2015 PKC World Championship - Top Six Interviews

Round by Round match ups and results from the 2015 PKC Youth World and World Championships October 23-31, 2015 in Salem, Illinois.

Moderators: R D Carnegie, Kristi Denney, Jerry Moll, Shane Patton, Chris Freiberger

Jerry Moll
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2015 PKC World Championship - Top Six Interviews

Postby Jerry Moll » Sat Oct 31, 2015 7:43 pm

By Amy Thomas

It has come down to the Top Six coonhound and handlers tonight. This week almost 1,000 raccoons have been see, so it has just come down to a coon treeing, correct handler calling contest for the PKC participants. Now each of these hounds and men are only two casts away from finding out who will emerge as the 2015 PKC World Champion. Let’s take a moment to get a little more information about each hound and handler duos:

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Wipeout Soldier Boy
Owned by Shabel and Elliot
Handled by Tracey Taylor

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Tracey Taylor has had to deal with a lot of water to get to the Top Six at this week’s 2015 PKC World Championship. He got in on a rainy night and made it to the Top Six after having to deal with crossing a river to get to Wipeout Soldier Boy. Despite some not so fun conditions, Tracey Taylor and Wipeout Soldier Boy have made it out of the trenches and into it to the Top Six!

Soon to be four years old, three year old Wipeout Soldier Boy is out of Wipeout Deuce. In his lifetime, Soldier Boy has gotten into the semi-finals of the Super Stakes and earned a Truck Ticket. He has also been in the Top 16 of the Alabama State Standings for the past two years.

Now Tracey and Soldier Boy are about to find out how they can do against five more coon hounds and handlers that have also made it. Tracey talked about what it is that he likes about Soldier Boy, He gets deep and lonely and can coon tree.”

Tracey talked about his history with Soldier Boy and how he came to handle for Gary Elliott, “My brother used to own Soldier Boy and he sold him to Gary. I was the one who hunted Soldier Boy in most of the hunts and won a lot of his money, so Gary called and asked me if I would handle him. I started for Gary about a month before the fall Super Stakes.”

This week has been the biggest achievement that Tracey has had as a handler. He talked about his history in the sport and past accomplishments, “I got started in competition hunting through Buddy Mobley in the late nineties. It has been about fifteen years now. I do not have many big wins. I got Soldier Boy in the semi-finals of the Super Stakes and that is about it. I really have not gone to too many places; I hunt around home and always went to close hunts until this year.”

Tracey and Soldier Boy had a promising start after Monday night’s early round. They won that with 150 plus points, but were unable to get it in the bag in the late round. That did not stop them. When the weather got wet the next night that was when Tracey and Wipeout Soldier Boy would have the most success in the least successful of conditions.

Tracey talked about how they got in that night, “We won early on Tuesday night with 125 plus. It was pouring down rain. Soldier Boy was the only one to tree a coon on the outside.

Then we won the late round on Tuesday night with 250 plus. Wipeout Soldier Boy struck for 25 points and treed for 75 points and had a coon. Then he struck back in for 25 points. I teed him for 100 points and I knew right then that I made a mistake. Soldier Boy went on and had a coon. He struck back in and went about 400 more yards and treed another coon.”

On his farthest trip from home, Tracey and Soldier Boy found themselves still there on Friday. It was quite the night ahead for them and a little more water to have to deal with later on. Early on Friday, Tracey and Soldier Boy drew out with Wipeout Jessie Jane, Ramblin’ Ruby, and Tarhill Jill. Tracey talked about how that early round went, “We won with 300 plus. Soldier Boy struck for 75 points and Jane struck for 100 points and got treed. Soldier Boy split treed from her. When we went to her, we could not find her coon. When we went to mine, he had a coon. I cut him loose and he went deep and lonely and treed another coon at the end of the hunt. Jane had a coon in that time and got plused. She made another tree, but she could not win, so Mark withdrew.”

