End of an Era

It was never a question of if but a question of when and it took 8 yrs . Saturday night I went huntin a new spot , We looked around and found some fresh rooting and turned Joe , Sally , and 2 of Cody 's dogs out . We let them get out a little and I told cody lets ride up a little and look around . We rode about 300 yds and I looked up and there was a "Scab Knocker" standing in the road ,he wasnt even attempting to act scared ,he turned towards the truck ,throwed his head up and started just easin off and about that time here come the dogs ....and it was on like neck bones and gravy. Hog went about 200 yds and bayed everytime we got close he would break . Bay and break ,bay and break ,bay and break , I told Cody not only is that hog big but he is mean too cause it aint like Joe to let one break like that . we got within 75 yrds one time but that was it . I got to checkin the dogs and they split . I got tocheckin Joe and he wasnt movin and the bay was movin away . I found him in a gall bnerry thicket cut across the chest and layin down . I checked him out and the cut was just hide and not real deep . I figured he was 8 yrs old and bayin and runnin for 6 hrs plus gettin cut was a little rough on him . He has been cut exactly like this a hundred times ...no big deal . I toted him out and got him a little water and put him up and took off after the other dogs and the bay . The dogs eventually quit at daylight and I got out to check on Joe and somewhere between 4 and daylight he went to hunt the Happy Huntin Ground . I caught alot of hogs with the ol Mongrel and was proud my name was on his collar for as long as it was R.I.P big guy . You will be missed and you will be hard to replace

Dangit man hate to hear that bout your dog.Its been my expierence a feller if he hunts with dogs gets to own one goodun,in his life. Hope you can find one to take his place.

Sorry about your loss, the memories will last forever.

Sorry for your loss!!!!

Sorry for your loss coolerman

sorry for your loss.

Sorry about your loss.

Well fellas when you play the game we play it happens .I knew eventually it was comin especially with him loosin a step or two over the years but me and him had a pile of hunts ...just me and him and it was time well spent finding out where he was gonna end up whether it was a briar patch , slough , river bottom , hill , in the river , across the river , or every now and then right out in the open but usually he was looking at or attached to a hog . Now that he is gone there s 2 things Im sure of .#1 is that I'll appreciate him alot more cause he was my fall back when all else failed lead dog. #2 some of these other dogs I got better remember what they learned while he was here cause they got big shoes to fill literally . He will be missed aint no doubt and not just by me . I can already here myself sayin "we'da caught that hog had we had Joe here ". Looks like I'll be watchin the "free agent" classifieds for a while .

i lost butter last sumer.had her for 5 years.she stopped alot of hogs.we been sayin same thing.if butter had been here.hard to replace those.sorry for your loss!!

know that feeling! have lost dogs years ago that i still wish i had around today! thankfully i have some of their decendents that are holding their own