up to the guy's house and that day, I bought my first coon dog for $100... He never ran another deer. I called him Diamond Jim... Ole Jim was about 8 years old and had never been on any kind of heart worm preventive and died the next year.. Then after seeing where the red fern grows, I had to have a red bone, I bought one from a dog trader and there wasnt a possum in south alabama that didnt know him by his first name!
Back when I first started compitition hunting, you could hunt a grade dog. I remember placing in a couple of hunts with these non-papered dogs. In my first compitition hunt, I entered a dog that I borrowed from my cousin. Unfortunately, he was scratched for attacking another dog before he even got off the lead.
As far as winning goes, I lost a whole lot more than I won for about the first 5 or 6 years. The Key to winning a hunt is having a dog that you know, and when he barks you know what he is doing at all times and then knowing the rules like the back of your hand.
I am a member of several local clubs Elba is really my home club I
try to make a hunt on the weekends if there is one within 100 miles of me.. In 96 I drove 23 1/2 hours to get to waverly Iawo, it was black and tan days.. I went with some guys that hunt black dogs and I won my cast with my walker male and was 4th high scoring grand night.. its probably a good thin I didnt win they would of never been able to stand it(me winning B & T days with a walker! In 96 I made that trip again to compete in the UKC world finals and pulled a 16th out overall we were very pleased with this... 97 we got 7th in the lee crawford invatation in Columbia city IN another great win for us!
1996 American Heritage Hunt
The 96 American heritage hunt was in TX.. at the time Trixie the
winner of the night champion section was owned and hunted by Tommy
Ogeltree,, after we decided to make some changes in our breeding
program, we decided good females were just as important to a breeding
program as the male dog so we bought Trixie and we are booking pups out
of her and Rodeo right now..
1996 World Hunt
The 96 UKC world championship was the most prestigous hunt we had ever attended.. these folks were for real! the atmosphere there was unbelieveable! I have never been involved with a more serious group of competitors.. thats why the 16th place we got with Rodeo meant so much to us.. there were over 5000 entries that year to make it where we were..
1996 Lee Crawford Invitational
The lee crawford was a big hunt because its by invatation only,, you
must win 1st in a walker sectional before you can get an invite.. we won
our sectional in Albany Ga the same place the winter classic was held..
then on to columbia city In.. after the lee crawford hunt my truck tore
up I was there for 10 days so it was kinda bitter sweet.. but the guys
from the local clubs were really nice and they took me hunting every
nite.. Heck when I told the folks at home that I got to go hunting so
much up there they said nothing was wrong with my truck ( imagin that?)
I tell ya if I could come up with one thing that has made me
successful in my winnning hunts ( hold on to your hat! ) it would be a
good wife! My wife has put up[ with me coming home and saying he7y! I
gotta go to indiana I will be back in a week or I am going hunting again
tonight dear, for along time. I told her when we got married that she
knew how I hunted and I didnt plan on stopping now and said she was
behind me 100%.. so young men when you start to pop that question make
sure your future partner is going to support you.. because I have been
on both sides of the fence.. My first wife didnt like it and wouldnt put
up with me hunting.. so she traded me in for another year model.. and
this far I have lived happily ever after! (SMILE)
The 98 winter classic was the best year in GA yet! Rodeo won his cast on
fri night and was the 4th over all high scoring dog he got 70 purina
points! then cookie on sat night with her big win 1st over all and 100
purina points.. I tell ya gentelman something it has been along road up
to this point and we hope to win some major events in the future.. Rodeo
My Gr Nt Male and Cookie My duel Champion Female were breed together and
the pups should be here early march.. there is nothing I would rather do
that win a major event with one of those pups! I know they will be breed
right the rest I guess will be up to me... good hunting keep those houns
looking up...
1998 UKC Winter Classic, Albany Georgia, A classic Coon Hunt in the Old South:
Charlie Marler is certainly no stranger to the UKC Winter Classic. He and his Kennel Manager, Sam Moates, have entered the UKC Winter Classic in 10 years of it's 11-year history. One year I was overseas, Charlie says, but ...
Charlie says he couldn't have done it alone...
My Nephew, Sam Moates, has been My Kennel Manager ever since he was old enough to drive. Sam has been a real insperation to my kennel and my breeding program. He has also been handling dogs for me and himself ever since he was about 13 years old.
Sam grew up with hounds. I dont know how he does it, but he can get inside a hound's mind and think like the animal. Sam and I own several nice females together. He has been holding a regular job and going to school at the same time for alot of years. This has allowed him to buy half interest in several dogs, togther, we own 5 nite champion females and one grand nite champion female. Sam recently finished a 2 year Junior college and he has decided to move to a major 4 year University. Upon making this decision he was faced with another decision, what he would do with his dogs.
Sam and I talked on sat. the 31st, the second day of the 98 winter classic, he said he had
decided to sell his half of Champion' Nite Champion Swamp Cookie. Within 30 minutes, a Friend of mine from Brantley, Al was asking about buying her, Jeff Beck. I told Jeff Sam Might be interested in selling his half of cookie it would be totally up to sam though.. the ponderd it over for a couple of hours and Jeff made Sam an offer he Couldnt refuse.. After making the deal Jeff and I ask Sam If he would hunt cookie for us Sat. nite she was already paid up and ready to go he agreed to do it. Sam leashed Cookie that night just as if she were still his hound while Jeff and I looked on.. I have never seen a pair (dog/Man) work together like these two did that night! I was so proud of them and still am! Sam Moates Kin or not will be welcome in my program anytime any place. He Scored 1425+ that night 1st 2 trees where circled then the next 6 trees he had a 1st and 1st on everyone of them.. then the next tree he took a 1st and 2nd the last turn out he took a 1st and 2nd and then drew75 minus for leaving the tree which was circled by the one dog still remaining.. the hunt time ran out leaving his last 100 stike points circled and was able to calll her off the track! Way to go Sam!!!! We had bred cookie 3 weeks before the Classic and almost didnt hunt her but things went well and we are mighty proud we did.. Cookie won 1st place Nite Champion and Overall Hunt winner,, a win I was glad to bring
back to the kennel!!