Tracey and Soldier Boy would head back out late with Gangster Tibbs and Slow Talking Anna to see if they could pull off their second win for the night. They would indeed. They won that late round with 175 plus. Tracey talked about how this cast went for him, “It about gave me a heart attack. We cut loose and Anna struck for 100 points, Tibbs struck for 75 points, and I struck for 50 points. All the dogs split. Tibb’s tree was slick. We walked him the minute and cut him loose. Anna got treed in deep and Soldier was in past her. As we were going to Anna, Tibbs treed. They sent him and the guide to Tibbs. The judge, Chase and I went to Anna. I treed Soldier. We had to cross the river to get to her. We went up and down the river bank, but could not get cross. She was the first dog treed to go in order. We called Jerry who said to make every attempt to get them and if not, tree whatever dogs we could, and then call time out. When they got back from Tibbs, we found out it was circled. There were only thirteen minutes left in the hunt. We went to get our dogs who both had coons, but they did not count. At that point, we only had thirteen minutes to cut loose. I struck Soldier Boy for 75 points, Anna was struck in for 100 points, and Tibbs was struck in for 50 points. Soldier was deep and came treed. Then Tibbs came treed and they were split. Anna was called treed a minute before hunt over and was split off. Soldier Boy had a coon and that knocked out Tibbs. If Anna had a coon, she would win. However, she had a persimmon tree and it was slick. It all went down in that thirteen minutes.”

It was quite the late round for Tracey and Soldier Boy, but the battle had been won. The war though is far from over and now they have to go back out for their Heads Up cast. Tracey talked about how it feels to get to this point, “I think I am good. I said if I get this far, then I am going to win it all. It may not work that way, but I have a feeling that it will.”

Sitting in this Top Six position, Tracey had some people that he wanted to thank for being there along the way. He shared, “I would like to thank my brother Shae Taylor. I also want to mention Byron Skinner, who used to own Soldier Boy. Byron hunted him for the Truck Ticket. I want to say thanks to Gary for calling and letting me hunt Soldier Boy. I also want to thank my kids back at home for letting me come up here.”


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Doc’s Hick
Owned by Shabel and Jones
Handled by Shane Patton

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Shane Patton is a face that many are familiar with when they head to Salem, Illinois. He is always there in a good mood and willing to help out with any way that is needed for the PKC World Championship. This year though, Shane has been busy taking care of his own business. Shane is in the Top Six and heading back out tonight to see if the finals of the 2015 PKC World Championship are in his future with Doc’s Hick!

Doc is a five year old off of Gilbert’s Doc. Shane talked about how he came to handle him. “Back in April, we were looking for a dog Jeff McCallum put my dad and me onto the dog. Blayne Bogard had him in Indiana. Dad called about him and then bought Hick. Then dad put me on him. As of four o’clock on Thursday, we sold Hick to Shabel and Jones.”

When asked about any other big accomplishments that Hick had before this one, Shane said, “To be honest, not any. Blayne had hunted Hick a little, but not a lot. Before this week, he only had around $1900 in lifetime earnings.”

That has changed with the start of this week. Luckily Shane is a bit more experienced with competition winning than Hick was and that helps as a handler going against some of the best PKC has to offer. Shane shared some of his past accomplishments, “I have been handling in competition hunts since I was around fifteen years old, so it has been about fifteen years. Over the years, I won two cast wins at the Super Stakes six times. I got second in the Nationals in 2008. I have won the Illinois State Hunt twice. That is about it. I did get two cast wins at the World two years ago, but besides getting in the finals of the Nationals, this is my biggest accomplishment.”

Hick has made this big achievement possible. Shane shared what it is about Hick that he has enjoyed as his handler, “I like that when you cut him loose, he is going hunting and he will be by himself. When he trees, he will have a coon. He does not open his mouth quick, but when he does, he is on one.”

Hick would allow Shane some breathing room and resting time this week, when he got in the first night. Shane talked about how Monday went, “We won the early round with 325 plus. We scored on nine coons on that cast. Hick treed three of them by himself. Then the little blue dog of Mike Nelson treed three coons by himself. We just had a little more than they had.
We won late round with 200 plus. We had a coon tree right out of truck. I struck and treed him for 100. Hick had a coon. We cut back loose and Hick got out of pocket. We walked to other dogs. One of the others had a circle and one left their tree. Then they made two circle. One dog treed a coon and had 150 points. That 200 points right out of truck that we got held on.”
That gave Shane some time to let Hick rest up. They would be back at it on Friday night though.

