Show Notes
If there is one thing for certain, it is that no matter how hard we try to slow it down, time marches on. The same goes for Dick Brothers and his line of Charley Creek coonhounds. They keep marching on.
On this episode of Deep & Lonely Bryce sits down with veteran competition coonhunter, Dick Brothers, to discuss his impressive career in the sport. For more than 60 years Dick Brothers has been a competitor and breeder of coonhounds. Dick takes us down memory lane talking about his start with coonhounds, winning the 1994 United Kennel Club World Championship, and the stroke that tried to knock him down and how that event motivated him more than ever to get back in the woods.
Any given night of the week you can find Dick and his hounds deep in the woods of Indiana in hopes of treeing the next raccoon. Dick has been at this sport for several decades and has no plan of slowing down any time soon. Pull up those chaps and turn up the volume. It’s about to get deep.
Show Transcript
[00:00:00] Go Wild is a free social community created for and by Hunters. This means that unlike mainstream social media, your trophy pictures won't be censored. They're encouraged. As you spend time on Go Wild. You will earn awesome rewards such as gift cards, free swag, and big discounts on brands like Garmin and Vortex.
You will even earn $10 just for signing up. Visit, download, go wild.com and sign up today.
The Hounds XP podcast is fueled by joy dog, food joy. Dog food has a rich tradition of supporting the Hounds Man of America, founded in 1945. Joy is proud of its history and the relationship it has built with the American Hounds man. And in 76 years, there's never been a recall made with a hundred percent American made high quality ingredient.
Joy Dog Food has one of the highest calorie dense formulas on the market For 76 years, this [00:01:00] Made In America product has kept hunting dogs in the field day after day, season after season. And when we say Made in America, joy has a long track record of fighting for American freedoms by being on the front lines against the animal rights movement and their extremist tactics.
Joy will fuel your hounds and fight for your freedoms fueled by.
My name is Bryce Matthews, and this is The Deep and Lonely Podcast presented to you by Hounds Man xp. During this podcast, we will dive deep into what makes the ultimate top level and unmatched extreme competition. Koon Hunter. We will hear stories of old tales of today, and we will dive deep into what separates the men from the boys.
The stories will be raw. The truth will be told and the camaraderie will be second to none. Pull up your chaps. [00:02:00] It's about to get deep. All right guys. Welcome to the Deep and Lonely Podcast presented by Hounds Man xp. Today I am in North central Indiana. Drove up here to have a conversation with one of the legends in our sport.
I think you could. A guy who's really paved the way for the tree and Walker breed. Over the years a guy who's still very competitive to this day loves to be competitive and he loves the pleasure hunt. Today we're speaking with Dick Brothers from Peru, Indiana. How you doing Dick? Very good.
Bryce. Hey so I wanted to get you on here, Dick, cuz you and I have been hunting a lot the last few weeks. We've, we found out, we found ourselves living in a the same area, a good place to hunt together. And over the last few weeks I'd say that, you and I have really become good friends and I've really enjoyed my time with you and our company in the woods.
It's nice to have somebody to go out and hunt with somebody who loves the sport as much as I do. So first off, I just wanna say, thank you for that and I appreciate you for joining me today.[00:03:00] Why don't you tell the listeners here just a little bit about Dick Brothers. Wh where did you get started?
How did you get into the coon hunting and just anything else that you think would be interesting for that paved your way in the foundation for you and your love of the sport? High got into coon hunting years ago I hunted with a pair of black dogs and that was my. Person experience and they were a pair of dogs together.
They made one to good dog . So they had to work together. You weren't turning them loose separately. You turned 'em loose together. No. I hunted with Dick Smith one whole season. I didn't have a dog at that. and that's what we've got acquainted. He was good friend of mine years ago. So were you, how old were you when you started Coon hunting?
In, in my twenties, early twenties. So that's about the same path as me. I got started when I was 20 years old. A lot of these guys, it's really cool to hear how they started when they were little kids. But for me, I feel like I got a little bit later start, but it makes [00:04:00] me appreciate it more.
A little bit. You got started in your twenties, you've been doing this a long time. You've developed your own line of tree and walkers you hunt your own stuff. You've accomplished one of the greatest hunts to win as far as prestige goes. And we're gonna get into all that. When did you first start competition hunting?
How long did it take you from the time you started coon hunting until you entered your first hunt? Do you know how that was? I entered my first. I hunted a dog at Mike Colder honed, and I hunted in Ohio State Championship my second year. Kuan and one second place registered in Ohio State Championship that year.
That's not bad for a beginner. No. Was that beginner's luck or were you packing a good. He said he said just call her how you hear her. And I did that. And if I would've been a more experienced handler and [00:05:00] I wouldn't have made one mistake. I won first place, but, I didn't know anything about playing defense.
that's a big part of the competition these days. Yes, sir. And that's, that was my fir first experience with competition hunting, man. That's great. Were you bit by the bug whenever you first started competition hunting after that night? Did you know that was what you wanted to do? Oh yeah.
