# Muskegon hunter raises legendary raccoon chasers



## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Local hunter raises legendary raccoon chasers

http://www.mlive.com/features/chronicle/index.ssf?/base/features-0/1195850713277290.xml&coll=8

11/21/07 By Bob Kingsley Chronicle correspondent

You might let out a howl when you hear this shaggy dog story, but Frank Giddings swears it's true. 

Sixteen years ago, a man named Mack McAllister made the long drive from Missouri up to Muskegon County's Cedar Creek Township. With him was a suitcase full of cash, $50,000 to be exact, and a plan to make Frank Giddings an offer that he hoped he couldn't refuse. 

He wanted to buy Giddings' dog, "Sackett Junior."

Giddings said no. 

By now, of course, you've figured out Sackett Junior was a special dog from a special breed -- Treeing Walker Coondogs. They are considered among the finest hunting dogs for a specialized form of hunting -- scenting, chasing and treeing raccoons for hunters. 

Giddings' son, Rob, said he was present when the deal was offered -- $50,000 cash for Sackett Junior. 

"Sackett Junior was just two years old at the time," said Giddings. "And for the rest of his life there was a standing offer of $50,000 on him. But there is no way I'd ever sell that dog." 

That's because he wasn't just a good hunter. He was an all-world puppy maker. 

The now famous Sackett Junior was twice awarded "Sire of the Year" by the Treeing Walker Coondogs association. He sired 2,100 puppies (one of which succeeded him as Sire of the Year) and was the grand sire to an estimated 15,000 others. 

"He was the top reproducer in the nation," said Giddings. "And that was part of what made him so valuable."

Giddings, 67, has hunted raccoons since he was 12 years old, and for the past 35 years also been deeply involved in the breeding and training of quality **** dogs. 

Treeing Walker Coonhound heritage can be traced back to 16th-century England, but it wasn't until 1945 that the United Kennel Clubs began to register them as a separate breed. These prized dogs are known for being loving with a friendly disposition, but it's their unequaled ability to track and tree a raccoon that sets them apart. 

"When these dogs go hunting, they won't come back," said Giddings. "They'll just keep going until they tree a ****. Then it's up to me to find them.

A Treeing Walker has a unique bark when it's on the trail of a **** that can be heard a long way off. Once a **** has been treed, there is a distinct change in the pitch of the dog's bark. 

But if the dog gets too far away, it can be time-consuming trying to find it. "That's why we have radio transmitters on our dog collars," Giddings said. The beam lets handlers track the dogs' location. "They'll stay with the **** until we get there." 

Giddings success and expertise as a hunter and breeder of champion Treeing Walkers has become legendary on the national and international level. Some of his dogs have been shipped as far away as Japan. 

Most of his prized dogs are the descendants of good old Sackett Junior. 

Sadly, five years after the $50,000 offer was first made, Sackett Junior was hit by a car while on a hunting trip to Indiana. "That was a sad trip home," said Giddings as a tear came to his eye. "I buried him in front of the house." 

The breeding of Treeing Walker Coonhounds is much more than a business venture to Giddings. "I'm very particular as to whom I sell a dog and I'm also careful as to the quality of any bitch brought in for stud service." 

The Giddings kennel currently hosts four "Grand Nite" champions, which is the highest award any Treeing Walker Coonhound can attain. The value of these dogs can easily be in the $8,000-$10,000 dollar range ("Cord's Outlaw Sackett" picture has a value of $10,000-$15,000). The stud fee alone is $400.

Treeing Walker pups sell for $300 and the price of a trained hunting dog will be in the $2,500-$3,500 range. 

Although the Treeing Walkers bred and trained by Giddings can be pricey, they mean much more to him than dollar signs. Simply put, if you plan to purchase a dog from Giddings he will need some assurance that the dog will be receiving proper care and respect. 

"I once sold a dog to a young man in the area and the dog wasn't being properly cared for," said Giddings. "So I just went over to his house and brought the dog back.

"The guy wondered what happened to his dog; I told him I have it and he wasn't going to get it back until he learned how to take care of it. The young man learned his lesson and we haven't had anymore problems since then." 

**** hunting in the local area might not be as popular as it once was. But the cadre of avid hunters who continue to forego sleep while pursuing their quarry until the wee hours of the morning do play a significant role in keeping the burgeoning raccoon population in check. 

Raccoons are not only carriers of rabies (several cases were reported in Muskegon this year), but they often cause significant crop damage to farmers. Many welcome **** hunters onto their property. 

Raccoon season runs from Oct. 1 through the end of January and it's a good bet Giddings will be out from sunset to sunrise most every night of the season. "I average about 10 raccoons a night," said Giddings. "Once the **** is shot the dog likes to get after it ... that's his reward." 

The raccoons shot don't go to waste. "We get about $10 for the hide and the meat on a raccoon is delicious ... provided it's properly cleaned and prepared," said Giddings. Each year during the month of October, there is a wild game dinner at the Michigan Tree Hound Clubhouse on Sweeter Road in Cedar Creek Township and raccoon is the featured menu item. 

It's often been said that the acorn doesn't fall far from the old oak tree and that adage certainly proves true for the Giddings family. His son, Rob, is an avid hunter and breeder of champion Treeing Walkers and his grandson, 7-year-old Dalton, has had success as well.


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## Krackerracing (Apr 1, 2003)

good read, got me looking for a Treeing Walker now.


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Hope you have a bundle of startup cash for the dog. Payback takes a while at $10/hide.


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## vgawel (Oct 12, 2007)

all my dogs have jr in the pedigree somewhere. frank and sackett jr are legends


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