- 2021 PKC Senior Dog Showdown Final Cast Interviews -

[Jerry Moll]

The 2021 Senior Showdown Truck Hunt Final Four Interviews
By Amy Thomas

This year is a little different in what we have seen for the PKC Truck Hunts in the recent past, but at this point in the game, we all know that EVERYTHING has been different in the world from what we knew last year when this event was held. No matter where the location of the Senior Showdown Truck Hunt is, the fact remains that this is still one of the most prestigious events for PKC and it carries ‘bragging rights’ in the form of a new truck for the top winner! This year was no different in the fact that top quality ‘senior’ hounds traveled to Batesville, Mississippi for their chance at sitting behind the wheel of the new truck with their hound and smiling for the cover page of the magazine! Now we are going to take a closer look at the four who are just one cast win away from that moment!

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Redneck Backwoods Shack
Owned and Handled by Cheyenne Cummings

This is not the first time that Cheyenne Cummings and Redneck Backwoods Shack have found themselves in the Final Four of the Truck Hunt. These two were in this spot in 2018 and now three years later, they are back at it. There is no doubt that this Walker hound has proven that he is what winners are made of and now Cheyenne is hoping that Shack can finally bring them home the truck!

Seven year old Shack is off of Redneck Mafia and High Country Ann. This hound was raised by the Cummings family off of their stud Mafia, who has proven himself a reproducer and Shack is just one prime example of that. There have been many good dogs off of Mafia, but Cheyenne and Shack have just clicked. Cheyenne talked about why this is, “Shack is a big, wild hunting dog and a loner. He is what I like to hunt. He is pretty consistent night in and night out. When he trees he usually as a coon.”

In their time as a competition team in PKC, these two have been pretty successful and have both earned themselves respect as a handler/hound duo. Cheyenne is known for being a stand up competitor and Shack is known for being one consistent coon hound capable of winning wherever he goes. Shack has been in the semi-finals of the Nationals, the semi-finals of the World Championship, won the Missouri State Hunt, and the Missouri State Race. Shack also earned his ticket for this event last February making this moment possible for the two of them. Cheyenne knows what it feels like to be in this position from when he and Shack made it to the Final Four of this event three years ago.

Heading to Batesville, Mississippi this weekend, Cheyenne had hopes of still being there on Saturday night and he is. However, there were some breaks that he and Shack received in each cast that kept them in the game and ready for their second chance at the Final Four and he is very grateful for them.

Their early cast on Friday night found them heading out in the company of Hardwood Bad Habit being handled by Dustin Kern, Kokosing River Hard Rock being handled by Jeremy Shadday, and Mellon Creek Meathead being handled by Doug Compton. Cheyenne described how that cast went for them, “Rock and Shack struck, but both came back in and took minus. Shack took 50 points minus and Rock took 100 minus. Then Rock and Shack both treed coons. The Rock dog looked really good, but I got a break by having less minus points.”

On the late round Cheyenne and Shack found themselves up against Heather Island Maximum Capacity being handled by Justin Perryman, Taylors Spec Five being handled by Charles Bryant, and Freeman’s Tug River Ray Ray being handled by Bryan Taylor. Shack would emerge from that cast as the winner with 125 plus point. Cheyenne described how this round went and the other lucky break that he and Shack received, “Shack treed a coon alone for 175 plus. Then I re-struck him in for 25 points and took minus. Ray Ray treed a coon and that put us even. She then treed again at the end of the hunt and we went to her, but she did not have a coon. Shack had two coons in den trees and I got some lucky breaks for my wins.”

Going into the Final Four tonight, Cheyenne shared how he felt, “I told my wife that I am pretty good at getting fourth. Hopefully it turns out a little better, but if I get fourth then I am okay with that. No matter what, there are good dogs in and it is going to be a good hunt. I know Bobby better than the others and he has a good dog that is doing well. He always makes a cast enjoyable and fun.”

No matter how it all turns out in the end, Cheyenne is just happy to have another shot at this chance. He wanted to be sure to thank those who always support him with his competition coon hunting. He shared, “I want to thank my wife and family for always supporting me. They come to about every one of these hunts with me. My wife is my chauffeur.”

When asked about his wife being his chauffeur and then who will be in the driver’s seat of which truck if he wins his one tonight, Cheyenne jokingly replied, “If I win it, I will let her drive the old truck home and I will drive the new one.”

