Full_Cry-Dec-2011-National_Treeing_Cur_Assoc-Amy_Kovac ...

Wow – talk about putting things off until the last minute! Here
I am the eve before leaving for Vegas and I am writing this column.
It is funny how this day came to fruition so quickly. It is a
bit strange to be writing about my wedding to Billy on November
4th again – seems I did this once before in 1994. Anyways, no
matter how the path twisted, turned and v’ed off – it still ended
up at this spot for us and our children. That is a blessing.
One thing I want to touch upon is the importance of having
feed sources for wild game. On our new acreage, we’ve seen the
occasional squirrel and coon, but nothing to write home about.
While we were at the PKC World Youth hunt, Billy and Clay bought
a case of the screw in feeders from Valley Creek. They put them
up when we returned that Sunday and by today the tracks in our
creek and muddy pond bank our plentiful.
That was uplifting since our pond that was overgrown is now
completely cleaned out. We hired a local high lift operator to
come and grade out a spot for Billy’s dad’s round pen plus a roping
arena. While he was here, we also had him clean out our
locust groves and then clean out the sludge in our pond. He fixed
our spill way and cleaned it out. It was very overgrown and full of
mud mixed mostly with cow poo. Now it is deep, but rough looking
until it dries out. I am looking forward to Billy building a dock
while we wait for it to refill for future memories.
The thing about memories is that they get built on our actions
today. Whether it is working with a young dog or making a cross
we think will turn out the best, the foundation laid today will create
the moments in life we look back on and smile about. There
are circumstances in life beyond our control, but it is up to us to
take the best action we can for ourselves and our loved ones in
the given moment.
This leads me to my feature of the month – John Wilson. John
is taking steps in his life with the dogs to work toward a future
goal. When you read his story, you will learn what that is and how
what he is doing now he hopes will help him attain it.
NTCA Looks at John Wilson
Zanesville, Ohio is where John’s story begins and it is where it
is being constantly added to today. The now 27 year old electrician
is married to his wife Ashley with a 17 month old son named
Briar. John’s interest in the dogs began when he was just a young
son himself.
“My dad, George, always had dogs. We had
and have a lot of hound guys in our country, but
we are one of the few who have Curs. Dad had
hounds he hunted, but we also had an old
Kemmer female on farm. She killed ground
hogs, but she never did tree anything. In time,
we bred her to a Walker and kept a pup. Our
pup didn’t turn out, but everyone else who got
one did; that was our first dip into Treeing Curs
though we had never heard of them yet.
“When I was about 16 years old, we tried
Feists, but didn’t have any luck and got out of
dogs. Then about five years ago, we bought two
Jammin’ Bo male dogs. They were almost two
years old. They were how we met Doyle
Sherman. The guy we bought them from said
that they were out of Bo, but he didn’t have any
papers so we got in contact with Doyle. Those
two dogs are long gone, but now I have a ten
month old female off him and an OMCBA female
that I’m running squirrels with.”
John is enjoying getting into the hunting
dogs. He has a hound that he just started competition
hunting. “He is the first dog I have ever
National Treeing
Cur Association
By Amy Kovac-Thomas, 13709 State Road E, DeSoto, Missouri 63020
Email: amazingamy@brick.net
Ella and her birthday present, her
first Amazing Cur. I think the face
says it all.
competed with. The competition part of hunting is a new ball
park, but it sure is addicting. I’d like to get my Jammin Bo female
in shape to take her to take to some competition squirrel hunts.”
Though he is enjoying his hound, his Curs have that something
that he really likes.
“What I liked about the Curs was just the fact that we could
squirrel and coon hunt them both. A big thing between my dad
and I is we always wanted to have the underdog that would sneak
in behind the other dogs and get treed.”
There is a big difference in what John expects out of dogs now
versus when he was young. “When I was a kid, dad had a few
good dogs, but they were few and far between. What I thought
were good dogs then, now I probably wouldn’t be that happy
with.”
Having a higher standard for his dog is part of what John is
working on today for his son Briar’s future. “Briar has already
been out to the woods with me. He might be little, but he is definitely
a busy little guy. I’d like to have a kennel developed so
when Briar is older he has good dogs to take out. We are heading
in that direction but it is slow. My Bo female treed today. I just
really want to get her to where when Briar is older he can follow
behind a good squirrel dog.”
Reading his story you can see why John is the perfect example
of taking action today to create the best memories for tomorrow.
I want to thank him for sharing his story (especially at such
last minute notice!)
I think it was very fitting that John be the featured member
especially since his hometown was on the national news not too
long ago when the owner of an exotic animal farm set the animals
all free before taking his own life. I asked John if he saw any
of them and he said, “No, we didn’t. We only live about a mile and
a half from the place, but we didn’t see one animal. We even
drove around looking for some.” John had also been in St. Louis
for his job the week before our chat. I told him if he gets back
this way to come by and visit and hunt.
That is the nice thing about our new place is that I have an
office with a day bed. It is nice to lie back on and type on my netbook,
but also gives me a spare room for guests. I have always
loved having people over and entertaining and now I have the
room to do so with quite the flair. In fact, I am in my
office right now listening to the sounds coming
from below. Clay is downstairs playing pool
with his grandpa Bennie as we speak. I’ve heard
a lot of groans from my young son and giggling
from his grandpa so I am thinking that the old
bull showed the young bull some techniques.
