Journal of A Hound Dog Man: George Pyron's Wolf Races of 1934-35
Journal of a Hound Dog Man: George Pyron's Wolf Races - 1934-1935
Bernard Pyron
These are the notes that my older brother George Pyron (1918-1998) made in the thirties about a number of what he calls "Wolf Races," or coyote hunts, by the Pyron hounds and the hounds of other Somerset men. George was born February 17, 1918 and would have been 16 in February of 1934. The "Wolf Hunters" hunted only in the winter months because the coyotes left more of a scent trail in the colder weather. If one had calendars for the years 1934 and 1935 the dates of many of these hunts would have been on Saturdays. George and Daddy both worked all day Saturdays in the Will Kenney Red and White grocery store in Somerset and then went out with their dogs on the hunts.
Bernard Pyron
These are the notes that my older brother George Pyron (1918-1998) made in the thirties about a number of what he calls "Wolf Races," or coyote hunts, by the Pyron hounds and the hounds of other Somerset men. George was born February 17, 1918 and would have been 16 in February of 1934. The "Wolf Hunters" hunted only in the winter months because the coyotes left more of a scent trail in the colder weather. If one had calendars for the years 1934 and 1935 the dates of many of these hunts would have been on Saturdays. George and Daddy both worked all day Saturdays in the Will Kenney Red and White grocery store in Somerset and then went out with their dogs on the hunts.
The Photo Above Is Of George Pyron With a White Hound. He is in front of a Ford Pick-Up of 1939 and later vintage.
Above, George Pyron As A Teenager With One of His Coyote Hounds, In the Blake Pyron Family Homestead Area
November 30, 1934 - Caught one wolf in south-east part of Ballard pasture. Ran one hour and fifteen minutes. Caught two more in McDonald's pasture, first one in two hours, second one two and a half hours.About 45 dogs. S. Guynes, Ed Pakowitz, Woods, Jasper Newman, McKon brothers. Pep and three others caught in traps. Left Jack and he came home.
My comments: Woods is the only name I recognize of those who were along on this hunt. I remember that when several Somerset area coyote hunters were gathered around a camp fire and turned most or all their hounds loose when a trail dog jumped a coyote to start a hot trail, there could be fifty of more hounds running behind the coyote. Pep was one of George and Daddy's lead dogs, a female, who was later shot and killed by C.L. Kight apparently in 1936. I remember Jack when I was a young boy, but not Pep.
November 30, 1934 - Caught one wolf in south-east part of Ballard pasture. Ran one hour and fifteen minutes. Caught two more in McDonald's pasture, first one in two hours, second one two and a half hours.About 45 dogs. S. Guynes, Ed Pakowitz, Woods, Jasper Newman, McKon brothers. Pep and three others caught in traps. Left Jack and he came home.
My comments: Woods is the only name I recognize of those who were along on this hunt. I remember that when several Somerset area coyote hunters were gathered around a camp fire and turned most or all their hounds loose when a trail dog jumped a coyote to start a hot trail, there could be fifty of more hounds running behind the coyote. Pep was one of George and Daddy's lead dogs, a female, who was later shot and killed by C.L. Kight apparently in 1936. I remember Jack when I was a young boy, but not Pep.
George Pyron At the 1936 Wolf Hunters Field Trials
December 8, 1934 - Ran first wolf five hours and was lost or caught by hog wire fence on the Poteet Road. Jumped in Wheeler pasture. Ran second one four hours and caught on creek below. Beulah, Cricket, Speck, Lad, Young Runt, Patsy and Crumy ran last one. Lost Old Aunt, Elgin's four pups and Qed. L.M. James 4, Bob Woods 5, we (George and Blake Pyron) 9, Elgin 4 and Simmons turned loose one. Ran one hour, star - Jack.
My comments: They always called coyotes wolves. I do not have a clear memory of any of the dogs listed in this December 8, 1934 hunt, except I remember that Beulah was one of the hounds George, Casey Pyron and Blake Pyron talked about in the thirties. Elgin is Elgin Kilborn, a Somerset man who became a policeman in San Antonio, and brother of Ernest Kilborn who married my mother's sister Bessie. The Kilborns originally lived southeast of the A.M.Pyron homestead tract in a house that could be seen from our house. The house was roughly west of the Gus Kurz house which was on Payne Road. L.M. James above is almost certainly Luther James, father of Bill James. So, they only turned loose about 23 hounds on this hunt.
December 8, 1934 - Ran first wolf five hours and was lost or caught by hog wire fence on the Poteet Road. Jumped in Wheeler pasture. Ran second one four hours and caught on creek below. Beulah, Cricket, Speck, Lad, Young Runt, Patsy and Crumy ran last one. Lost Old Aunt, Elgin's four pups and Qed. L.M. James 4, Bob Woods 5, we (George and Blake Pyron) 9, Elgin 4 and Simmons turned loose one. Ran one hour, star - Jack.
