246. Pure Country

In this episode I am joined by lifelong houndsman and competition squirrel hunter Erik Walley. Erik traces his journey from running deer and fox dogs as a kid, to becoming a dominant force in the squirrel dog world with his "Pure Country" line of OMCBA curs. He shares the story of his first fox dog Slim, how he got barred from local fox pens for having dogs that caught too much game, his transition into coon and then squirrel hunting, and the dog that first put him "on the map" — Pure Country Scout. Erik talks candidly about selling Scout after Hurricane Katrina, walking away from dogs for more than a decade to chase team roping, and then getting pulled back into squirrel dogs with the world champion Hawk and his offspring. Throughout the conversation, he highlights the importance of a good women, good dogs, breeding for hunt, mouth, and consistency, and why he believes OMCBA-registered dogs give him the most options in today's multi-registry competition scene. Erik closes by reflecting on the rising level of competition, the need to get more youth involved, and the satisfaction of sharing final casts and world hunt stages with his wife, Melissa. Sponsors: https://conkeysoutdoors.com  Promo Code TREETALKINTIME5 https://www.facebook.com/groups/1420083161566245  https://animalhousingsolutions.com https://fullcrymag.com Merch: https://treetalkin.com/collections  Social Media: https://www.youtube.com/@TreeTalkinMedia  https://www.patreon.com/treetalkintime https://www.instagram.com/treetalkinmedia https://www.facebook.com/treetalkinmedia