If Cheyenne wins this truck, it will not matter who is driving it home to Missouri, what matters is that the dog box be put in the new truck for Shack to enjoy the new ride that he has worked so hard for them to get! Good luck tonight!

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High Flyin Hitman
Owned by Austin Black
Handled by Joshua Livingston

This is Joshua Livingston’s first time to the PKC Truck Hunt and he sure will not be forgetting it any time soon. Joshua and High Flyin Hitman are now in the Final Four and only one cast win away from returning home to South Carolina in a brand new truck.

Hitman, the five year old hound that has made all of this possible, is off of Wipeout Super Star and High Tom’s Kimbo. Joshua expanded on Hitman’s pedigree, “Kimbo goes back to Flyin’ Man, who was off of the Bad Habit/Fly cross. Elvis Black, Austin’s dad, has been hunting that line of dogs since 2002. He put Hitman in his son Austin’s name.”

Joshua shared how he got to know Austin and Elvis Black, “Elvis and I met at the local hunts. When Elvis’ older son Tyler had leukemia, there was a benefit hunt held for him and that was how we got to know each other. I guess that was around 2005.”

Though Joshua has known the Black family for quite a while now, this is the first one of their hounds that he has handled for them. Joshua talked about how that came to be, “Where Elvis lives is on the coast of South Carolina and when it is hot, the rattle snakes and alligators come out. I am about two hours away from him and I do not have those where I live. Hitman stays at my house from March until about the end of October when all of those things start laying up. I have been handling him a little over a year now.”

Joshua described what it is about Hitman that he likes, “He has heart and he will give you everything. He tries to keep you in there to win when you cut him loose.”

Joshua then went on to talk about some of Hitman’s bigger accomplishments, “Elvis has never really travelled much to the hunts, but Hitman has been in the Final Four of about all the New Year Jamborees that we have put him in. He has been the Reserve Breed Hunt Champion the last two years. He has also been in multiple Legacy hunts. Austin handled him and won the South Carolina Youth Championship. My daughter has also handled him and she got into the Final Four of the Open Event of the Youth World with him. Elvis earned this truck ticket last February. He had two Legacy wins and a couple other open event wins and ended up with $1094 for the month.”

Though he has never been to a PKC Truck Hunt, Joshua felt that they should not pass up this opportunity after earning their ticket. He talked about why he and Elvis decided to bring Hitman to Batesville, Mississippi for this event, “I told Elvis that this is Hitman’s type of country since he is from low country and that we might as well take him.”

It was a good decision because things would go well for Joshua and Hitman Friday night. The night would begin with Hitman and Josh trying to earn their first cast win against Tar Hill Tuff being handled by Michael Willis, Heather Island Six Pack being handled by Tameico Johnson, and Spiderbranch Ol Ruby being handled by Clayton Smith. Joshua described how that round went, “Hitman struck for 100 points and then treed a coon. Another dog treed and I treed with him for 75 points. When we got there, she was gone and he had a coon there. Then I re-cast and he finally treed another coon with about 45 minutes left to go in the cast. Nothing else happened after that and I ended up with 300 plus points.”

With one cast win in his pocket, Joshua was ready to grab another one. On the late round, Joshua and Hitman were heading back out against Worm handled by Brett Denney, Ark Ozark Mt Gunslinger handled by Jay Hartwick, and Snot handled by Owen Shelby. Hitman’s 175 plus points at the end of that cast would earn him the win and earn them the golden ticket to the Final Four. Joshua shared how that cast went, “I struck Hitman for 75 points and then I treed him for 100 points 1.2 miles away. The Worm dog was with him and that was it. When we got to him, everything had treed in behind us and we were leash locked the rest of the cast.”

Now on his first trip to the Truck Hunt, Joshua is about to head out on the Final Four round. He talked about how he feels going into this, “I feel good. I am just looking at it as another cast. Elvis, however, is on top of the world. He is just happy that we have been able to do so good with him out here.”

Before all the activity starts tonight, Joshua wanted to take a moment to give gratitude where it is deserved. He shared, “I would like to thank God for getting us this far. I also want to thank my wife and kids for keeping these long nights with us and making sure that I am awake to get home or back to the room. I want to thank Elvis and Austin for the opportunity to handle Hitman. I also want to thank my dad for taking me for the first time coon hunting when I was eighteen months old. He gave me the fire to keep chasing after these old hounds.”