My comments: They always called coyotes wolves. I do not have a clear memory of any of the dogs listed in this December 8, 1934 hunt, except I remember that Beulah was one of the hounds George, Casey Pyron and Blake Pyron talked about in the thirties. Elgin is Elgin Kilborn, a Somerset man who became a policeman in San Antonio, and brother of Ernest Kilborn who married my mother's sister Bessie. The Kilborns originally lived southeast of the A.M.Pyron homestead tract in a house that could be seen from our house. The house was roughly west of the Gus Kurz house which was on Payne Road. L.M. James above is almost certainly Luther James, father of Bill James. So, they only turned loose about 23 hounds on this hunt.
Pyron Coyote Hounds Of the Thirties
December 22, 1934 - Went to Polk Lee pasture, and jumped on east side of the road. Caught one or more. Collins caught one alive. Ran six hours. John McCain 2, Woods, 4, Luther 3, Claud Johnson 4, and some others. Lost Speck and found him at McDonald's house next week.
My comments: Jumped means the dogs jumped a coyote and started running him on a hot trail. John McCain was a regular Somerset Wolf Hunter in the thirties and I remember going on hunts with my father, Blake Pyron, in the forties in which John McCain had the hounds. For most of those hunts I was along in the forties we camped at spots down a narrow dirt road running toward Atascosa Creek. The narrow road turned off just east of the ruins of an old rock schoolhouse, we called the Old Box School House. Luther above is Luther James, and I don't know who Claud Johnson was.
December 29, 1934 - John McCain and Luther jumped in Reed Thicket at 5 PM, ran to Black Hill, Kirk, Vogt, Bilhardt and Quesenberry. Ed Kampf tuned loose at 12 P.M., Otto at two A.M., we at five A.M. Ran on this side of Elm Creek when we turned loose and caught ay 8 A.M. under a house on a road below the light line. Curley cut bad by wolf.
My comments: Otto is Otto Koehler who was another regular wolf hunter with George and Daddy.
December 22, 1934 - Went to Polk Lee pasture, and jumped on east side of the road. Caught one or more. Collins caught one alive. Ran six hours. John McCain 2, Woods, 4, Luther 3, Claud Johnson 4, and some others. Lost Speck and found him at McDonald's house next week.
My comments: Jumped means the dogs jumped a coyote and started running him on a hot trail. John McCain was a regular Somerset Wolf Hunter in the thirties and I remember going on hunts with my father, Blake Pyron, in the forties in which John McCain had the hounds. For most of those hunts I was along in the forties we camped at spots down a narrow dirt road running toward Atascosa Creek. The narrow road turned off just east of the ruins of an old rock schoolhouse, we called the Old Box School House. Luther above is Luther James, and I don't know who Claud Johnson was.
December 29, 1934 - John McCain and Luther jumped in Reed Thicket at 5 PM, ran to Black Hill, Kirk, Vogt, Bilhardt and Quesenberry. Ed Kampf tuned loose at 12 P.M., Otto at two A.M., we at five A.M. Ran on this side of Elm Creek when we turned loose and caught ay 8 A.M. under a house on a road below the light line. Curley cut bad by wolf.
My comments: Otto is Otto Koehler who was another regular wolf hunter with George and Daddy.
Pyron Coyote Hounds In Their Pen
January 2, 1935 - Lost Pep.
By "lost Pep" George must have meant that she did not come back to the campfire, but she was not killed at that time. She was one of their lead dogs and was killed apparently in 1936 by C.L. Kight. There was an article on the killing of the Lead Dog, Pep in the
Hunter's Horn, April 1936 page 16, about how in a Bexar county, Texas
court trial in San Antonio my father, Blake Pyron, testified that he
could tell what his hounds were running by the sound of their barking.
He said the dogs "never changed their tune," when the lead Dog Pep was
killed. The man who killed her said the hounds were running his hogs.
Since the address of the farmer who killed Pep and another Pyron hound
that night was given as Von Ormy, its likely that the incident
occurred in the general area of the Quesenberry, which was on the north
side of the Medina River between the Somerset Road crossing and the Poteet highway.
January 5, 1935 - Went below Woods and turned loose on pack that had been running
an hour and a half. Ran until 7: 30 A.M. All of ours ran whole race except Lemon, Mack and
Irishman. Guynes, Mosely, Young, Rogers, Woods, Elgin. Stars, Jack, Dixie and Rowdy.
January 2, 1935 - Lost Pep.