In the first round of the semi-finals, they drew out with Tree Smokin’ Festus, Tynercree Ramblin Ringo, and Hinkston Creek Pheonix. Shane talked about how that cast went, “We won that with 350 plus. We cut loose and I struck Hick for third and treed him for 100 points. Pheonix treed with him. Then Festus split and had a coon for 150 points. We cut back loose and I struck Hick for 50 points. Ringo struck for 25 points. Ringo treed and then I treed Hick. Ringo had a coon and that put him at 125 points. We went to Hick and it was a circle. We cut loose again and the dogs were quiet for a little while. Then I struck and treed Hick for 100 and 100. Ringo got shut out of the strike, but treed for 25 points. I had 350 points and that put Ringo at 150 points. We walked the minute and cut loose again. Ringo struck for 50 points. Mine got out of pocket and we did not hear him for a while. Ringo treed for 100 points and had a coon. With eight minutes left, we still had not heard mine. Ringo was cut back loose and went back to the same tree. At that point, the hunt was over.”

Hick had a lot of good competition that evening with Ringo in the early round. He was going to have to hang in there for another round that night to get into the Final Six. For that late round, they would be heading out late against Wipeout Blaze and Loose Tin Rush. This time they would win with 450 plus. Shane described how that cast went, “I struck Hick for 50 points on the first dump. The other two treed close to us. Hick went deeper and came treed. The others had a circle and Hick had a coon. We called time out. When we cut loose again, Hick struck for 75 points. Hick got in the country about 600 yards and treed. Blaze treed. We scored Blaze first and he had a circle tree. When he cut loose, we went to mine. Hick had a coon and I had 325 points. In the meantime, Rush treed. It was circled. Hick was treed through country again about six tenths of a mile. We had 20 minutes left in the hunt. James withdrew and it came down to me and Tin Rush. I treed Hicks and he had another coon.”

Shane and Hick would now be going into the Heads Up cast. He talked about he felt, “I think it is good that Hick had plenty of rest by getting in Monday. He has been acting and performing good. There are five outstanding dogs in beside him. We are going to take our chances and I like our chances as well as anyone else’s.”

With the success that they have had this week, Shane would like to send out some words of gratitude. He said, “I want to thank my dad who got me into coon hunting when I was around eight and for buying Hick. My dad is the reason I am hunting and am the person I am today. I would like to thank my wife for being understanding. I have been gone all week and doing this. I would also like to thank Mr. Shabel for continuing to let me hunt Hick after he bought him.”


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Flatrock Brake Box
Owned by Billy Burden
Handled by Bobby Burden

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Bobby Burden is no stranger to being in the Top Six of the PKC World. He has been there several times and walked away with a World Champion with Hot Spot in 2013. Now he is in it again and hoping to bring home another World Championship win for the Burden family. Coon hunting is a multi-generational sport for Brake Box is another joint venture of theirs.

This year the dog that has brought Bobby into the very top of the World standings is the youngest out of the Top Six. Brake Box will be two years old this spring. Though he is young, there has been no stopping this Walker from winning big. He is living up to his pedigree. Brake Box is off of Keith Medley’s Lock Box and Flat Rock Rain Drop that Shawn Burden was also hunting this week at the World. The Burdens raised him up from the small litter of two pups that he came from.

Even though Brake Box is quite young, he has already started a nice resume of success. Bobby shared what they have been able to accomplish so far. Bobby talked about their wins, “Even though he is young, Brake Box had two cast wins in the one year Spring Super Stakes. I also got him in the State. He has been a winner. I did not hardly run him this year, but when I pulled him out, he won between $1200 and $1,400.”

