Published: May 29, 2007 10:03 am            

Finding pleasure with his hunting dogs or digital photography

I was worried this week. I figured with the holiday weekend before me, it would be hard to find someone to share their story. Not the case however.

This week’s story is from a fellow outdoorsman. As some of you know I write an outdoor column on Sunday but enough about me.

John Thornton’s story is one of time spent in the outdoors. From hunting with his hounds to capturing a digital image, enjoyment can be found from his back yard to our national parks.

His four black and tan hounds are his hunting partners. He can tell them apart from their bellowing alone. He said he’s had black and tans since the early 60’s and he began hunting raccoons in junior high.

“I’ve always coon hunted,” Thornton said.

Don’t scoff. Raccoons are far smarter and stronger than you think. Thornton said it has never happened to him but coons have been know to drown dogs by climbing on their heads after luring them into the water.

He also called coon hunting a dog sport and said the quarry is rarely harmed after the dogs have them at bay. Thornton participates in competitive hunting events, both running his own dogs and judging as well.

He said the dogs either have what it takes or they don’t. A lot of training comes from running younger dogs with older, more experienced dogs. He said it’s like turning on a switch once it dawns on them what to do.

After a 35-year career teaching at Oklahoma State University, retirement has given him some time to travel and hunt through the lens of camera.

Thornton attends elder hostels, some of which have been courses on wildlife photography. The last was an annual course in Rocky Mountain National Park and he said the group was up and shooting pictures by the crack of dawn to get the best light.

He said the course was intensive and the groups, which are limited to 16 people, were out at twilight as well.

He said photography was always a hobby and the ease of digital photography made him serious about taking pictures. Now he takes his camera everywhere.

Thornton has toured several national parks and future plans include a trip to New Brunswick, Canada, to photography whales and Atlantic Puffins. A trip to the Grand Canyon is also in the works and Thornton said, “I hope to get some excellent pictures there.”

All-in-all, he and his wife have been to a dozen elder hostels and he said the most memorable was in Costa Rica.

Thornton has several of his digital photographs displayed throughout his home. Some of them from travels and some from the back porch.

Humming bird feeders draw rubby-throated humming birds to his back porch and he can sit so close he can get them to fill the frame. Squirrels and birds are also drawn into feeders and there is no doubt he gets an occasional visit from a raccoon.

You never know who will be on the other end of the line when the phone rings. Everybody has a story and next week it could be yours.

        

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