The Hunter’s Horn
September, 1963
Page Eleven
JIM MYRICK
Mena, Ark
Hounds and Hunters
Hunters: Let’s take them first. They are likable characters. Real hunter, I might add, are loveable,
although many hunters are not very understandable, and I often find hunters with opposite opinions.
Once I was asked by an ardent July man why I ran Triggs. I said, “Well, I like their notes or cry, their
gameness and ability to run the line. Now I’ve answered your question. Why do you run Julys?”
“Well,” he said, “I like their speed, voice and fox sense.”
A few years later I changed to Walkers. I have been asked many times why I did this. My answer was, “I
like the Walker best”—knowing all along that one breed is just as good as the other. I have always
found that it is not the breed that counts, but the breeder and the bloodlines that are used. You can
breed hounds to near perfection, then in one foolish cross lose all that has been accomplished.
Originators and founders of the breeds of foxhounds had but one thing in mind—breed a first-class
foxhound. I don’t know of any one of them that fell short of their goal. These men we should look up to
with respect and thankfulness for making it possible for us to own hounds today that will get up on a fox
and “dog” it.
While today we believe we have a better bred hound than the ones of yester-year, can we honestly say
we are breeding better hunters? Do hunters today demand better hound than did the old timers? My
answer here would be, definitely not. The old timers, I think, were much more discriminating than
hunters of today, taken as a whole. They demanded hounds that possessed the many characteristics
that first class foxhounds should have, to be called foxhound. Today I find that the average hunter is
settling for too much junk. I also find that it is almost impossible to find a hunter that will destroy his
culls, such as cutters, babblers and quitters. To me, these three hounds are in the same class as
rattlesnakes. I have also seen these three faults in one hound, and seen him used for breeding stock.
Do you want pups from these?
“The perfect hound has never been bred,” many will say. That is true, in one respect. The perfect
human has never been born, either, but it is very possible that we can breed a hound to near
perfection. If a hound has no faults, like cutting, babbling and quitting, and can get up on a fox and run
the line hour after hour, to me he is as near perfect as I want. I don’t want one any smarter, for he would
be too much smarter than I am.
Today I realize that we are up against many factors that make it hard to even run a race, in many places—
such as highways, trappers, fences, and farmers that are moving out of the cities into rural areas, who
don’t understand nature and the love of the chase. IN the last 20 years I can see a great change in our
once loved running and casting grounds. This we have to cope with the best we can. Many of the
oldtimers are quitting, saying that it is just too hard to have a race any more. I, myself, have became
disgusted many times, but have managed to hold on. I think if I couldn’t have a race, it would still be
good to have hounds, just to soothe my soul.
Hounds of today rarely get tested as to their gameness. Most hunters run once each week, usually on
Saturday nights. This will hardly keep hounds in condition. I like to run at least two nights each week, if
at all possible. Many hounds that re run only once will take more, and will quit if put to the test. I have
never been a believer of doubling hounds back, night after night, only to test the gameness. Even the
best can be ruined by going too far.
Once an old timer said if he had a dog that had the speed of a July, the voice of a Trigg and the
endurance of a Walker blended into one hound, he would have a perfect hound. That may be true, but it
hurts me to say that if we had a hound of that caliber today, this would be the most hated hound in the
country. Hunters are jealous and can’t take defeat.
Once I knew a hound that ran honestly, ahead of every hound that she ever ran with. She ran the line
perfectly, and she was the most hated hound in that country. I had nothing but respect for this hound
and her owner, and tried to buy her many times. And I did finally get the owner to let me breed her and
got a litter of pups from her. The get developed into fine hounds. But local hunters did not want this
fine blood.
I have never set an aim to beat my fellow hunter in a race, but have always looked for someone that
could beat me. Then I have found the bloodlines to improve mine.
Most hunters I have ever talked to can recall some hound that they owned years ago, that was the most
outstanding hound that they can remember. Bell, a hound that I have now, is the best that I have ever
owned (I am proud to say). But if I live another ten years, I’ll try to breed a better one.
My book, “Life Behind the Chase,” is in to the printer’s now and will be advertised in The Hunter’s Horn
as soon as it is ready.