When I was a young boy I saw a movie by the name of “Where the red fern grows”. Ever since I saw that movie I always dreamed of growing up and training hounds and becoming a houndsmen Well, years went on and it kept in my heart and my mind I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I would be sitting in school and it would just be there in my mind bugging me and then my senior summer I purchased my first hound. I think I could have been the happiest teenager on this earth just knowing that it was finally about to happen I was going to own my very own hound.
Then school started and I was training him for a senior project and had to write papers about how to train hounds and the history of different breeds. During my training I became close to this little hound. I remember every second I have been with my hound when he first came home and it was during football season right during hell week and we were in very tough and rough practices and the whole time during practice all I could do was think about my five week old hound pup at my house wondering if he was all right, if he had enough water, did I make sure his food bowl was filled up enough when I would get home. All I would want to do is lay down and relax but oh no the little guy would be right at my feet so I would begin playing with him and the bond just grew more and more. I would take him out to my girlfriends farm and let him run around and play with scent drags.
What I am trying to say is over the next couple months he became more to me than just a dog. He is like a brother. Most people say if you own a hunting dog that you’re a bad person,that you don’t care about your dog, that its neglect or animal abuse. Well those people haven’t met or seen these dogs and the families that own them.
They are right, they are not dogs, they are family. There is a bond between outdoors men and their dogs that can’t be broken and while I have been studying about how to train dogs and become a houndsmen I have learned a lot about how to become a hounds men before I started this project. I thought all that you needed to do was own a hound and you were a houndsmen. Well, I soon learned that is far from the real truth. I have learned that to become a hounds men takes time, effort, patience, and the willingness to learn. No one can go into any sport and know everything about it.
Through my time of studying and striving to learn I met a man by the name of Steve Phipps. Steve is a true houndsmen. He helped me out in what no words can explain. He opened my eyes to the real fact of what a true houndsmen means. He is so dedicated to his hounds and to helping others. He is so dedicated that I needed to interview a professional and I called him and he took a interview with me on the drop of a dime and now I know what a true hounds men is.
A true hounds men puts his dogs first. He has a special bond that no one knows how deep it runs between a man and his dogs. A houndsmen will do anything for his dogs and the dogs will do anything for his owner. When a houndsmen loses one of his dogs a little part of the man goes with him. Just by spending a couple hours with Steve it made me strive to become a great hounds men. To pursue my passion for hounds and keep the sport going I hope the rest of my life can be me and those special dogs. Those family members out in the hills, just me and my brothers running together hearing those loud bays and bawls and knowing there on something, doing something that those dogs love to do. I know I will be visiting Steve again. Hopefully also bringing home a pup but there is more to it. I hope I made a friend as well and I hope that someday I will be able to help a younger hounds men like Steve helped me.