Bobby talked about what it is that he likes about Brake Box and what talents that the young male has that has helped him make a top place in this year’s PKC World Championship, “Brake Box trees them coons. He fluctuates on strike points, but most of the time, he is on the top end. He is by himself a lot and stays treed. He has a lot of good things about him.”
What Brake Box may lack in experience, his handler makes up for! Bobby talked about his history in the sport, “I have been coon hunting all my life and handling since I was eight or nine years old. All I have done is hunt. Over the years I won the World with Hot Spot, took second with Flatrock Train down at Aurora and turned around with his daughter and took second down there. I also got third in the Nationals with Spot.”

When asked about how it feels to be sitting this close to a World Championship win again, Bobby said, “It feels good, it is as simple as that. You never know how it feels until you get thee. It is unreal. I am tickled to death with my pup!”

Brake Box started his ride to this round early in the week when he got in on Monday. He won the early round that night with 375 plus. Bobby talked about how that early cast went, “He treed two singles off by himself. The next thing to him might have had 100 points.”

There was no stopping Brake Box on late round either. He won that round with 275 plus. Bobby talked about how that round went, “Brake Box treed two off by himself in the late round. He had 50 strike points and 100 tree points on the first one. Then he went back in for 25 strike points and treed for 100 points on his second one.”
Brake Box got a break until Friday night rolled back around. In the semi-finals, Bobby and Brake Box drew out early with Knight Hollow Shivers and Wipeout Maggie. They won that early round with 350 plus. Bobby talked about how things went for them on that round, “It went good. Brake Box had second strike and 100 points on the first tree. Maggie came in for 50 points and backed him on it. When I recut him, he got through yonder. I struck him for 75 points and treed him for 100 points. Once we went to all the dogs, the hunt was over.”

They were still in it and this time they would head out late against Lone Pine Muscle Traxx and Bug-Eyed Double Dip Stick. They won that cast with 375 points. Bobby shared how this late round went for them, “I struck Brake Box in for 100 points. I was a bad track. Brake rolled up treed on a bank, but I let him sit. Another dog treed with him and then I treed Brake for 75. They had a coon. We came off that tree and I cut him back loose. He was gone for a while, but then I struck for 100 points. We stood in the same tracks and judge said he could not hear my dog and minused me. I then struck him again and treed him in for 100 points. He had a coon. We came off that and Jerry Wayne treed Brake and took 75 minus points. We got in there and cut loose. The other dog was still open. I went in for 25 points on Brake. Brake had a circle and Stick came into our tree. We went to Traxx and he had a coon. We called time out with 41 minutes left. I cut Brake loose again and struck him for 100 points. I did not need to tree first. When the dogs treed, I treed Brake for 75 points. They had another coon. Traxx was struck in for 75 points and they put the six on him, he broke it and treed. We cut loose and I went in for 25 points. Jerry’s dog treed another coon way in and I got deleted. After that, the hunt was over.”

Now they are in the Heads Up round and one win away from being in the Final Three. Bobby shared his feelings about getting to this point, “Perfect! I feel good about my dog; he is a coon treer. He could act like an idiot this round, but regardless I am thrilled. He is just a young dog that will tree coon in hills, hollers, wherever...”

Bobby knows that his success to this point is because of more than just a good young dog, he has a lot of support in his life. He wanted to say some thanks, “Lord, I want to thank everyone. I have to thank my mom, dad, and my family. They have been a big support. I am sure my dad gets tired of hearing that four or five o’clock morning call. I want to thank everyone around in Butler County. It is unreal the calls I have received from them.”


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Wipeout Hell on Heelz
Owned and handled by Eric Henry

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Three year old Wipeout Hell on Heelz is the only female left competing for the 2015 PKC World Championship. No matter how this next cast goes for her owner and handler Eric Henry, he knows she will leave Salem Illinois with at least the title of Opposite Sex World Champion, which is in itself a big honor. However, Heelz is not finished yet! She still is still in the running to bring home the big win to Missouri for Eric and we are about to see if she can keep this male dominated Head’s Up Cast balanced out a bit with some female drive!