Now, if Joshua and Hitman win this truck, there is some division on what they will do. Joshua jokingly said, “My wife keeps saying that she is keeping the truck. Four year ago, the steering broke in my old truck and I hit a house. My wife had just gotten a new truck and only had it for about 30 days when I had to start driving it because of mine being totaled. She says that I stole her truck and she is going to steal mine if I win it tonight!”

If Joshua and Hitman do win the truck tonight, it will not matter who takes it back home because you can bet that Elvis will just be happy to see it returning back to South Carolina with Hitman in the back! We wish you all the very best of luck in this upcoming moment to make that a reality!


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Spots Flatrock Topper
Owned by Yoder/Burden
Handled by Bobby Burden

Things are always exciting when Bobby Burden is involved. This past year though has been a very exciting one for the Burden family in general. Just this fall, Bobby’s son Zack won the PKC World Championship with Flatrock Legs, Bobby also learned that he has a new grandchild being added to the family line of coon hunters, and now Bobby is in the Final Four tonight with Spots Flatrock Topper. There is only one other thing that could make this an even better time for this dedicated coon hunting family and that is driving back to Kentucky tomorrow in a new truck!

The Burdens are well-known in this sport and have been successful with their endeavors. Whether hunting one of their own dogs or in a partnership on one of them, finding their way into the Final Four has not been uncommon for them. However, since pairing up with Terry Yoder, it is hard to believe that things could have gotten better, but they have. The Yoder/Burden team has been truly successful and the relationship between the families has only made coon hunting even more enjoyable for them. Bobby talked about his relationship with Terry, “I have met a lot of people and a lot of good people, but I will never meet another like Terry Yoder. I am not trying to get brownie points, but him and Glendora are great. He has the most positive attitude. If his house was burning, he would say termites were eating it up and we needed a new one anyway. That is just how he is.”

Now the Yoder/Burden team has another reason to celebrate and that is being in tonight’s Final Four. Bobby has won a lot of big events from the World to the Super Stakes, but never the Truck Hunt. It is one major accomplishment that he hopes that after tonight he will be able to add to his list of successes. It is a very special hound that has him one cast win away from making this possible and that is six year old Topper.

Topper is out of two hounds that Bobby knows well - Smokin Hotspot and Flatrock Rain Drop. Bobby handled Smokin’ Hotspot to his PKC World Championship win. Bobby talked about Topper’s background, “We had Rain Drop and raised her off Train. She was the first female that we bred to Spot to and she produced Brake Box, who Legs is out of. I started handling Topper about a year ago. Zack is the one who trained him and hunted him up. He has had some different owners on him, but he has never left our place.”

Bobby shared what it is about Topper that he likes, “He is just an all around dog. He is a lot like his daddy and is quick and moves around good. Most of the time, he is off by himself. He trees coons and he is consistent.”

When asked about Topper’s bigger accomplishments, Bobby replied, “Last year was his biggest year. I am not trying to brag, but he really got in about everything that I took him to last year. He won about $100,000 this past year and I think Shawn said that he is knocking at around $140,000 in lifetime earnings. I started out as a great big guy and Topper walked me way down! He earned his truck ticket last August at the Michigan Madness. We got in every night up there. Then I went to Tennessee and I hunted two nights at a week long event that they were having down there. Then I went to just a few hunts here and there. For just showing up and running for a dog ticket, I just do not do that anymore. It just all fell in place and here we are.”

Bobby and his wife Brenda made the trip to Batesville without Terry and Glendora since the Yoders are hosting a horse pulling event at their place. Friday night would start out with Topper and Bobby going up against Big Timber Cricket Attack being handled by Jamie Willis, Tar Heel Tina being handled by Anthony Hammonds, and Gracie Express being handled by Chad Doolin. Bobby described how that cast went, “We turned loose and we went ten minutes and never had a bark. Then Topper struck and another dog struck in. Topper treed and another dog came into him and backed him. I had 100 points and 100 points there. We went to Gracie and she had den. We came off that and Topper was 0.92 in there treed, I waited a while to see if the other boy would tree his dog and eat a little hunt time up, but he did not. I had to tree Topper again and he had another coon. The other dogs withdrew since they could not catch up and I won the cast with 325 points. It was a good cast of people and Michael Moody, our judge, was a fine guy.”

