Good Read

Every once in a while you find a post somewhere that you weren't expecting, but really enjoy reading. This was one of those. Over at Born-to-track they write about some of the history of hunting and tracking dogs from the 17-1800's and their relationship with their particular hunter and game.

Browning described his preferences for deer and bear dogs in some detail. From the start he wanted big dogs that were strong and fast like Watch. At the end of his career Meshach seemed to have a pretty clear idea of how to breed what would be useful to him. He worked with variations of the bulldog/greyhound cross. "Take a half-blooded pup," he advised, "a cross between the bulldog and the greyhound...." He did not stick to a rigid formula....

It's a good read and really makes you think about what it must have been like. Take a minute and read the whole thing.

Reading

In the off season I spend a lot of time reading. Much of what I read has to do with falconry, some about terrier work, and of course I read some just for fun. many of my falconry books I will re-read sections, or the whole book just to remind myself of details or techniques. I don't have many people out here on the edge of the country that want to talk falconry, so reading is one way that I can keep myself satisfied.



I'm one of those people that reads more than one book simultaneously and right now I have about three books that I'm working on (plus others that I am reading bit s and pieces of). This does not even include the big, hardcover, Cabela's master catalog that I just got the other day.

I just finished Tales of a Rat-Hunting Man, by D. Brian Plummer. Plummer is famous in dog circles for his terrierwork, and the book was an exceptional read. It reveals what a character Plummer is. It reminds me in tone of T.H. Whites, The Goshawk.

I didn't realize it when I got the book, but the forward was written by Stephen Bodio of Querencia, proving again what a small world it is.

I recommend Tales of a Rat Hunting Man. It is a humorous read that reveals a darker, seedier side of a hunter and of Great Britain. A side that I would very much like to visit. It is about a hunter who loves his animals and goes to great lengths to hunt them in the way that he believes they were intended. His drive to hunt rats is impressive.

He writes:

"The hunting instinct is deeply ingrained in man's make-up. It took 200,000 years for man to develop his meat-tearing carnasial teeth and the corresponding mental attitude to go with them. It will take far more than a few Acts of Parliament to get rid of both teeth and mental attitude. Stifle the hunting instinct completely and, oh boy! watch out for sexual squalls. I often wonder what the more violently anti-blood-sport types get up to in their private lives...Suppress hunting at your peril; the world will become a much more violent (place)".

And contrary to what PeTA preaches, I think he may be right. Read the book.