There are many things remembered in the days of childhood. One such memory for me is the three men that loved to “Fox Hunt” in Adair County, Kentucky.  They owned a special breed of dogs that loved to chase fox and the sly red fox seem to be their favorite.

Little did I know that “Fox Hunting” was one of Kentucky's oldest sports. However I should have known is was not just these three men that loved the outdoors and fresh air, the smell of campfire, hot boiling coffee, the melody the pack of dogs and their tall tales...

As for those dogs I do not know if they were strains of Walker, Trigg or Goodman, but I do know that they were expensive dogs. Some cost $75.00 – 100.00 dollars in the days that men worked for $2.00-$4.00 dollars a day.

These men took good care of their dogs, for each must be able to lead the pack, when "old red" was chased.
I remember one of these fox hunts in the late forties; we loaded the dogs and some food and headed out for to meet the other two men and their company of men and boys. Each one of these men was ready to show what their dogs could do.

When we got to the best place in the county for such a chase, the campfire was built, the coffeepot placed on the fire. The dogs giving somewhat of a signal that they were on the trail of the nights entertainment. As the chase got under way the sound of chatter from each group talking and telling their tales, one cold hear one of the dog owners yell out that is old (calling their dogs name) leading the pack.

Which one of these dogs will a young boy root for? Well with me living in the house with one of the fox chase trio it was not much of a choice. My second cousin's husband had one of the best, or was it my mothers sister husband that had the best dog. Well it is too early in the night to tell. As I listen to the dogs and the talk of the owners of the dogs I begin to see that they all had the best dogs.

At any rate one of these men had mastered the art of “Fox Hunting” his name was Bee Janes, Mr. Janes brought his foldaway cot for to take a nap while the chase was on. I have heard many times the Mr. Janes could sleep and listen to the dogs so well he could call out which dog was leading in the chase while sleeping.

After all the coffee, food and talk and some napping it would be time to call the dogs off the trail and go home for the night. The hunters used a horn made from a large steer horn and the dogs were trained to come to the camp when it was blown a number of times.  One of the worse things that could happen would be for one or two dogs stay out and not come in for a day or two. Some time the owner would need to go looking for them.

Who was the noted Fox Chase Trio?
You guessed it if you said Howard Walker, Luther G. Moss and Bee Janes.

_Carlis B. Wilson