By "lost Pep" George must have meant that she did not come back to the campfire, but she was not killed at that time. She was one of their lead dogs and was killed apparently in 1936 by C.L. Kight. There was an article on the killing of the Lead Dog, Pep in the
Hunter's Horn, April 1936 page 16, about how in a Bexar county, Texas
court trial in San Antonio my father, Blake Pyron, testified that he
could tell what his hounds were running by the sound of their barking.
He said the dogs "never changed their tune," when the lead Dog Pep was
killed. The man who killed her said the hounds were running his hogs.
Since the address of the farmer who killed Pep and another Pyron hound
that night was given as Von Ormy, its likely that the incident
occurred in the general area of the Quesenberry, which was on the north
side of the Medina River between the Somerset Road crossing and the Poteet highway.
January 5, 1935 - Went below Woods and turned loose on pack that had been running
an hour and a half. Ran until 7: 30 A.M. All of ours ran whole race except Lemon, Mack and
Irishman. Guynes, Mosely, Young, Rogers, Woods, Elgin. Stars, Jack, Dixie and Rowdy.
Pyron Hounds Tied To The
Model AThis car was used to pull the dog trailer, shown below, to the
camps where the Wolf Hunters built their camp fires and listened to the
dogs out on the trail.
My Comments: George names some wolf hunters on this hunt I have never heard of before. I think what he means by "went to Woods" was that they camped on land belonging to Woods, a regular in their
group.
January 26, 1935 - Went to pasture below woods and heard wolves howl in Byrom's pasture. Drove up road and Jerry and Dixie jumped hot and Jack and Pep trailed to Ballard and came back to the others.
Ran about forty five minutes and house dogs broke up the race. Beulah and Mack jumped another and ran an hour, and Jerry got caught in a trap and broke race up. Beulah and Smut and Mack trailed and jumped another one. About 2: 30 A.M. caught in Ballard. Elgin 4, Woods 3, We 10. Stars: Beulah, Dixie Smut, Pep.
My comments: So, Pep was still alive for this January 1935 hunt. I remember Smut clearly, because when I was four to five he had been retired from hunting and was allowed to stay outside the regular dog pen which was beside and to the south of the Blake Pyron cow pen. He hung around me a lot then and there was a story that one time a car was pulling in to the parking area at the Blake Pyron home and Smut got between the car and me to protect me.
My Comments: George names some wolf hunters on this hunt I have never heard of before. I think what he means by "went to Woods" was that they camped on land belonging to Woods, a regular in their
group.
January 26, 1935 - Went to pasture below woods and heard wolves howl in Byrom's pasture. Drove up road and Jerry and Dixie jumped hot and Jack and Pep trailed to Ballard and came back to the others.
Ran about forty five minutes and house dogs broke up the race. Beulah and Mack jumped another and ran an hour, and Jerry got caught in a trap and broke race up. Beulah and Smut and Mack trailed and jumped another one. About 2: 30 A.M. caught in Ballard. Elgin 4, Woods 3, We 10. Stars: Beulah, Dixie Smut, Pep.
My comments: So, Pep was still alive for this January 1935 hunt. I remember Smut clearly, because when I was four to five he had been retired from hunting and was allowed to stay outside the regular dog pen which was beside and to the south of the Blake Pyron cow pen. He hung around me a lot then and there was a story that one time a car was pulling in to the parking area at the Blake Pyron home and Smut got between the car and me to protect me.
Blake and George Pyron Dog Trailer Without Its Top
February 2, 1935 - Went to Ballard and Jack, Beulah, Queen, Pep and Smut jumped and ran for three hours and out of hearing. Finally located them in lower Ballard and turned young dogs loose. Ran back toward Wilson's goat proof fence. Left Cricket, Speck, Arp and Red in McDonald's still running. John McCain, Woods and us.
February 4, 1935 - Got Crickett, Speck, Arp and Red.
My comment: I am not sure where the Ballard land was, but it might have been in the Black Jacks. I remember several times in the thirties, probably about 1936,, that Daddy and George would be gone almost all night on a Saturday night coyote hunt in the Black Jacks, and then on Sunday Daddy would drive back down there to try to find hounds which had not come to the camp when they were called in by the horn. George and Daddy had horns made from the horns of Texas long horn cattle that they trained their dogs to come to. They would train them by blowing the horn before they fed the dogs and then on a hunt, if the dogs were in hearing distance and were not on a hot chase, they would come to the call of the horn.
February 13, 1935 - John McCain got Jack, Pep and Dixie and jumped by Fox's house at 3: 30 P.M. Ran until 6: 30. Lost.
February 14, 1935 - Went to John Caruthers camp and heard Luther's dogs running. Followed them and turned loose in White's pasture, Jack, Pep, Queen, Smut and Beulah. Ran up to Lytle and crossed highway. Caught by Ball's house.