Yes, sir. Absolutely. I feel the same way. I went with a buddy for the first time, hunted and just had a great time. , I got into a comp, I went with another buddy and went competition hunting with him. Just followed along on the cast with him. And watching him handle that dog and watching how that cast played out it, the bug bit me.
I was like, that's what I want to do. I want to be a top level competition, Coon Hunter. And I think you've earned that. I've always been competitively at everything I've done. I played sports, football, and track and in high school. In grade [00:06:00] school all the way through my years and I've been very competitive anyway, so I just picked up with Koon downs.
Yeah. And I used to field trial lab labs. And I trained bird dog too. So you've always had an a working dog at your house. You've always been involved Yes, sir. With dogs in one way or another? Yes, sir. Do, so you started off with a pair of black and tans. When did you switch or convert to the train walker Breed?
I didn't own a dog at that time. I just went with Dick Smith. Okay. And when, and then I met a. by the TA name of Tom Wise and Mike Colder. And they in introduced me to train walkers and Toma and I became France and we partnered ship up on one dog and that was my first [00:07:00] experience. So to. That dog that you had, is that by chance one of the dogs that laid the foundation for the line that you've been hunting for years or no?
Did it take a while for you to get No, but that dog helped me see what a good tree dog was. He was a third or fourth strike dog and a first tree dog. That pressure tree. The back then he was out of Miller's Rock and and Mil Miller, Laverne Millers were real. well known guy, so that, that dog it obviously had a major influence on you.
How long were you in the game before you started experimenting with breeding and wanted to have something of your own? I obtained three walker females and let me back out. I obtained a walker female from Dick Smith, and she's a real good dog. She's never been in a hunt before. I granted [00:08:00] her out one year and she won a Hooser State championship and and she died really young.
She's about six years old when she died of cancer. So I knew she would good dog. And I thought I wanted to get Walker females and be a breeder, so to speak, yeah. Trial and error. And I learned a lot of things reading the books and talked to other breeders and so I started out three walker female.
one was Charlie Creek, Jill one to Tra Charlie Creek Patches and Charlie Creek Beauty. Where does the Charlie Creek name come from? When I was a kid, I lived in Wabash and Charlie Creek went run through Wabash and I trap that creek years ago. And I walk from home [00:09:00] and run my trap line every morning every.
Before school and after school. So you were doing that in grade school and Yeah. I, you were just doing that to have a little pocket change or, yeah. Yes, sir. Back in the day, the furs were worth something. Oh, yeah. And you, so you ran a pretty extensive trap line, you told me that the other night when you and I were hunting that was something that you enjoyed doing.
Do you still do any trapping or are you strictly into the hunting now? No, not none at all. None at all. And. When I started coon hunting I didn't trap any coons anymore. No more? No, no more. Just let the dogs do it. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Did you? Yes, sir. If you were to catch one by chance, did you mess with them and turn 'em loose?
Yeah. No. , and I say that Dick, because you know it's funny, as we're recording this podcast last night, Dick and I, we went out and trying to. Fourth little p of mine and we had a coon and a trap, and that thing would not come out. And Dick reached down there and grabbed it by the tail and pulled it outta of the trap.
[00:10:00] I've been don known to do a lot of crazy stuff in my, oh gosh, Dick. It made my night. I wasn't prepared for it. I wasn't expecting it yeah. I didn't know if that was something you did back on the Travon. Yeah I did too. Do that too. You. So you had your females? Yeah I made Jill a night champion and I couldn't get her, get a first place win on patches.
She's a good dog, but she would independent, she would go opposite direction sometimes she would be outta hearing and Breed dog. I made a grand night champion. I placed her in top 20 of the world, hunt twice. And I won several big hunts with her big hunts. A lot of breed days black and tan days, English days, and blue tech days, and she's a real deal.
Back, back then, when you were hunting her, was U KC the only registry around that you were hunting or there? Other kennel registries just. [00:11:00] PKC had just started. Okay. It was PCA back then. And I didn't feel I had the money to go to route to registered. Really? , no. Yeah. So you supported U KC the most?
Yeah. Most. Now you said you got top 20 in the world twice. Yeah. That's an accomplishment that a lot of people won't get done once in, in the top 20. Yeah. I don't know where I place, a lot of people go to the world. Or every year they try to qualify for it. And to say that you made it into the top 20 is a feat in itself.
Yes, sir. And you did that twice, right? With the same dog, right? Beauty did. Did you ever make another run at the World Hunt with any other dog? Before you, you ultimately won the U K C World Championship? . Yeah. I was trying to win a world hunt, but, I won 10th place in H c h A world hunt with Charlie Creek Mack.