Though it has been crazy here, I had hoped
to get to Elnora to hunt and visit with many of
my friends. I’d say unfortunately, but it wasn’t,
I was home breeding Millie, my dog, to my
brother’s X Factor. I didn’t think my fellow
competitors would be happy to have a dog that
hot even near theirs. Art Lee called to see if I
wanted to hunt one of his, but I needed to be
present to meet with Alex and do the crossing.
I love that my brother and his little girl are
back into the dogs with such zeal. There have
been things over the years that have sucked the
wind from my sails, but listening to Alex and
his renewed fire has truly helped me. I know
that together many things are possible and if
nothing else – the love his little girl has for her
birthday puppy is worth everything.
The thing about Curs is they truly are part of

Featured
Members of the
Month:
John Ashley and
Briar Wilson
Delilah, an Original Mountain Cur, owned by John Ashley and
family, from Allen Franklin’s stock
your family. In fact, that same weekend, we took Jason Fischer’s
OMCBA Mountain Cur Tyke and crossed him onto Kiss, the
Walker who is mother to Heaven, Red Bull, the late Hanna and
Jake. Tyke is up there in age and this way, Jason would have a
piece of his family dog and also an outcross for his breeding program
down the line. I don’t know if any of these took yet, but we
did our part to lay the future for our families just like our feature
John Wilson is doing for his.
Jason has come over not to just breed dogs, but also to work
them. He has brought his son Briar along too. When Briar came,
they brought Pickles. I really like her. Sadly, I wasn’t feeling the
greatest that night so Billy joined Clay in working dogs with
them. It really is nice having the Fischer family so close. Jason’s
nephew is the quarterback for the Desoto High School football
team. Clay is really considering moving to this local high school
next year. That is his choice and I won’t push him, but he seems
ready to move forward in this new life and leave bad memories
behind. As a whole, we are ready for a fresh start and this town
has been wonderful for that.
Speaking of Jason, it is that time when I share with you his
monthly column. I hope you enjoy it – especially since I was leaving
to get married and had to get it all in early. Jason also had to
work late at the last minute (sorry Jason!) because of my upcoming
trip to Vegas to get married.
Sacrificially, Not Selfishly
By Jason Fischer
As I sit down to work on another devotion for our Treeing Cur
column, I have just left our "old" church building. A few men and
myself have been working on some furnace and gas piping issues
that were so kindly brought to our attention by the local gas
company inspector. The five of us started a task that will probably
take us into next week as we work around family, life, and
work schedules.
As we were finishing up, I began to think about how this labor
could be perceived. Many would think that doing this work on
the church would be a great place to "earn" a little favor in the
eyes of God, the congregation, and the community. After all, we
were sacrificing of our own time with our families and other
responsibilities to do the "work" of the Lord. It would be an easy
place to set a foothold and gain a higher ground perspective on
all the lowly people that did nothing to help out in a time of need.
Our perch on top of the mountain of "goodness" would allow us
to be seen by all and receive our praise.
The real problem with this is there is only one person in all
of this that gains and that person is self. If we were to do all of
this work in hopes of recognition (I can guarantee it's not), then
it all points back to how great a person we are. It does not give
glory to God, but glorifies our own personal actions.
In James 3: 16 it states, "For where jealousy and selfish ambition
exist, there is disorder and every evil thing."
This verse does not carry qualifiers with it. It simply states
that if you work out of jealousy or selfishness - it is not going to
go well. Whether it is work at a church, with a great organization,
or in your backyard kennel God promises us that if we do it
while we pursue the wrong goals, then it will never work.
I know that I have spent much time on this subject, but it just
keeps coming up. Prove me wrong. Take a look back at your
own life and see the things that you have done with the wrong
motives and see how they end. Do you see friendships
destroyed? Relationships lost? Opportunities gone to the wayside?
I would venture to say that those questions will carry the
honest answer of "yes." Now look back at the decisions you
made that were "pure in heart." How do they end? I would gather
to say that it's the total opposite of the previous.
James 3:17-18 says,"But the wisdom from Above is first pure,
then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits,
unwavering, without hypocrisy.
And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by
those who make peace."
May we all venture out to do the things we ought to do with
our hearts in the right place making everyone and every situation
that we touch with our lives show the Love of Christ in all that we
do. Sacrificially, not selfishly.
Thank you, Jason, for taking the time to share these words of
wisdom with us. I always find it interesting to see if there is any
connection to what you write and what I write when I go to fit
them in together. I think your piece of the column goes beautifully
with the theme that our actions today will be the basis of our
memories tomorrow.
Even though this column is far from what I need to cover, I am
officially out of time! I am now set up with an office and pretty
well sorted so we will cover more official Treeing Cur news in the
next column after my wedding this weekend. By the time this
comes out, my favorite holiday will be here – Thanksgiving. I
hope you take the time to show gratitude for those who are there
for you in your life. Even though there are things in life I wish
were different, all of us can learn from bad behaviors and those
things we’d like to see changed. Sometimes the best learned lessons
come from the hardest moments and things in life. No matter
what though – if something causes us to be a better person –
then we should be grateful for the growth this gave to us. Have
a very blessed and happy Thanksgiving from everyone here in
Desoto and the NTCA!