Cedar Creek Keena
descends from Mountain Cur, Treeing Walker, Black Labrador, and
Tri-color Rough Collie ancestors. The Mountain Cur is known to listen
so well they can be called off a track. The Treeing Walker hound
supplies her keen cold-nosed trailing ability. The Black Labrador
provides the 'birdiness', her flushing and retrieving expertise, and
the love of water. And the Tri-Color Rough Collie is seen in her beauty
and brains. She's the epitome of a good 'mongrel' hunting dog. The key
was in her training. She always suprising me, one time by finding half
of a 12 point buck shed and bringing it to me when we went for a short
walk in the woods. What a companion! Her Veterinarian told me we're
lucky to have one really good dog in our lives, and she thinks Keena is
mine. I agree. The way she acts, she might be related to this Missouri dog. Keena made the November 20, 2008 U.S. Armed Forces
Stars and Stripes Europe Edition and the Mideast Edition.
![]() Turkey Dogs on Dan Small's Outdoor WI Public TV. Read 'Turkey hunt going to the dogs' in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - pictures. Read about Keena - a Wisconsin Turkey Dog - scroll down Column Archives to Turkey Dog (2/2/09). Turkey dogs in Wisconsin featured on the Big Wild Radio Show. Click here to listen (use RealPlayer). Below she's wearing her camoflouge boonie hat with headnet to disguise her white markings. She tolerates it just fine as long as the brim doesn't fall down in front of her eyes. Her ears stick out of the face mask and alert me to the turkeys approach. The hat has a drawstring that cinches under her neck to keep it on. She's getting so well trained I almost don't have to tie the leash to my leg any more. She'll lay down on command and stay still. We're getting to be a real team. She tells me if they're hens or gobblers by her body language. And I can tell if they ran off, flew up in the trees, or flew away, by the intensity of her barking, long before I reach her. Keena was wearing her camo hat when we hunted Monroe County, WI with the outdoor writer Jim Lee in October 2007. His story about that hunt was in the September 2008 issue of the Wisconsin Outdoor Journal (pdf). Acting like a Terrier! Her personality really shows, when she's digging just for the sake of digging! Dark colored dogs are harder for the turkeys to see, but they get hotter on warm days. Click on Keena in the mud! |
|
Mountain Curs are an interesting breed. Here's a link that explains the types. Keena resembles a cur dog from 1790. "At Jamestown in 1608, the only domestic animals kept by the Indians were curs such as the keepers have in England. They were used for hunting turkey and other game." The Wild Turkey - Its History and Domestication; A.W. Schorger, Univ. of OK Press. In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park a Mountain Cur (like Old Yeller) was trapped for 16 days. More pictures of father Jamie, bonding with me at 14 weeks, showing good treeing form, in the field at 5 months, and swimming at 20 months. Click on pictures to enlarge. |
Now after scattering the flock (video), she comes right back and lays her head on my lap, and naps while I call. She loves people and other dogs, and is a great companion. Especially to hunt turkeys with. |
The
great state of Tennessee allows hunters the use of their dog to hunt
turkey during the spring season,
so we scouted it in 2009. In that big country, calling is only heard by the turkeys in that hollow. Having a dog along to confirm if they smell a turkey is a big help, when the next hollow is a mile or two walk. ![]() ![]() Trolling or tramming of dogs is prohibited along some roads within the Big South Fork. Keena tells me when she smells one, riding down the jeep trails with the windows open. Send an email to Jon Freis or call 920-776-1272 Maribel, WI |
![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() When she didn't follow us out to the truck, after 10 minutes of waiting, I walked back in looking for her. That's not like her, she always sticks with me. I expected she was fatigued after the second hunt of the day and then the exertion to find that turkey. I'm thinking, she likes the cold, and may have laid down to rest. Earlier, I saw her scale a 3 foot vertical wall of the creek tracking ![]() ![]() ![]() By the time I got across the creek and snapped the pictures above, two of the vehicles had already left (I didn't get their names). When I got home, there was a message on my answering machine from Scott, that they were standing by my dog in the road. Thank you Scott and everybody else that was blocking the road for my beloved Keena. I know she'd rather die outdoors, especially hunting turkeys, than laying around in the house, so when the snows not too deep and it's not too hard walking, I take her along. Most of the time, she just walks nearby, but this time she saved us a turkey too. Was she ever happy and were we ever proud, this old dog sure surprised us today. Glad we got pictures of what might be her last bird. For the next 3 or 4 days, she had a little more spring in her step! Jon |
![]() ![]() There wasn't a more loyal, faithful friend in the world. Never left my side for over 14 years. 12/14/2003 - 7/15/18 Brothers and Sisters, I bid you beware Of giving your heart to a dog to tear. |
Home | About Us
|
Books |
Breeds
| Classifieds
| FAQ
|
History
| Kit
Shaffer
Legislation | Links | Scratchings | Spring | Stories | Tales | Shop in the Store Members are invited to send pictures of yourself and your dog, with a short story like these: Carson Quarles | Earl Sechrist | Frederick Payne 1 | Frederick Payne 2 | Gary Perlstein | Gratten Hepler | Jon Freis 1 | Jon Freis 2 | Larry Case | Marlin Watkins 1 | Marlin Watkins 2 | Mike Joyner | Mike Morrell | Parker Whedon | Randy Carter | Ron Meek 1 | Ron Meek 2 | Tom McMurray | Tommy Barham 1 | Tommy Barham 2 Members Only: Hall of Fame | Members | Museum | Studies | and the States KY | NC | NY | OH | ON | PA | TN | VA | WI | WV 2004 - 2025 American Wild Turkey Hunting Dog Association All Rights Reserved Permission to copy without written authorization is expressly denied. |