And I just kept going and trying to win it. That was, that, was that the burning passion? Was that your [00:12:00] ultimate goal that kept you motivated and kept you driven? You wanted to win that World War? Yes. Yes, sir. And then when I won that with Charlie Creek Terra, I said to myself, why I do now?
I just won the biggest w biggest hunt in the world, and that was in 1994 with the Ukc, 1994 with Charlie Creek. Terra. Yes sir. So did, after you won that hunt, you had that feeling of, what do you do? , did you take some time off or did you just go back to what you had? No, I just went back. I may have taken a month or two off, but, yeah.
I just want to win it another time and I, just talking to you Dick and hunting with the last few weeks, I feel like that passion is still there. I feel like you still wanna win it just as bad now as you did back then. Oh, yeah. So af after you won the world hunt with Tara, did you continue to push her and hunt or did you lay her up and try and breed her?
I made a mistake. I laid her up, at 28 months old when she won the world hunt. [00:13:00] And, back then like we talked about the other night Tennessee Lead was a world champion. He got killed by a hot. . So back then they didn't hunt very many world champions because we didn't have, we didn't, it wasn't like, is they, we didn't have semen on being collected.
And but I wish I regret not hunting anymore. I could have won so much or more with her. Yeah. I think it's interesting. Looking into the sport now you see some dogs that they win big and that's the last hunt you see 'em in and then you see other dogs like recently this year's pkc, world champion Stoy, they won the world with him.
And then the very next week he was in another local hunt. And they're still pushing that dog in local hunts cause they wanna support the clubs. It's interesting to see how people's perspective is on that. And the thinking, the thought process behind. . Did you, right after that world, did you [00:14:00] immediately breed her or what did you do there?
Yeah, I started breeding her and she raised several good pups, I would pleasure hunter once in a while, but she stayed in the house, basically was house dog. When you bred her the pups that she t. Were you seeing characteristics of her, or what was your thoughts on that and how did that play out and help you and the dogs that you have today?
Characteristics on her dad try to cook back. I seen a lot of them and Heath, he was showing independent dogs back then, when you didn't hear about independent dogs, you. They would be split tree by herself, and Tara would be too. She was very independent. She'd just buy, she would buy a loaner by herself, so you won the world in 1994 and you lived here still in Wabash. When did you [00:15:00] make the move to Iowa? I start just to paint the picture here for our listeners. We're sit, we're sitting in Dick's little office here, and there are four monster whitetail bucks hanging on the wall, and I believe you told me, whenever you decide to move to Iowa, it was for better deer hunting, right?
As a coon hunter. Tell, walk me through that. How did you move from Indiana to Iowa to pursue deer hunting? Which, a lot of times coon hunting and deer hunting don't go hand in. I love coon hunting too, and I love deer hunting. I don't, I'm not going to trophy hunt anymore. I'm going to give up and but I was.
going out to Nebraska, Eastern Nebraska, Western Iowa for years, and my wife said, you're gone so much. Why won? Why don't we move out there? So we moved out there at the Iowa Western Iowa, along the Missouri River and the [00:16:00] Lost Hills. Giant deer out there, yeah. Your walls tell the story. , I always wanted to kill a 200 inch buck.
I fell short that on, that. I killed one in 1 97 with my bow. And that's the one hanging above you right here? Yes, sir. It's just a beautiful deer. It's got one crazy, one crazy time coming off his brow. Very symmetrical. He's a nice looking. What's this one over here with? The double drop time score?
Do you remember that? 1 73? That is a very neat looking deer. There again, that's the first deer I ever killed in Iowa and I won to kill a drop time deer in my life, and I'd never seen it dropped. DropTine deer in Indiana. When I moved out there, I killed a double drop tie deer
What are the odds? Yeah. Yeah. Guys it's, its so neat. Sitting here at Dick, we're looking at these monster whitetails. We've got the big trophy here from 1994 U K C, world Champion on it.[00:17:00] Several other big trophies that just really tell the story of Dick and his accomplishments in the competition.
Koon hunting along with a couple albino Koons here. Were those, are those Indiana coons? Did your dogs treat those? Yes, sir. I've treated seven albino Koons in Indiana. Have you treated any of the other color phases, black or cinnamon? Yeah I've treat a lot of black ones and seen them in phase.
Yes, sir. Getting back here to, to your line of dogs, have you ever hunted anybody else's dogs since you established a Charlie Creek line of dogs, or is that something you've hunted since that time? No ever since I established Charlie Creek Dogs I haven't per se hunted one dog per any one B boy guy consistently.
I would handle a. every once in a while for a guy. And a hunt. Yeah. If he needed me to. But you weren't a paid handler for anybody else running their dogs. No. You were always trying to push your own line. I just try to help [00:18:00] people out. I don't want to be paid for it.