Heelz is out of Wipeout Hell Chamber and Wipeout Page. Eric bought her this past February from his friend Ashley Guthrie in Georgia. Eric had a chance to hunt with Heelz a couple times when Steve Yant was handling her for Ashley. Eric talked about how it came to be that he would become her new owner and handler, “When I saw Heelz she was a good dog, but I could see that she had something in her that was extra special. Steve told me that if I could buy her from Ashley that I should. I took Steve’s recommendation. I worked on her for about a month or so and then started hunting her in March. I ran her for six months before she came in heat and finished second in the Missouri State Race. We won $2350 in open money. The cool thing was that I only won over a $100 three times; the rest were $54 to $72 wins. I got 40 cast wins with her in that time; she is just a consistent dog.”
Some of the bigger accomplishments that Heelz has had in her lifetime include placing in a Pro Hunt when nine or ten months old. After that, Eric said, “She was just kind of jostled around here and there. She had $1200 when I bought her and now I have $4000. I made her a Silver Champion in the time that I have been hunting her.”

When asked what it is that he likes about her, Eric responded, “She is consistent. She is good if you are in thin or thick coons. When I hunted Bey Bey she would pass them up. This one does not pass coons up. She is a good strike dog, has a good mouth, and is a good locater. When she trees, she has coons. Heelz just typically does not do much to draw minus.”
Eric shared how he feels knowing that he has the only female left today, “Being the only female in the Top Six may give her a chance to come out on top.”

Eric Henry has been handling in competition hunts for about 20 years now. In that time he has learned and accomplished a lot. He talked about his history in this sport, “I have been off and on in it since I was sixteen. I have better dogs now than I did as a kid. When I was around twenty-age, I learned what it takes to win and the style of dogs it take. Over the last eight to ten years, I have done pretty well. I have won the Nationals and the PKC Missouri State Hunt. I was the State Leader a couple times and finished in top five numerous times. I have placed third in the PKC State hunt and gotten into the semis of the Nationals and Super Stakes. This year, I made it into the top 100 of the UKC World. This is my first time getting in at the World, I have won a lot of early rounds, but always lost late. This hunt has been my nemesis.”

Things changed with that this year. Eric came up on Wednesday night and got in that first night. He talked about how those casts went, “We won early on Wednesday with 700 plus. We were in a great big, nice, oak bottom. She treed four coons by herself and had one big circle tree.

We won the late round on Wednesday night with 350 plus. She did the same thing as the early round. She made ten trees total all by herself - five early and five late. In the late round, she treed two coons by herself, then she had a couple circle trees. At the end, she had a coon in there deep, but I did not have to tree her. They would have had to have two coons to beat her.”

Eric and Heelz got to rest up until Friday night. In their first round of the semi-finals, they went up against Wipeout’s Incredible Catch, Full Throttle Jigga Who, and Boogaloos Frosty. They won with 425 plus. Eric shared how that cast went, “Catch treed a coon. Who had a circle. Heelz then treed a coon and Frosty backed her. Then Catch treed another coon, but took some minus. Heelz treed another coon. When I turned her loose again, she then treed a circle. When we turned back loose this time, we had dogs scattered everywhere. Heelz was working between the other dogs and treed again. They withdrew because they needed two coons to catch me. She had another coon after the hunt.”

Heelz had three wins under her belt, but she needed one more to get her to Saturday evening. Their fourth cast to try to win had rolled around and this time, they would be hunting against Thousand Dollar Bill and M & A Hector Side. Eric talked about that cast, “We were in a swampy bottom and they blew way in there deep. Bill struck, Heelz struck and then Hector got in. They were in there about three fourths of a mile. Bill was to the left, Hector was to the right, and Heelz was to the east of Hector another half mile. She had been trailing around in the swamp and treed. Bill had a den tree and Hector’s was slick. They lead to me and Heelz had a coon. We all turned loose again and Bill struck in front of us and treed. Coy struck and treed him. Bill stayed until we almost got there, then left. Hector went on past him trailing and mine did too. They were all trailing different directions. Hector treed on edge of railroad track and there was a train coming. Coy and I’s dogs were safe in other directions. Hector was only about 20 yards from the track. We did not find anything there. We had about eight minutes left in the hunt when Coy treed Bill. If he had a coon and I did not, I lose. When he treed, I treed Heelz in the opposite direction. The judge told him to go handle Bill and went with me because if Heelz had a coon, Coy could not beat me. She was treed on the edge of slough with a coon.”

