Cora Vette

Cora is out of Tie and Bonnie Sue. I really like her disposition and drive.

Pete's Last Hunt this Season

This was Pete's first season squirrel hunting with Piper and Grits. I know it is one he will remember the rest of his life. The Feists will be even better next year. Thanks for sharing the picture, Pete.

Rosco Roaring!!

Vern Gosdin Singing!

Jag is on Target!

Jag is just 5 months old and this last weekend he treed his SECOND wild squirrel Just unbelievable and an awesome beginning for Laine, new squirrel hunter from Harrison, AR!

Here is the email from Laine's dad, Shannon!

I told you we were going down south with Jag. Me and a buddy went. Laine couldn't go due to a Boy Scout camp out. We were around Kingsland Ar. checking out deer sign and running Jag. As you can tell he treed his second squirrel. This one he did completely on his on. He ran off from us and started smelling crazy up on this little hill. We could tell by the way he was scampering around he was on something. Then he jumped a squirrel and the chase was on. He ran him up a tree about 15 -20 yards away and we could barely see him through the woods. As we got there he was standing on the tree and even barked once. He would then get off the tree, circle it. then tree again while looking up. We were so proud of him. Of course we popped it and Jag pounced on it. The rest of our hunt gave us nothing but we could tell when he cold treed. He would circle a tree a few times and look up it and stand on it 2-3 times then leave.

He did great.

Shannon

Jack is on Track!

This is my friend Matt Howell with Jack. I think he is started enough to sell. If anyone is interested, you may call 479 890 8090 after about 7 in the evening. Jack is out of Spook and Shooter. JACK HAS BEEN SOLD

Opal Treeing by a Small Stream

Opal wants to move to the other side of this tree but she does not want to get in the water. You can see her thinking about the predicament of the tree being right by the water. Also, you can see her back up and look up the tree. A dog can not see much in a tree if they stay near the base. However when Opal is 'standing' on the tree, she sure looks fine!

New Toy For Troy's Pups

Troy Vance has built a new toy for his pups. It looks good and I know the young Feists will love it. Here is his email

SEEM SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS ON THE INTERNET SO MICKEY AND MYSELF DECIDED TO GIVE IT A TRY. WE BOTH HAD A WEEKS VACATION BETWEEN HUNTIN AND FISHIN SEASON. MOST TIMES IT JUST A DAY. YOU CAN KEEP THE CRITTER WHERE YOU WANT IT. ON THE GROUND OR THE VERTICAL OR THE HORIZON ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU WANT THE PUP TO LOOK AT. ITS GOT STOPS IN IT TO KEEP IT WHERE YOU WANT IT BY THE BUCKET. MY SQUIRREL IS A YOUNG CAT THAT MY FRIEND STONE BROUGHT ME THIS AFTERNOON. IN THE BACKGROUND IS MY SQUIRREL TRAINING PEN FOR THE PUPS. Troy Vance

Bonnie Sue Parker

Sadie Belle and Scout

Cold Weather is a Memory

We put water out for our Feists, but Belle ventured to the pond when it was cold to get a drink from nature.

Valentine's Wishes From Pete, Grits and Piper

Pete, sent photos of his Valentine Day hunt with Piper and Grits and a email message detailing the great day!

I got to spend some quality time with the girls, we had a ball.Brought out six,and had opportunities on the other four to limit but shooting the 22cal at timbering squirrels,captivated the limitations of my rimfire abilities.To be honest I wouldn't have had it any other way.I've learned that you really have to trust what these little dogs are trying to tell you.I was close to leaving several trees only to catch a twitching tail hidden way in the tops of some of these huge oak trees.Really hard to believe it was zero degrees here on Friday.

P.S. The old house pic was taken here on friday,Piper treed one by going into the house via a large opening in the bottom of the front door,I didn't realize where she was until a startled gray squirrel came flying out one of the second story windows.The floor of the house was littered with old black walnut hulls from the big tree in the front.

Best Regards Pete
Piper treed on inside this house!

What is for Breakfast?

Whatever I can find!

Matt's Saturday Hunt

Matt took Rosco to Fort Chaffee and hunted with two friends. I bet he will tell us their names. This was from Saturday. Matt said the squirrels were still just in trees not hitting the ground and would rush to a hole or nest when Rosco would scent them.

Opal and Tie

I can hear D. J. telling his Dad--"I can shoot it!"

Cocoa and Buster Reunited

Zach Kraft owns Buster and the Nelsons own Cocoa. Cocoa and Buster had a reunion recently and Jennifer Nelson sent us photos of the event. They were reunited as they first met here on Galla Creek. Buster is out of Tie and Bonnie Sue Parker. Cocoa is from Dixie and Rosco! Cocoa is still the queen as Siggie trained her to be...you will see she is chasing Buster all over the house.

Dobs

Troy Vance sent this photo of Dobs from a recent hunt on his last day of hunting season in Texas. Dobs want to go a round with her son Tie. She still thinks she could teach him a thing or two. You know how mother's are. Here is Troy's message:

GOT A INVITE TO HUNT ON A FRIEND'S HUNTING LEASE IN LAKE FORK CREEK BOTTOM THE LAST DAY OF SEASON. WE CARRIED JB AND DOBS. KILLED A MESS OF SQUIRRELS FOR SUPPER AND HAD A GOOD HUNT BUT IT WAS A LITTLE ON THE COOL SIDE. TELL TIE HIS MOM MIGHT COULD STILL SHOW HIM A THING OR TOO. Troy Vance~Hawkins, Texas
This photo is of Dob's mother.