No, I understand. That's my way of thinking. Yeah. Maybe I'm too nice at times, but that's the way I am. So the sport of coon hunting, you told us earlier that, you started out running the trap lines as a kid. And obviously Coon Peltz are worth some money. Oh, yeah.
Now we've got hunts with, $2,500 entry fees, $6,500 entry fees. They're hunting for a hundred thousand dollars to win. They're hunting for new trucks every month, and most recently they just announced the first $1 million koon. , what do you think, what are your thoughts on that? As with the sport growing, is that good for the sport?
Is that something that is gonna make a positive impact and a lasting impact on the sport of coon hunting? It will it's good for the sport, but also, not everybody can afford those high price hunts. But [00:19:00] that's good for sport, I think, really, and that, that makes people aware what a coon hunter can do with his dog.
Yeah. That's really, it's something that a lot of people don't, they just don't know. They don't. Grab it at all. Yeah. And that's something that, that Hounds Man XP is really trying to do is preserve, promote and protect the sport of the Hounds man. And the second word of that promote, I think is a big deal.
It needs to be promoted in a positive light. And for others who don't understand what coon hunting is. Amount of time that us coon hunters put into our dogs and the amount of care we give those dogs it's something that we need to portray in a positive light. And I agree. I think these big hunts they're not for me, but they're for somebody.
And there's a lot of money brought into the towns where these are being held. There's a lot of revenue coming through. Oh yeah, sure. Yes sir. And it's positive recognition if we can portray it in the right light. . So I was just curious [00:20:00] on what you thought. Cause I think you've seen, you've been around it long enough, obviously much longer than I have.
I haven't seen that transition. But to get the perspective from somebody who, who's seen it from the conception of the PCA to which is now the pkc, and it's one of the most, one of the most prestigious registries around. I think it's just an interesting, yeah. I I think that's good for the sport, really, really. And like I said, . So let's dive into something a little deeper here. Let's talk about the stroke that you had. When did you have your stroke? Three and a half years ago. Stroke was caught by surgery, and I had the stroke in the hospital.
They they give me an anti rejection shot on the stroke, but I was paralyzed on my whole right side, and they said I wouldn't walk and.[00:21:00] For, and speak correctly for six months to a year. How long was it for you got outta the hospital? I'm a pusher, and good lo good lord.
Looking over me too. Yeah. And I made it outta rehab. Speech therapy of physical therapy, four and a half. four and a half months. So you beat it, you beat that timeline? Yes, sir. By a month and a half? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. What was your motivation? I wanted to get back in the woods. I wanted to fish, I wanted to hunt again.
I just wanted to I wouldn't take no for an answer. You've gotta have motivation. I know other stroke patients. , they just give up and you have, they told me you have up to a year give full motivation back a [00:22:00] year is a limit. So I push and push. Yeah, I drove Kathy nuts.
I would make her taking me on. walk on paved streets every day, three times a day, and I just fought. Yeah. You say that you had that three and a half years ago and you're 72 now. Yes, sir. So it's 60, 60 and a half. Yeah. 69, yeah. Is when you had your stroke and you were that determined because there's still more you want to do, right?
You're not done yet? No, I don't see even slowing down. , you and I have been hunting a lot lately and you get through the woods just as good as I do at 28. Be maybe , you do dick. And that's credit to you. It's easy to see your passion for the sport when timer comes treat, you're going right and you're gonna be there.
And you hunt just as hard as anybody that I've met we haven't been hunting together very long, but I can. Most of the time it's me saying, all right, Dick, it's time to go. , I gotta work in the [00:23:00] morning. You'll drop me off and you'll keep hunting, until the wee hours of the morning.
Is that something that you've always done? Is that all you know is to hunt hard? Yes. Yes sir. Really, i's all I've done ever done hunt hard and hard, that's the only way I know how. and it I presume, looking around, that's how you deer hunted as well, when you got into something and you got into it serious, you gave all a hundred percent.
You gave it all you had. Yes, sir. So do you think that having this stroke and having come back, do you think you're just as motivated now as you were back in 1994 to win that world championship? Yes, sir. Really? And then, and some guys I talked to said, you don't have anything to prove Dick.
But I don't want to give up yet. It's not ready. No, I'm not. If that help moti motivate some people maybe that's what I am here [00:24:00] for. Yeah. It. It's inspiring cuz there's some nights that I don't want to go and why do I wanna go tonight? I went the last three nights.
But there is a goal, and I'm a competition Coon Hunter as well. I'm very competitive. It's to win, it's to win that world. So I, I understand where you're coming from on that one. Your wife, Kathy, going through that. . Wow. What a woman. She has to be , she helped you with that stroke and you hunt hard.