My comments: John Caruthers is probably John P.G. Carthurs, whose name was John Punch Grant Caruthers, father of Hansel Caruthers and son of George Caruthers, who was one of the men involved in the First Town Site Company, with Carl Kurz, A.M. Pyron and Joe Dixon, who founded the town of Somerset. George says above that they heard the hounds of Luther James running. To recognize the barking of particular dogs in a pack requires some listening skill, which many of the Somerset Wolf Hunters had. Many of those hound dog men had "good ears."
February 16, 1935 - Went to Langley pasture. Pep jumped one hot. The dogs made two circles around Langley, one and a half hours and then left straight out to Black Hill. Part of the dogs went out of hearing. Jack came home. John McCain 2, We, 9. Stars: Pep and Queen.
March 13, 1935 - Drove in lane up to Bush pasture. Luther and I walked through to Box House lane. Pep jumped on Cockrell Hill. Ran below John Sharbers and lost. Luther 4, We, 3.
My comment: By "Box House" George might have meant the Old Box School House.
April 6, 1935 - Went to Ed Wells. Jack and Pep jumped hot fifty yards from car. Ran through by Sharbers to Hartungs and ran out of hearing most of the time. Jack, Pep and Queen. Left Jack and Beaulah.
My Comments: Ed Wells owned more than one tract of land in the Somerset-Lytle area.
April 13, 1935 - Went to Ed Wells. Jumped on Cockrell Hill, ran three and a half hours. Otto, John McCain. Campbells's dogs came to ours, and Elgin's, John Sharber's and Luther's came to ours.
My comments: Again, George lists Wolf Hunters here I do not remember.
February 2, 1935 - Went to Ballard and Jack, Beulah, Queen, Pep and Smut jumped and ran for three hours and out of hearing. Finally located them in lower Ballard and turned young dogs loose. Ran back toward Wilson's goat proof fence. Left Cricket, Speck, Arp and Red in McDonald's still running. John McCain, Woods and us.
February 4, 1935 - Got Crickett, Speck, Arp and Red.
My comment: I am not sure where the Ballard land was, but it might have been in the Black Jacks. I remember several times in the thirties, probably about 1936,, that Daddy and George would be gone almost all night on a Saturday night coyote hunt in the Black Jacks, and then on Sunday Daddy would drive back down there to try to find hounds which had not come to the camp when they were called in by the horn. George and Daddy had horns made from the horns of Texas long horn cattle that they trained their dogs to come to. They would train them by blowing the horn before they fed the dogs and then on a hunt, if the dogs were in hearing distance and were not on a hot chase, they would come to the call of the horn.
February 13, 1935 - John McCain got Jack, Pep and Dixie and jumped by Fox's house at 3: 30 P.M. Ran until 6: 30. Lost.
February 14, 1935 - Went to John Caruthers camp and heard Luther's dogs running. Followed them and turned loose in White's pasture, Jack, Pep, Queen, Smut and Beulah. Ran up to Lytle and crossed highway. Caught by Ball's house.
My comments: John Caruthers is probably John P.G. Carthurs, whose name was John Punch Grant Caruthers, father of Hansel Caruthers and son of George Caruthers, who was one of the men involved in the First Town Site Company, with Carl Kurz, A.M. Pyron and Joe Dixon, who founded the town of Somerset. George says above that they heard the hounds of Luther James running. To recognize the barking of particular dogs in a pack requires some listening skill, which many of the Somerset Wolf Hunters had. Many of those hound dog men had "good ears."
February 16, 1935 - Went to Langley pasture. Pep jumped one hot. The dogs made two circles around Langley, one and a half hours and then left straight out to Black Hill. Part of the dogs went out of hearing. Jack came home. John McCain 2, We, 9. Stars: Pep and Queen.
March 13, 1935 - Drove in lane up to Bush pasture. Luther and I walked through to Box House lane. Pep jumped on Cockrell Hill. Ran below John Sharbers and lost. Luther 4, We, 3.
My comment: By "Box House" George might have meant the Old Box School House.
April 6, 1935 - Went to Ed Wells. Jack and Pep jumped hot fifty yards from car. Ran through by Sharbers to Hartungs and ran out of hearing most of the time. Jack, Pep and Queen. Left Jack and Beaulah.
My Comments: Ed Wells owned more than one tract of land in the Somerset-Lytle area.
April 13, 1935 - Went to Ed Wells. Jumped on Cockrell Hill, ran three and a half hours. Otto, John McCain. Campbells's dogs came to ours, and Elgin's, John Sharber's and Luther's came to ours.
My comments: Again, George lists Wolf Hunters here I do not remember.
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