Now Eric and Heelz are in the Heads Up cast. Eric shared how he felt, “I am feeling really good. The dog has looked good all week. She has not made any baubles. She treed coons and did not make any mistakes. I want to wish everyone good luck and am glad to be here.”

With this big accomplishment, Eric wanted to say thanks to some people, “First off, I want to thank God for all He has done for me and for allowing me the opportunity to be here. I would like to thank PKC for putting on this hunt and for all they do for the coon hunters. I would like to thank my family. My wife and kids put up with a lot and I appreciate them being so good to get along with. I would like to thank Steve Yant for telling me about Heelz and Ashley for selling her to me.”


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Full Throttle Melt Down
Owned by Landreth and Landreth
Handled by Dustin Weed

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You can say that Full Throttle Melt Down has had quite the 2015 PKC year! First he won the National Pup and Male Leader Race and now he finds himself in the Top Six of the PKC World. This has brought a lot of pride to his owners Andy and Dillon Landreth and they owe it to Dustin Weed. Dustin has been handling for the Landreths the past four years. As a handler, he has definitely brought the Landreth dogs the needed edge to win big. He won the National Pup and Female Leader with Sally two years ago and now duplicated that success with Melt Down. Needless to say, Dustin is hoping to put a World title on the resume of success for the Landreth/Weed team this weekend.

The coonhound that is making a name for them this time around is three year old Full Throttle Melt Down out of Full Throttle Jiggs. Melt Down was bought from Robert Stivers and Dustin has been handling him two years this December.
Dustin talked about what it is about Melt Down that he has enjoyed so much, “He trees coons and always keeps you in the ball game.”

This coon hunting game is something that Dustin Weed has been playing hard since he was eleven years old. It has been a decade of hunts and experience and a lot of success along the way. The now twenty-one year old Dustin is quite accomplished as a handler. He talked about his top achievements over the years, “I won the Nationals and the Super Stakes. I have been in the Final Fours of the Truck Hunt and of this year’s Super Stakes. I won the Pup Leader and National Male Leader Race with Down this year and the National Pup and Female Leader Race with Sally two years ago. When I was in the youth program, I won the Youth Race two years.”

This week marked early success for Dustin and Full Throttle Melt Down and allowed them a chance to rest up and prepare for Friday. Dustin talked about how Monday night went for him and Melt Down, “On the early round, we won with 575 plus. Melt Down treed four coons that night. Woody had was the closest to him with 325 points.
Then we won the late round with 175 plus. Melt Down treed a coon out of the box. Then he made two circle trees. No one else treed. We got to rest up all week.”

But when Friday rolled around, Dustin and Melt Down were back to work. In the early round of the semi-finals, they found themselves up against Buck Creek Stickit, Gray’s Creek Crickett, and Concrete Ink. Dustin talked about this nail biter of a cast, “We won that round with 525 plus. It was a coon treeing contest between us and Colton Dunlap and Stickit. We both treed three coons each and we just won on strike points.”

It would not get any easier for Dustin and Meltdown in the late round either. They would earn every point they had coming. For this round, Dustin and Melt Down found themselves going up against Smith Vaughn Backwater Bones and Mister Overdrive. They would win the cast with 325 plus. Dustin talked about how that cast went for him, “I was beat until the end. I had to tree a coon. We cut loose off the last tree with three minutes left in the hunt and Melt Down treed a coon with like ten seconds left in the cast.”
Melt Down definitely kept Dustin in the game even when things were tight. Now they are getting ready to see how the Heads Up cast goes for them. Dustin shared how he felt about getting to this points, “It feels good. I know my dog can compete with any of them. If they cannot, you cannot win.” Dustin knows it takes a good dog to get to this point and he is about to see how he and Melt Down do against the other five that have also gotten to this spot in PKC history.