You get home at four or five in the morning, most nights. She's still here. It takes a special woman to, to love a coon hunter. Yeah, it does. Has when you guys got married, were you hunting this hard back then? Yes. Yes, sir. And she just accepted that. She'd been a good wife, a good partner.
Yeah. Did, was she there cheering you on whenever you got back in the woods after your stroke? Was she just as excited to see you in there? Yeah. Yeah. [00:25:00] Yes. She knew what I wanted to do, and she all. shoot wasn't at first, and because I drove a truck before I was supposed to
Oh I can believe she'd give hell . I can believe. I can believe it. Yeah. Yeah. That's it's just incredible. I think the same thing about my girlfriend. She's very supportive in what I. And to see, when I walked in tonight, Kathy very cordial. Introduce herself.
It just seems like a great lady and Yep. To stand there with you through it all and help you get back to something that you wanted to do, it really says a lot, you know about her. She's a good person, right? Really. And Bobby Ovy and. He came out and when I had a stroke and helped me go coon hunting and mowed my grass and trim my trees and took me to see the doctor on the rehab and for a week.
And he took me hunted First night. I couldn't hardly walk, but I made it up [00:26:00] a hill and got to the tree and everything, with me helping him. Yeah. And yeah, we've been good friends ever since. And he took Timer and Big Earl back there ho hunting dogs for six months before I g get down and get them back.
And that's when you were still in Iowa? Yes, sir. And he lives on the East coast. He drove 22 hours. One way that says a lot. Yes sir. No, that. Not just a lot about Bobby being the type of friend that he is, but it says a lot about you, Dick. That, that you have I don't know anywhere the word other than I'd say you've touched Bobby.
If I wasn't close to somebody like that, I wouldn't drive 20 hours. You meant a lot to, to him. And a friend he means a lot to me too. He's just like a. And I know the story, but tell our listeners how you met Bobby, because, I'm think I'm hearing this and if I didn't know the backstory, I'm thinking that this is somebody that you've known your whole life [00:27:00] and that you're super close with.
But really, you and Bobby haven't known each other that long. No eight years. Bob Bobby called me year eight years ago and he said, I have a good walker female, and she won a Virginia State twice and placed in a top four or two other times, and and he was won semen off Big Mike.
I had frozen semen, so I said if you have that caliber or female, I will, I would just give you a. For a pup or something. And we went on them from there and we had a litter pups outta her and Bobby said, you wanna part partner up on a pup? I said, sure. We can do that. And we partnered up on Charlie Creek, big Mac.
And and [00:28:00] he won a couple hunts with Mack and I brought him up Indiana. I granted him out and we've been, we became partners ever since. And just like they said, we like brothers. Yeah. Yeah, I know. You tell me. He called me every day. Other week, every day. It, it's good.
It's good to have a partner like that. Yes, sir. I wish he lives closer. . Yeah. I guarantee it. Yeah, because you still go down there and hunt with him and comes up here and Every February I make a trip down there for a week or two. If there were no competitions, would you have coon hunted this long?
I think so, because I liked seeing her dog work. com competition. Hunter sets me so to speak on fire. I like the, I like a competition, I like training dogs [00:29:00] too, I've trained about every dog I've owned, I'm proud of that record. You're you take. And breeding the dogs, training the dogs, and winning with those dogs.
Let's talk about some of the dogs that you've had. Let's go through the lineage. I think these dogs deserve some credit and we're gonna give credit where credit is due. So obviously Tara won the world hunt. Yes, sir. So she's won the biggest of all of them. Let's talk about some of your other dogs that you've had.
Let's go back. I I went work at Walker Days in 1997 with. She was owned by my buddy and me Lee Mcah, and we walked Walker Days with nine in 1997 and we, we placed her fifth on the pretty second circuit that year. And she won a lot of major. and we had to pull her [00:30:00] out a premier circuit because she had heartworms and treater.
So then I had that was another good dog. And then I had Charlie Creek Clay, which was outta word Champion Terra in hardwood Buster. . He was a very nice dog. He reproduced too. And he produced Charlie Creek Edge and and edge produced Charlie Creek, big Mike. And then Cher produced Charlie Creek Lock Tight Tees.
And that was a mother big. And then Clay produced Charlie Creek Stone. He was Grand Night Champion PKC Gold Champion back then in $30 hunts, $50 hunts and to reach Gold Champion, that's $10,000 one. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. [00:31:00] I, that was a lot back then. Really? And then I'd been blessed, and
I'm also particular on dogs, and I'm hunting Charlie Creek, big Timer out now. I own him with Bobby Ovary and I'm hunting fi Fire Charlie Creek Wildfire. She was by Charlie Creek, slay semen and big timer's. Taylor runs Storm. So let's talk about the style of dogs that they are.
