A Brief History of American Hounds & Houndsman
The word, Houndsman, is something that has so many emotions tied to it. Whether being on the side of it and understanding a tradition of man hunting with dog that goes back thousands of years, or you take the side against it most likely from a skewed point of view. To give some perspective on the relationship of hound and human, hunting hounds have partnered with humans for over 20,000 years, evolving from early domesticated wolves into specialized scent and sight trackers. Now after thousands of years of selected breeding for precise scent tracking you have the Bluetick, Treeing & Running Walkers, The Plott, Redbone, Beagle, and the American Fox Hound.
Hounds in the Americas go back just about as far as the people do, over 10,000 years or more. But the first written records War hounds and Scent hounds coming from the early Spanish Expeditions from Columbus, Cortez, and Hernando De Soto. De Soto bringing Iberian Scent hounds and large Mastiffs with him during his expedition of the Southwest in 1539-1542. Mainly used for tracking game, lost people, and guarding camp. One of the more famous accounts of a “Hound” from the Spanish era was the red and brown Mastiff, “Becerrillo” (1510-1514 shot by poison arrows)
As more countries claimed territory in America and English, French, and German immigrants settled in what is now the east coast and Appalachia areas of the United States, they brought their dogs with them. Some of the first hound breeds brought into early America were English breeds Talbot, Southern & Northern Hounds, the French Bloodhound, and Grand Bleu de Gascogne (foundation for the modern Bluetick), the Germans brought famous breeds such as, Deutsche Bracke, and the Hanover Hound. (the Plott still a well kept secret in the hills of North Carolina at this time)
One surprising of the houndsman who played a key role in America becoming a nation was, George Washington. George was well known in his time for the horseback fox hunts he put on and one of the earliest accounts of organized dog breeding in the early Americas. Washington famously imported English foxhounds, and was gifted Grand Bleu de Gascogne (French Blueticks) with which he then famously crossed with his Black and Tans to help create the American Foxhound. To quote Geri Walton from geriwalton.com, “Washington was also a devoted dog breeder and kept a diary complete with accounts about his dogs. He also mentioned his thoughts related to how he could improve his pack that he called “Virginia Hounds.” His goal was to breed “a superior dog, one that had speed, sense, and brains”. This definitely will resonate with any Houndsman trying to perfect his pack.
The United States was being founded through blood, sweat and tears and Hounds! Coming into the 1800’s is when we see a split from the traditional fast paced fox hunt style of Hound, jumping fences and creek bottoms horse back from the open tobacco fields of the Virginias to post Ohio Indian Confederacy America with thick timbered woods. Full of coons and Black Bear, giving birth to the American Treeing Hound. Ep 4 of the Bear Grease podcast tells a gripping story from “Wild Sports” a wilderness account from the mid 19th century by the famous German Author Fredrick Gerstcker. During his time in the “New West”, Fredrick wrote letters home to his mother in Germany who published them in the news paper unbeknownst to Gerstacker. Who later returned home a famous author. Clay Newcomb highlights Fredricks story in the 1840’s of his best friend dying in the throws of a wounded Black Bear. The curious Bear had killed multiple of his hounds and Gertstacker’s friend, Erskine, faces the angry bear with his knife to stop any further harm to his Hounds. Gerstakcer soon arrives to see multiple dead Hounds and his friend Erskine lying lifeless. Newcomb tells how Gerstacker stays throughout the night with the dead bear, wounded and dead hounds, and Erskine hearing wolves howl and the only hope for help by using there last of his gun powder to fire his musket in some of hope the Cherokee hunting party they were with would find them in in the dark woods of Arkansas along in the height of the mid 19th century Black Bear Grease trade.
Americans moved west into new territories that would soon become states like Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Bringing further development to the Eastern Coon and Bear Hounds that now guarded livestock, camp, and of course track more fearsome game and through more rugged country. One of the godfathers of modern Lion hunting is Ben Lilly. The famous Guide/Houndsman who took Theodore Roosevelt on his famous Bear hunt in 1907. Lilly moved west with a divine calling to chase Lion and Bear from Texas to Arizona.
