Return to Coonhound Bloodlines 
Rock Bottom - A Good Place to Start
Nathan Lattimer - From February 2012
In 1954 in Joplin, Missouri, a boy was born to Carl and Mildred Nelson. Carl wasn’t much of a hunter, but that didn’t stop his son from picking up the sport. Vallen was a typical country boy, hunting squirrels and small game at a young age. He was often accompanied by his trusty Shepherd dog that would basically hunt anything. When just a teenager, his hunting interest was turned towards coonhounds and they soon would consume his life. They would actually consume his life to a point that would take him to a very low place in his life. A place that he refers to as “rock bottom”. But first let’s see how things unfolded beforehand.
Vallen’s uncle, George Walker, had a few Walker Coon- hounds and was the first one to take Vallen out on a wild coon hunt. Vallen bought his first coonhound, a Walker x Black and Tan cross, for $75. He bought him from a gentleman named Ottie Lawson. This was when Vallen was about 16 or 17 years old. Indian Creek Sounder was the hound’s name and he was an un-started, 16-month-old pup when Vallen got him. In just a short time Sounder proved that all he needed was a chance because he was quickly turning into an above average hound. Vallen had him for about two years and hunted him every night. This was about the time that he met Katherine, who would soon become his wife and the mother of their seven children.
With the responsibility of a new wife and family, Vallen sold Sounder back to Ottie Lawson, who single registered him with the intent of entering him into some nite hunts. Vallen and Ottie teamed up to take Sounder to some nite hunts, and this was in the day when a local hunt would draw 15 or 16 Registered casts and 3 or 4 Grade casts. Sounder didn’t seem to mind the numbers at all as he dominated the competition and finished to Grand Nite Champion in 12 hunts. Sounder made such a name for himself around Joplin that in the early 1980’s a local country singer, David Talley, trying to make it big-time wrote and recorded a song about ole’ Sounder.
After Sounder, there were many, many hounds as Vallen had thrust him- self headlong into competition events. Besides the nite hunts, Vallen had found an interest in the bench show side of coonhounds and for the next 20 years engulfed himself into the sport with a unmatched fervency. Oh, he didn’t forget about the nite hunts, he just added them to the list of coonhound achievements that he was chasing. As a stud dog owner, the ultimate satisfaction is seeing the offspring of your breeding program do well. Dan Minten from Alton, Iowa has gotten to experience a little bit of that lately. But before we get to that, let’s first take a look at the beginning of his coonhound career and how he got started.
For the entire article, check out the February 2012 COONHOUND BLOODLINES.
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 Recent News At UKC
01/29/2012: 25th Annual Winter Classic - Friday & Saturday Nite Hunt Results 25th Annual Winter Classic January 27 & 28, 2012 Albany, Georgia Purina Points Event Overall Winner: CH NITE CH Wilson’s All Night Striker, ALH, owned by Lamar Meeks (left) of Brooklet, Georgia and handled by Harry Brock (second from left). Also shown are Sharon Meeks and Gena Brock. Friday,... Read more here. 
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About UKC Coonhounds
Hunting with hounds is an American Tradition that still enjoys immense popularity. UKC's competitive hound programs offer events for coonhound enthusiasts belonging to over 1,300 clubs throughout the United States and Canada.
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