I've been hunting with you lately, and timer is he's a different style dog than what I'm used to hunting lately. Timer starts hunting from the time you turn him, which he hunts right there where you turn him loose. He's not blowing through the world a mile and a half before he starts.
He's treeing, those coons that are laying up. Is that a characteristic that has been bred in your line of dogs? [00:32:00] Since the beginning or, yeah, somewhat. But he will if coons aren't got down, he will go hunting. Oh, he absolutely will. Definitely. Yeah. He will be half a mile deep in the country somewhere, but he could trade the old bad tracks and layup coon.
but I like a dog. The style. I like a track dog. I don't like a trailing dog. Okay. That's a big difference. And sometimes a coon needs treat, not trailed. That's a good way to put it. Yeah. Really. I've never heard anybody say that. Really, . Other times I've hunted with some guys in the past say that dog don't open, but he's open trailer, but it just fall treat.
That's one thing in stock of dogs that's really good because they can create a coon close, they can tree another coon [00:33:00] close right away. And when other dogs in runner through the country look for a hot. . Yeah. And I think we saw that the other night. You and I were out hunting and we got caught in a popup snowstorm and it was just, it was miserable.
We got the what's that old analogy? Just one more drop. Yeah. Got the best of us. But timer, he trailed up a para coon sitting in a tree in terrible sinning conditions. Yeah, it just snow on the ground too. . The wind was blowing, ground was frozen, snow was coming down hard, and he worked up that track and he had, he had the coon at the end of that, where I feel like a lot of the dogs that I've hunted with lately they weren't gonna grub that up. They were gonna go try and find a hot one and there probably wasn't too many hot ones to tree that night. No, that, not that time of night. Two o'clock in the morning and Koon's already laid up.
Really? . So the, if we talk about that, let's talk about the style of dogs [00:34:00] of yester year and today. When you first got into competition hunting versus today, what are you seeing? What are the what I seen years ago, you had to be a very good caller and an handler because that was a calling contest back then, dog were a split tree. Very much. They were usually pack, but there again, that's why I kept his strain of dogs. They were natural, independent back way back then, but that's why I seen in competition hunts today. And, these dogs are trained different. Some dogs you have to break down to make them good.
And some dogs they can be run too. Absolutely. Yes sir. Absolutely. So you think that the training styles have changed and with that the dogs have [00:35:00] changed with them or do you think that the dog, the training has changed to fit the dogs?
I think the trainees is somewhat changed to fit the dog's needs. Shocking collars are used and tone button is used and they are hunted Different. But no, I always hunted a dog by hisself a lot. So when I would go tonight, I would have a naturally independent dog, by hunting them alone.
Do you think that the current situation with the ever changing way that hunters in general are perceived in the way that hunting ground is becoming harder to come by? Do you think that we're gonna have to slow these dogs down that are blown through the. Or do you think it's something that it's just gonna continue to down the [00:36:00] same path that it's in?
While they are blowing through the world, that's man-made. Yeah. And I think that will get you in trouble sometime, hunting too far. And, I, I know a guy that I've drawed three times and two out three times. , his dog blowed outta hearing. . Why have a dog that like that?
Really, because my way of thinking you're going to lose more, then you win. If you can't hear a dog, you can't take a call. . Yeah. Deep and lonely. That's the name of those podcasts, but that's, right now that's the name of the game, right? If you ask I would say eight outta 10 people.
What type of dog do you prefer? Deep and lonely. Not so far deep, but I like a dog. If strike a track out of the truck, I want them on the first coon. Absolutely. when we recast, I want 'em [00:37:00] scattered like quail, really. There again, if you have 90 minute hunt or two hour hunt a dog, it's gets deeper lonely, a mile deep.
You can two or three coons behind that. What type of hunt do you prefer? Do you prefer the hour, 90 minute, or 120 minute cast? I don't like an hour hunt. I like a 90 minute or two hour hunt because if you have a accurate dog the other dogs will make a. in a two hour hunt or 91 hunt. So your thought process is you're counting on other dogs to make a mistake and your dogs to stay where they need to be, stay in their lane and do what they do their job.
Yes sir. Yes, sir. And you're confident in that? Yes, sir. Whenever you, sir, take a dog to a hunt, very confident. I drew you it's funny, I drew you over to hunt the other night. I said, I told Nikki when we went to the [00:38:00] hunt, I said, man, there's one person I don't wanna draw. I said, that's dick brother.
He said, we've been hunting together a lot lately and I just assume not draw him, . And what do we do? We go out and draw each other, and we both lost the cast. We, neither one of us come out with the win, but you made a comment at the end of it and you had a little passion in your voice and you said it, you said, This is the third cast in a row I've lost and that doesn't happen very often.
Yeah. The Hounds Man XP podcast network is powered by Cajun Lights. All of your lighting needs for hunting can be taken care of at Cajun Lights. They have three models of cab lights. I'm more run through 'em real quick. You've got them RO guru, which is their high-end light if you're a competition hunter, and you gotta find that coon up in a tree and it's all riding on finding that coon.