Rosco Treeing in the Blizzard

Rosco could not go hunting...blizzard in Arkansas....so he treed from his zip line.

Why Aren't You Chasing Me, Anymore?

Jack and Maggie

Jack is at Matt's place. Matt took Maggie and Jack on a little walk hunt. Snow was too deep for Matt to go to the big forest. Jack treed one and timbered it. Looks like he thought he deserved to eat it too.

In Remembrance Of Earl Wilkerson

Earl Wilkerson of Alma, Arkansas has passed away. He is the founder of the Snowball Feist!

A friend told us he had went down to feed and check on his dogs and fell over, hit his head.

His last deeds were with the Feist dogs he loved. Seems a fitting way for a squirrel hunter to go.

Earl had arthritis so badly that he could not look up. I asked him once how he killed squirrels in

trees and he replied--"I lay down on the ground." Where there is will, there is a way.

In the 1990s, we traveled to Alma and met Earl. We bred our Galla Creek Belle to his Snowball.

I would describe Earl as a gentleman and am proud to have known him.

ALMA - Earl Dean Wilkerson, 72, of Alma died Friday, Feb. 4, 2011, in a local hospital. He was a member of Rudy Baptist Church, a retired general supervisor from Whirlpool and an Air Force veteran.

Funeral will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at Ocker of Alma Funeral Home with burial at Dean Cemetery.

is survived by his wife, Nelda; two daughters, Amanda Moses of Hackett and Becky Newton of Alma; a son, Daniel Wilkerson of Fort Smith; a sister, Rose Reeves of Edwards, Mo.; and nine grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Jody Hill, Roy House, Mike Allen, Mickey Landers, Kenny Henderson and Billy Hightower.

The family will visit with friends from 5-7 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.

Storm, Gale and Gusty!

I let Storm, Gale and Gusty out and they were really wanting to chew! They are cutting teeth. All are doing great. Storm is going to her new home Monday. Mike got tired of waiting for Buckeye and is coming to get her.

More To the World than Hunting.....

Yelp, there is fishin'!! Roger Littlejohn sent the photos of Okeechobee Lake in Florida and his nice Crappie catch. Thanks for sharing, Roger! Watch out for the gators!Roger Littlejohn shared these photos of his Crappie catch! He was fishing on the Okeechobee!

Here is what Roger had to say:

Carlton and I fished for Crappie at a lake near Okeechobee one day this week. We had a good few hours and ended up with 21 keepers, which was better than most of the other fishermen we talked with that day. The catch filled the cleaning sink. Carlton was a fabulous guide, host and fishing buddy....can't wait to do it again.

Also, My sister and I took one of those airboat rides while I was down at Lake Okeechobee. Here are a few pictures, including one of a big gator we rode by. That airboat was about the only thing that would get around in that thick stuff, and the ride was a blast.

Roger

Lake Okeechobee is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Florida. It is the seventh largest freshwater lake in the United States ^[1] and the second largest freshwater lake contained entirely within the lower 48 states.^[2] Okeechobee covers 730 square miles (1,890 km²), approximately half the size of the state of Rhode Island, and is exceptionally shallow for a lake of its size, with an average depth of only 9 feet (3 m). The lake is divided between Glades, Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach, and Hendry counties. Maps of Florida^[3] show that all five of these counties meet at one point near the center of the lake.

Sadie Bell

Sadie Bell is owned by Lee Moore in Mississippi. She is the pup on the far left in the picture. She is out of Spud and Opal. We named the litter after Popeye the sailor man and Lee changed Sweet Oyl's name to Sadie. There was one more pup not in this photo and she had more white with black spots. Spud's color dominated the litter which is normal as Spud's mother is colored like the pup's and Opals, too. So with black being a dominant color over white. It was normal to get 4 mostly black pups and only one white.

Sadie is doing great this year. You can see from the pictures she is a good timber watcher.

Opal and Rick Mahan's Two Feists

Hunting in the Ozarks of Arkansas

Hunt with Friends Young and Old

When hunting Saturday with Joey McLeland and his son, D.J. Low, and behold, we met up with two renegades in the woods--Matt Howell and his nephew Andrew. With all of us guys and four Feists, we had a great day hunting Rosco, Lia, Tie and Opal. You can see more pictures at this link!

Pictures of January 29, 2011 Hunt

Piper and Grits

Pete Reimold sent photos of Piper and Grits. Looks like they are doing pretty good bringing in this pile of squirrels. Grits caught one on the ground. Grits looks so much like Baby Face Nelson that it is eerie! Looks like Piper is barking on the tree and Grits is getting it together. This is just what we have been hoping for. Pete has never trained a squirrel dog so he and these two are learning it all together. Pete says one thing for sure it is FUN!

Here is Pete's email:

Renfroes,

Just wanted to touch base.After three days of snow,the sun came out and so did the squirrels.Friday [01/28] Piper and Grits teamed up to take five.The best part was when Grits not only treed one solo,but was able to chase a squirrel that bailed out after timbering four trees and catching it after a 100 yd run.The pics where taken after my Saturday hunt[01/29].Grits treed a second squirrel solo,and as you can see Piper is on target.I'm hopeful Grits will continue to improve,we still have thirty days of squirrel hunting,and I plan to make the most of it.I hunted this week with the 22cal,which proved worthless once the squirrels started to timber,but unlike a shotgun blast ,you don't alert every squirrel in the area of your presents.Many squirrel are still very quick to den up,in fact only about 50% are staying out,much more treeing than shooting. Best regards Pete