With the success that he has had this week, Dustin had some words of thanks that he wanted to share, “I want to thank my mom and dad, my sister and her family, and my girlfriend Paige for sticking with me through all my hunting. I would like to thank Andy and Dillon Landreth for letting me hunt their dogs. I also want to mention all my friends for being there with me. I also have to thank Michael Ward for walking along on the cast with me; I think he might be my good luck charm.”


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Wipeout Slim
Owned by Jimmy Pierce
Handled by Doug Jackson

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There are a lot of experienced handlers in this Heads Up Cast, but Doug Jackson definitely is one that has been around at this game a long time. He was winning big when the United Coon Hunters’ Association was around. Now he is still at it and continuing to add to his resume of success. The hound that has him in the Top Six at the 2015 PKC World Championship it six year old Wipeout Slim out of Zeb Again.

Slim is owned by Jimmy Pierce. Jimmy and Doug have been good friends for the past twenty-five years. They became friends through dog business they did and Doug has handled for him and worked for him over these years.

Even though Doug does not like to brag about his successes, Jimmy knows he has an accomplished handler and friend in Doug. Doug has been handling in the hunts for 45 years now. He won the UCHA World Hunt, placed second in the PKC World twice, and won the Pro Division several times. It was hard to get much more out of him in regards to his past successes, he just simply replied, “People know what I have won and what I have not. This World hunt has always eluded me though. I have gotten close, but no cigar.”

Wipeout Slim has him close again too! Slim was just bought this past February from Jim Fields in Tennessee. Jimmy and Doug needed a good dog and Slim fit the bill. Doug shared what it is that he likes about Slim, “He is a hard going dog and when he trees, he is good about having a coon.”

Doug started out trying to get to this point on Monday night. The two won their early round with an impressive 500 plus points, but got beat late on Monday. Then they won again in the early round on Tuesday with 125 plus, but lost again in the late round. Doug said, “It was raining and just no good.”

Wednesday was the night that Slim cinched it all up for him and Doug. He won early with 150 plus points. Doug talked about how that cast went, “Slim got way through the country. Chris Saunder’s gyp treed a coon in front of us. Then Slim treed a coon through the country. I took a tree minus, but then Slim made another tree and had a coon; that won the cast for us.”
The early round was won, but the late round would be a better cast for them. They won the late round with 500 plus. Doug talked about how things transpired on that cast, “It was a good cast and I drew Tucker and Traxx. Basically Slim had 75 strike and 100 tree on his first coon. Then he struck back in 25 points and had 100 points on another coon. He ended up with 100 strike and 100 tree on his last coon. We treed a lot of coons on that round.”

They would get a chance to rest up one night before having to head back out. On the early round of the semi-finals, Doug and Slim went up against Spring Hollow Major Pain and Django Unchained. They won that cast with 400 plus. Doug talked about that cast, “Slim was through the country with 50 strike and 100 tree points on a coon. I turned him back loose for 25 strike points and 100 tree on a coon. Then he had 25 strike and 100 tree on another coon.”

The early round was in the bag, but they still had another round to go to make it to tonight. They would win the late round with 525 plus. This time they would be hunting against Money Maxed Out and W Ch Hardtime Awesome. Doug talked about that cast, “I had 100 strike and 100 tree on the first coon about six tenths of a mile from truck. While we were walking to Slim, Randy struck and treed Awesome. We scored Slim’s tree and went back to Awesome. He was on an oak and we could not find Awesome’s coon. Money Max went a different direction and never got on paper. I turned Slim loose for 25 strike and 100 tree on another coon. Then I turned him loose off that one and ended up with 100 strike and 100 tree on another coon. The other two handlers withdrew and quit.”

Slim took Jimmy and Doug into the Top Six. When asked about he felt about going into this Heads Up cast, Doug replied, “It is what it is. You got to get breaks to win.”

Before heading out tonight, Doug wanted to mention some people that have been there along the way, “I want to thank Jimmy Pierce for everything. I want to thank Tim Groce for hunting with me. Last, I would like to thank everyone who has called and texted me congratulating us. I appreciate it.”
Prepare yourself and your hound. Hunt the dog, read the Blue Book, and your Good Book!

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