You'll want the RO guru on your head. Next is the Bayou. That's a pretty standard light, but it's got packed with features. It's got multiple colors, it's got walking lights. It's got the red, the green, the amber. It's all built in right into that light. And [00:39:00] then you have one of my personal favorites, the micro Gator.
The micro gator is an ultra lightweight cap light. It's got all the features of a white light, red, green, and amber. I've used this light for everything from finding bear tracks early in the morning to coon hunting. It's working on plumbing in the house. Changing tires on the side of the road. My truck doesn't leave the driveway without a Cajun light in it.
And that light is the micro gator. Every Cajun light is durable made from the highest quality components, and it is backed by Cajuns top rated customer service. Check out Cajun lights. You can go to our website@houndsmanxp.com. Go to our sponsors page, hit that link. It'll take you right to Cajun lights.
Out, they got a lot of stuff to offer over Cajun lights. You're winning one or two out of every three cast. That's a pretty good percentage, right? Yeah. There's a lot of good dogs out there anymore,[00:40:00] and every dog will split tree, and just having breaks, gotta have the breaks just like the other night, we didn't hear that dog, other dog for a long time. He was deep, he was about too deep. My opinion, but we treat on dens and he had a coon, and a coon wins every time an hour hunt. That's hard to beat. It is, yeah. But I had a chance to win that cast. He's had a, he, she had a hundred strike a hundred tree.
If he had a coon, she wins, but Yep. She didn't, you. Yep. She had a den tree. Yep. Yes, sir. We tried everything we could to get that coon to come out of there. Yeah. It just wasn't happening. No. Other than the guys that got you started, have you had anybody that you would consider a mentor along the way?
Has there been anybody that you've looked up to and taken advice from, or has it just been trial and error and learn as you go? , advice, some from some people. And [00:41:00] I listen in conversations and I learned a lot through conversations. Talking to other people and but I, trial and error.
Error is a bigot thing, really. You know why I never have? afraid to ask for help or advice either. Yeah. Yeah. I've I'm the same way. I've got a few guys that I'll go to whenever I have a question. And lately it's been you trying to work on this pup and I'm very appreciative for that because, if you can take that.
Advice and that knowledge that somebody who's been there, done that and use it. Take what you want from it but use that. I feel like it can really progress you a lot further. And I think, that's something that could help a lot of other people as well. Listen to those who've been there before and who've done it.
They didn't get good for no reason. I'm still learning at 72. I never, you never quit learning. Never quit learning. [00:42:00] No, that's it. Every day learn something new. Yes, sir. Tr I tried it. I tried to. So let's talk about some upcoming events that you've got.
You've got two dogs here at your house that you're pushing right now. You got the old big timer and you got fire, both of those dogs qualified for the Tournament of Champions this year, right? And you've, so that takes five wins a piece. Did you put all 10 wins on those dogs last year? Yes. , you didn't have any help from anybody else?
No. And that, that, that's how much you're still going to these hunts. And that's just in U kc. Yeah. You've got fire qualified for the spring. Super stakes coming up here. . And so we're gonna see you in action at the tournament champions as well as the spring Super steaks. Yeah. And at Walker days too.
And at Walker days. Three Biggie hunts in a row. And you're gonna, you're gonna be there. Yes, sir. Competing. . Yeah. You're gonna, you're gonna be not, you're not gonna be there. You're gonna be competing cuz you you've got dogs that are gonna be there and hopefully make a run. Make a run at it again.
Yep. Two [00:43:00] out of three, two out of the three last years, I had timer in the super stakes. He's a quarter finals, two years out of. . Yeah. And they're only, they're only eligible for three, three years unless you count baby steaks and they can come in for four, but two outta three. That's a hard to do.
And he's, he was sick dog having a hat or Licky too, I've been I've done quite a bit with him. Really? Yeah. And, and it shows when you go to these hunts now, or back in the day, is there a dog that you. To see, pull into that hunt. Is there one dog back in the day or today that you're like, dang, here.
They're gonna be tough to beat? Not at all. I'm not intimidated by a dog. I have some by some people after me. Who did you draw, Dick? I said, just dogs , really? I've been at this a long time, when I was younger, I [00:44:00] would get nervous, but when I made this first tree, I was over that.
But I don't get nervous anymore, and my, my heart may thum a little or more often. Yeah. But I still love it, but I'm not intimidated by, , you're there to compete and you're there to win. Yes, sir. And if you don't have a dog capable, you're not gonna be there. No, that's a good way to put it, yeah. It, it takes a lot of time to train a dog. Really, and time marches on, oh, yeah. It's something that, you've been doing this for a long time. You've done it for a long time. Are you seeing better results? maybe than what you did back in the day. If that makes sense.
