Pennsylvania Game News - January 2022 - 13

cast farther into the woodlot.
Zadie drifts into the wind. She has an
uncanny ability to pull scent out of the air.
It isn't long before she picks up the
pace, head up, on the run, and quickly
straightens toward a tree.
She lets out a full cry, followed by
some chop-mouthed barks. Coey adds
to the havoc with excited yips and yelps.
I can tell from the clamor they've spotted
a squirrel in the tree. I scan the tree's
upper reaches until I pick out a large fox
squirrel, flattened out on a branch near
the trunk.
I take steady aim with my 20-gauge
autoloader and the squirrel tumbles at
the shot.
Coey is quick to grab and shake it a few
times. He runs a circle away from Zadie
before he drops it at my feet.
I prefer a lighter 20-gauge over a
12-gauge when hustling to keep up with
the dogs. I use No. 6 nickel-plated lead
shot to penetrate the tough hides of winter
fox squirrels.
Despite a wind chill in the teens and
frozen conditions, the dogs run several
more squirrels that make it to the safety
of tree dens. I drop another fox squirrel
along the way. But as we near the end of
the woodlot, the action wanes.
Cloud cover lifts and the sky brightens,
something that tends to make squirrels
uneasy. This time of year, good dog work
doesn't always translate to bag limits. Any
late-season squirrel is a worthy trophy.
The wind gusting across the open field
reminds me how cold and hungry I am.
Now all I can think about is a steamy cup
of coffee and an omelet at the local diner.
Reflecting on the hunt, I settle on a frequent
thought: I'm always impressed by
the winding ability and drive of these treeing
dogs. Zadie is 7 years old. I brought
her back from Tennessee when she was a
JANUARY 2022
pup, and she was a natural from the start.
Zadie comes from an old line of mountain
curs with a rich hunting tradition in the
southern Appalachian Mountains. She
has proven to be a tenacious and tireless
tree dog.
Over the past decade, I've owned and
hunted several mountain curs. I'm grateful
to noted dog breeders, Shane Scott, of
Tennessee, and Anthony Blackwood, of
Alabama, for connecting me with such
a dog, and providing years of mentorship
on handling this strong-willed and
determined breed.
Coey is a mountain cur-mountain feist
hybrid, and is National Kennel Clubregistered
as a treeing feist. His championship
bloodlines originate in Arkansas and
Texas. He's proved himself in the squirrel
woods and is a fun-loving companion.
Young treeing dogs are trained alone
to gain confidence in the ability to tree
their own squirrels. Later they can run
with others.
I hunt with my dogs throughout the
season. The new September start has provided
additional time in the woods, prior
to the start of many other seasons. Since
the farm country woodlots I hunt in northwestern
Pennsylvania mostly contain fox
squirrels, I'll also make trips farther east to
hunt gray squirrels in big timber.
My friend Ray and his grandson Gavin
sometimes hunt with me. Ray runs a brace
of well-bred, registered original mountain
curs - Gunner and Raven.
We like to mix and match our dogs, and
appreciate their unique personalities and
attributes. My dogs and his seem to enjoy
the competition as much as we enjoy the
companionship.
Winter squirrel hunting always is a
lot of fun, but following behind a couple
of good treeing dogs takes it to a whole
new level!
13
Pennsylvania Game News - January 2022

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