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Case: Sometimes, ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog that will get the job done

AP file photo by Seth Wenig / Walker coonhounds are often overlooked in the hunting dog world when it comes to outdoors media, writes "Guns & Cornbread" columnist Larry Case, but he believes this might be changing with a return to attention on dogs who tree game, as opposed to pointers and retrievers.
AP file photo by Seth Wenig / Walker coonhounds are often overlooked in the hunting dog world when it comes to outdoors media, writes "Guns & Cornbread" columnist Larry Case, but he believes this might be changing with a return to attention on dogs who tree game, as opposed to pointers and retrievers. AP file photo by Seth Wenig / Walker coonhounds are often overlooked in the hunting dog world when it comes to outdoors media, writes "Guns & Cornbread" columnist Larry Case, but he believes this might be changing with a return to attention on dogs who tree game, as opposed to pointers and retrievers.

By Larry Case 5 min read

“Had an ol’ dog his name was Blue, betcha five dollars he’s good dog, too.” — American folk song “Old Blue”

Most of us have known a dog named Blue at some time in our life. Maybe you were lucky and owned one yourself. From reading these pages, you know that I have had a lot of dogs (too many) in my time, but in truth I never had one named Blue.

I did own a beautiful bluetick coonhound back in the day who could have easily been called Blue, but at my dad’s behest, he was named Lead, as in you would lead a dog on a leash. (That was a popular hound name at one time, I think.)

Anyhow, Blue has always been a name given to hunting dogs.

The lyrics I quoted earlier are from an old folk song done back in the minstrel show days, and it went on to become popular and was recorded by, of all people, Joan Baez and the Byrds.