"Those Dog Gone Dulaneys!"

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Below 8 Generation of Dawg Loving Dulaneys are represented

179 years of Itawamba hunters.

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(Dont Forget to click on the Pictures to get full effect of the past!)

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Dulaneys and Dawgsthrough time have been best friends. In George Washington's Diary he talks of going fox hunting with famous Danial Dulaney the Younger of Maryland. The Dulaney's of Itawamba county were no different. Rhoda Thrasher came to Itawamba County a widow after her husband Thomas Dulaney, as family memory recalls, accidently killed himself Fox Hunting, while getting off a horse, in Alabama. I have no evidence but Im sure Thomas & Rhoda Dulaney's children, John, Alfred & Gilbert Dulaney continued the tradition.

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John Dulaney & Margret Peggy Martins Great Grand son

James Henry Dulaney (pictured here with unknown man and his fox hounds),

was the son of Thomas Alfred Dulaney & Alice Moxley & Grandson of James Martin Dulaney & Mary Senter. He was a decendant of Alfred Aven Senter, & Henry T Moxley and married S.J. Warren's great grand daughter Laura Berth Warren Dulaney. Jim was very well respected in the local fox hunting community as having the best dogs in the Itawamba County. He fox hunted so much in the old days that the neighbors would complain he was running the fox so much it didnt have time to hunt food so the fox started robbing the hen houses. Jim Dulaney fox hunted into his 60's and was still stoubt enough he could easily hold 6 or more dogs back with one hand.

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The Hunt

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With a Carbide light strapped to their head, they would mix the carbide crystals with water inside a metal burner. The acetylene gas would ignite and reflect off a metal disk stuck to their forhead. Then Jim and his relatives, like his little brother

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Woodrow Wilson Dulaney (pictured below)

fetched the dogs and loaded them in a wagon and would go to the designated spot to be released. Their was not as many fox, coons or squirrels as their are today and the woods were large tracts with large trees and not alot of undergrowth.

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The dogs were straight to the hunt after the release and everyone chipped in to build a fire, find a stump, or brush away the acorns and twiggs from a pile of leaves, for a comfortable seat. With the fire blazing to a mellow glow, they would rest their back against a tree and chew tobacker or on a sweet gum stick and sometimes pass a jug of moonshine or Jake around. As the night went on the tales got bigger, like who saw a black panther or how far away their dog could smell a fox.

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The bragging commenced as the first yelps of the dog picking up a trail. "They Jumped something" one would say "Thats Lady over yonder" Jim would say. "Hear how deep that bellar is? he bays low, Att dawgs sho gotta purty mouth". "Naw Atts Ole Bellar" another would say."I'd know her voice anywhere". As the race heats up and circles are made through tree tops and hills, and down the hollar through Dulaney branch and back again, They would discuss who's dog was in the lead and listen to the harmony of a single dogs bark turn to a harmony of a sunday choir singing in one accord. This is what the hunt was about and probably one of the prettiest sounds to a true southerner.

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As the night wound down Jim would grab his horn that was hanging from leather strap around his neck and begin the ritual of Blowing the horn and hollaring to let the dogs know where they were. Some dawgs would stay gone for days. But most would come home or a neighbor would return it. Jims Son

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Lawrence Dulaney (pictured below)

love of dogs turned to a keen fiest that could tree squirrells. I remember spending my time going from tree to tree with Paw Paw and some of my close cousins or distant cousins like Shane Dulaney the great grand son of Jo Abb Dulaney & Vonnie Senter. Lawrence would say "You never shoot a nest". And he taught me how to light a fire at the base of a hollow tree to smoke the squirrel out. He also taught me how to skin a squirrell and leave the head on. I seen him eat many a squirrell head in gravy. Lawrences son,

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Lawrence Lowell Dulaney(pictured below)

my dad, enjoyed Coon hunting and raising coon dogs as shown in the picture above. Dad has always tried different kinds of dogs and prided his self on having good dogs that he trained. Lowell was a big influence on Lawrence's grandson

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Billy Mills (pictured below)

who gave me the professional authentication of a typical hunt in Itawamba County. Billy is the son of Paul Mills & Shirley Dulaney Mills and is very well studied on the the raising and training of dogs. He has owned some of the best lines and is well versed in his field.

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Pictured below is Micheal Paul "Chip" Mills Jr., as a child,Grandson of Lawrence Dulaney & Pearl Johnson and James "Peewee" Robinson & Betty Jean Pennington and son of Micheal P. Mills & Mona Robinson Mills. As you can see

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"Those Dog Gone Dulaney's"

are still taking pride in training and loving mans best friend.

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