I've had to stalk a dog for 35 years, and I, while I've stuck with this line of dog, because they reproduce, they [00:45:00] were natural, independent. I like to make my job easy. I don't want to, I don't want to work at trained adult. That's a lot. , what's what I like about naturals. When you're looking for, when you're looking for the next female to breed, what are you looking for?
Are you trying to get one trait out of each cross to improve one thing, or are you looking for multiple, most bang for your buck? Sometimes I will go with one trick. I like, maybe a harder tree dog, a better strike. , a better track dog. I look at a whole package, but if I see one thing, I can use 'em.
I sock a dogs, I go with it. And you've got a little pup here at the house as well. You haven't started her yet, but what, when you made that cross, what were you looking for? I didn't make a cross. Okay. Okay. [00:46:00] But . Luke Stark made that cross. Okay. And that puppy is out of big Mike.
Mike Jr. And he was outta Big Mike. Okay. And the female side went back to my word champion terror and world champion Terror charred Sire h at World Champion Millers Rox. and that w that's what that pup is out of that cross right there. Did you win the A c H A? No. With Roxanne but Terry Kohler and Ron Wigman did Okay.
With Roxy. Gotcha. So Tara produced a word champion herself. So a world champion Produced A world champion. Yes, sir. That's pretty, pretty incredible. Yes, sir. That's very neat. You've done well over the years, Dick, so I would think that would, I think that Will pup would cross well with my stalk of dogs, do you have any plans to to [00:47:00] breed timer next? Is he the next stud dog in line for your line, or do you think you'll go back? Stored semen that you got? Matter of fact, we just bred a female Honey Creek Spider female. And I was told today, yeah, she's bred. Oh, good. So he's going to be a papa pretty soon.
Is that his first litter? Yes, sir. What first letter, what do you, what are you predicting timer will throw? Do, can you predict it at this point or is every litter just a guess. I've seen my stalk of dogs. It's going to produce on Honey Creek Airy bitches honey Creek Spider Bitches. So I'm looking Timer will produce tree dogs big mouth and track dogs.
I predict that right away. And I have another Grand night champion bitch booked to him [00:48:00] anytime. She's a really good bitch and we expect big things outta that, that cross too, right? So at 72, you're getting ready to enter three major hunts. I assume you're gonna try and get qualified for the world.
Yeah. This weekend. This weekend, you're gonna go to a qualifier. Yeah. How long do you see yourself competing? What does the future hold for Dick Brothers? I don't know. It's all, as long as I can here and I can walk, I'm going to compete. It's something that, that is just ingrained in you now. . I don't, I just didn't know. I hope that I'm still competing at the level that you are whenever I get there. It's impressive. It's impressive, Dick. Yeah.
Thank you. I, like I said, I just, I didn't know what the future held for Dick. I didn't know. If that was something that you would be able to hang up when the time comes. As long as I can produce a winner, I'm going to.[00:49:00] , and I met a lot of guys, a lot of nice guys through this sport.
The fellowship is unreal in the sport of koon hunting and, koon hunter, koon hunters are close breed and they may be competitive. They, but they also will help you if you need something. They will. Yes, sir. Very true. . Yeah. Dick, I think that's covered just about everything I have.
Is there anything else you'd like to speak about or talk about while we got you on here? No, I I just wish you luck with Timer and a tournament champion . I hope we have some luck as well, . Yeah. For our listeners, I'm gonna be handling timer for Dick up at the tournament Champions. Dick had, like I said, he's got two dogs in and he's only one.
So he can't handle 'em both. Bobby's going to handle fire from me and I was going to hand her timer, but they, he's got a world champion squirrel hunt. That's weekend. They [00:50:00] switched his dates on him. And next year that won't happen. There you go. But we had to find a handler.
We'll see what we can do. Hey man I hope, we hope we go out there and win it all. Yeah. What? I just can try. That's all we can do. I had a blast, hunting with you the last few weeks and I told Nikki that as well. You've taken myself my girlfriend, our boy taken us hunting and, we're super appreciative of that.
Dick. It's nice to have someone. Who is, who wants to spend those nights in the woods with you. We're not always hunting by yourself and Right. Somebody you can just bounce ideas off of and you're more than welcome and fellowship with anytime you want to do. Yeah. I told you that.
Yeah. How's the night sound? That sounds good. All right. It's a done deal. It's a good thing. I already packed my boots. I had a feeling you'd wanna go hunting tonight. Okay, . All right, Dick. I appreciate you joining us here on the Deep and Lonely Podcast. Look forward to hunting with you here in the next few weeks and making a run at the t c and I just really just appreciate you taking the time to sit down and speak to us today.
[00:51:00] Okay. Thank you, Bryce. Thanks buddy.
