Hunting Dogs
"An old judge once said," wrote Townsend Godsey, "that more blood has been spilled in the Ozarks over dogs than for any other reason" (43). True or not, the claim clearly indicates one of the most important assets to a coon or fox hunter: his hounds.
Most Ozark farmers kept at least one hound, sometimes more, which they trained to hunt. Though the hunt has grown less popular today, there are still several Taney Countians who take great pride in training their dogs. And for good reason: a well-trained hunting dog of good bloodline can sell for over $1000 to the right buyer.
Coon and fox hunting differ, though, both in the training of the hounds and in the purpose of the hunt.
Coon hunting, while an important recreational activity, was also a means of income for old-timers. Going out shortly after dusk, the hunter and his dog moved through the woods until the hound got scent of a coon. The single, full-throated cry of the hound let the hunter know that he was in pursuit, and the chase was on: dog chasing coon, hunter chasing dog, until the animal was treed or the hound lost scent. If the hound successfully treed the animal, more cries allowed the hunter to find the dog in the dark woods. The coon was shaken or knocked from the tree and the dog (or dogs) moved in for the kill. Coon hides were stretched and cured, then sold to buyers or traded for goods at the country store.
Though other dogs could be trained to coon hunt, most old-timers say that the best coon dog is a Bluetick, whose white coat is splotched with a blue-black, with tan accents inside the ears and over the eyes. Other common breeds include the Plott, the Redbone, the Walker, the Black-and-tan, and the English. These hounds instinctively track tree-climbing game, and often must be taught not to chase fox, rabbits, 
groundhogs, and other burrowers.
Fox hunting in the Ozarks, on the other hand, was not done with financial gain in mind. It was primarily a recreational and social outing, motivated by the thrill of the chase and the opportunity to gather with other hunters. Fox hunters brought out their dogs, let them loose for the chase, and then gathered around a camp fire to share tales, listen to the dogs bay, and pass around a moonshine jug (43). Usually the dogs would run all night, and hunters would then spend part of the next day rounding up their dogs to return home. Other times, the hunt would be a three or four-day affair, with both hunter and hound returning home bone-tired after the outing. Godsey quotes one old-timer who described the hunt in this way: " 'Fox huntin' is running yore hounds all night and looking for 'em the next two days' " (45). Rarely, however, was anyone allowed to actually kill a fox. Instead, the objective of the hunt was to allow the dogs to match speed and instincts with the fox.
Hounds frequently used for fox hunting include the Trigg, the Walker, the Penn-Mary-del, and the Bywater. Again, other hounds can be trained for the hunt, but they must be conditioned regularly and taught to distinguish the scent of the fox from other animals.
Whether they coon hunted or fox hunted, or both, Taney County men came away from the hunt with plenty of tales--stories of the exploits of their dogs; accounts of near brushes with bears, wolves, and panthers; or just neighborhood gossip. But above all, they came away from each hunt with a deeper attachment to their hounds.
Works Cited
Godsey, Townsend. Ozark Mountain Folk: These Were the Last. Branson, MO: Ozarks Mountaineer, 1977.
Photograph of hunting dogs (b & w) from Godsey Collection, courtesy of Lyons Memorial Library, College of the Ozarks
Photgraph of hunting dog and boy taken by Tammy Roberts.
