Dustin's Hunt

       "I showed up at Willy's house around noon on a Sunday.  I have been hunting all my life for everything you can imagine and all I have heard from people is that I needed to go on a hunt with Willy and his dogs, so I decided that's what I would do.  When I got there, I helped Willy load up the dogs and we headed out.  First, we went to a place out in Bells where I got to see how it all worked.  We unloaded the dogs and they were off with their noses to the ground and hunting right away.  One thing I noticed is that Willy's dogs are very obedient and do what they are told.  Before long, a dog was barking and we turned around and the dogs had run about ten baby pigs up behind us, so me and my cousin Steve took after them.  After a minute we had caught two.  I took off my shirt and we made a bag to carry the pigs in.  I thought that was really cool but it was nothing compared to what I was about to do.  Next, we loaded the dogs back up and headed to Savoy.  We got there and the dogs head out again.  I could tell that hunting is what these dogs love to do.  We made a big circle around the land but the dogs hadn't caught scent of any hogs.  Then on the last stretch, on the way to the truck, we heard the dogs barking.  We took off running and finally got up close.  J.R. let the catch dog loose, and all I could see was the top of the small cedar trees moving from side to side.  Then I finally caught a glimpse of the beast that I was about to have to kill with a knife.  After the catch dog got hold, J.R. handed me a knife and Willy told me to go stab him.  I ran through the briars trying to find my way to the back end of the hog.  I got on his back, reached and stabbed him under the shoulder.  I could feel the blood from the animal on my hand and I knew that I got him.  I started moving the knife back and forth and side to side.  The hog drug me through some more briars, pulling me off his back.  The hog fell forward and slowly stopped breathing.  Everyone was right about Willy and his dogs.  It was like nothing else in the world.  All other hunting doesn't even compare to the experience I had that day.  But when all was said and done, the dogs are the ones who deserve the credit.  Without them I never could have done it.  These dogs worked all day, non-stop.  They are the real hunters."

Dustin Perkins 02/02/03