From Hunter-Trader-Trapper (1912).
Morgan County, Ohio, is just west of where the Ohio River forms the border between West Virginia and Ohio, in a region that is called Southeastern Ohio or Appalachian Ohio.
The “coon dogs” are purpose-bred creatures. They don’t appear to belong to any of the established or then establishing coon or foxhound strains. Judging from the time period, I wouldn’t be surprised if they both had an Airedale ancestor.
Hunting raccoons with hounds is still a common practice for this region, but the pointer would be a bit of an anachronism today. During the time of this photo, bobwhites were very common in the many cultivated fields, but the species is in decline today.
Pointers are the traditional “quail dog.” In my gestalt, they are dogs of southern plantations and preserves. Their main utility is in pointing bobwhites.
You don’t think the hounds look like Plotts? They look Plottish to me.
A long time ago I bicycled across country and when I was in Missouri I came across a boy who looked like he was right out of Tom Sawyer. He had two dogs whose bellies were full and nearly scraping the ground. He said he had been catching shad down at the river for his coon dogs to eat. His coon dogs looked very beaglish. Not at all like the above coon dogs so maybe coon dogs were dogs that had something to do with the racoon population?
You will see quite a bit of variety of “coondawgs” at their headquarters forums.
So… rednecky.
“So….rednecky.” Dave has a German Shepherd picture as his avatar. Certainly, there are no rednecks that shepherd cattle. In addition, I am impressed by his use of “quite a bit of variety.” Rednecky?
Um. That’s a Swedish Vallhund.
Psssh. I am so used to people believing anything with a wolf or agouti coat is a German Shepherd, I am surprised I haven’t come up with an insidious reply.
Actually, as cool coonhounds are, I can’t stand phonetic spellings. So the forum http://coondawgs.com really drives me up the wall.
And I should know… neither one of my parents could spell.
It is unfortunate you did not visit my blog, as one will find I’ll make fun of every subculture I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of.
And secondly, you are half-correct. I did come from a bloodline of Mennonite farmers who employed German Shepherds as yard-dogs for the chicken coops. So one couldn’t be further from the truth.
Also, I am glad you find my particular verbalism to be amusing. After all, I did grow up in Alberta under a bunch of roughnecks who pledged their allegiance to the oil field; which is basically the same thing as rednecks, only a notch above hillbillies, in eastern Canada. Even as someone who is labelled as a godless libertarian hippie, in a bottled-up, mislabelling condescending sort of way, it is difficult to conceal one’s true roots.
the two coon hounds look like irish seters to me
i dont no much about seters i hunt springers i have 5 an the ones i have now r more to the field bread side of the breed 3 of them r puts out of the same liter one turned out 3 inches taller than must an one is very small an 1 to2 inches shorter an one is perfect shape of his dad which he looks more like hes show bread but his dad was field an mom was shoe just like the springer breeds thairs like three breeds in one even same liter my pups you wood not think they are related an i have good breed dogs on both sides shoe dogs short fat low eyes floppy ears lazy field dogs r little taller thiner faster hyper but thair all pure bread at least sense papers r kept ps sorry about spelling