Bobby and Topper’s late round found them in the company of Set’em Up Joe being handled by Casey Stallard, Rock’n’Redneck Girl handled by Jason Martin and Stylish George handled by Dennis Thornhill. Topper’s score of 325 plus would earn him his spot in the Final Four tonight. Bobby talked about that late round, “We cut loose and I struck Topper for 100 points and Casey struck Joe for 75 points. Topper got through there and gave a few barks and I thought he took the track into the ground. Joe got treed and he had a coon. We went to the other dogs and they had a slick. Topper was through the country and I treed him. When we went to him, he had a coon for 100 points and 100 points. We re-cut and were going back to some of the other dogs. We had scored one when I struck and treed Topper again. Topper had another coon and that wrapped it up. I had 325 points again on that cast. We had a good cast there with a good judge and guide too. We cut up and enjoyed ourselves.”

As he gets ready to head out on this Final Four, Bobby talked about his reputation for being an enjoyable handler to draw, he shared, “I like to laugh and have fun. Who wants to be beat? No one. I am short a dog from time to time, but I always have RC colas. Someone will win and someone will lose and of course I always hope I am the winner, but it does not always turn out that way. Heading out on this Final Four, I feel about 6’2”, but I will probably be back to my normal size after about two hours. Win lose or draw, I have had a fine time here. Everything I go to, I want to be first place. However, if you are out and about, you have to keep in mind those people six feet in the ground would be happy with fourth place, so I do not take anything for granted.”

Before heading out, Bobby also wanted to take a moment to mention those that he is grateful to have in his life, “Of course, I have to mention Terry and Glendora. They sure wish they could be here with us tonight and we wish they could too. Terry is by far one of the most down to earth people that you will ever met. He told me that this coon hunting has given him a second childhood from when he used to coon hunt with his father in Michigan. I have enjoyed sharing all this with Terry. I also want to mention my family. I appreciate my wife Brenda and all the support she has shown me over the years. My wife follows me around about everywhere. She came down here and I had to take her to Pro Nails today to get her pedicure and manicure while we were here. I also want to mention my momma and daddy. They have always supported me too and I know that they wish that they were here, but it is hard for them to travel now. They brought me up with these dogs and I always say that I would never trade anything with how my momma and daddy raised us up. I also have to bring up my son Zack with all he has done with Topper and then with winning the World Hunt with Legs. Seeing my son win the World meant more to me than anything I could accomplish. I set a record with Spot in 2013 and now Zack set a record this year. That was a real accomplishment. Zack is the one who put in all the hunting and time on Topper. Zack has come a long ways and he is leading a good one with Legs. I want to mention all the boys back at home. I appreciate all them and the hunting ground they let us hunt. I want to mention Kevin Rainwater of Boss light. I use a Boss light and Kevin is the finest fellow you will ever deal with. If there is something wrong, he takes care of it. He is a good country guy. When I won the World with Spot, Kevin even came out with the Hot Spot light. I also want to mention Doug Blackwell and Eye Opener Coon Squaller. Everyone needs an eye opener on these hunts. He and his family do a good job making them. I also have to mention Fruit of the Loom underwear, Moonpies, and RC Cola, which are my sponsors.” (Well, we all knew that he was not going to come out of that without some sort of joke to make us laugh!)

Bobby Burden has won a lot and tonight he is on the brink of seeing if he can finally bring the truck back to Kentucky. He knows that Topper has as good of a chance as any of the dogs heading out tonight and if the right breaks fall into place, he could make that dream of winning this event a reality. We want to wish him the best of luck in his pursuit; however, no matter how it turns out for Bobby, you can bet that he will be smiling and shaking hands with his competitors at the end of it all!

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Cane Creek Meg
Owned and Handled by David Haynes

With his Cane Creek Meg, David Haynes has the only female in tonight’s Final Four. This would definitely be the time for “Lady Luck” to be on his side as he and Meg head out against three well-known male hounds and their experienced handlers. Meg earned her way to this spot tonight and has already shown that she was the top female at this year’s Senior Showdown Truck Hunt. Now David is hoping that she is going to show that she was the top dog overall and bring them home a new truck too!

Four year old Cane Creek Meg is off of Tim Finley’s Wild Buckarro and Finley’s Hard Driven Nail. She goes back to some hard hitters in her pedigree such as Insane Cain, X Jr., Insane Jane and Somewheres Stylish Legend. It is apparent that Meg has the juice running through her veins to hang tough with her male competition tonight.

David bought Meg in May of 2019 from Marlon Norris and has been very pleased with her. He shared what it is about her that he has enjoyed, “Meg has heart and tries her best to please you.”

David talked about Meg’s competition achievements up to this point, “At the beginning of 2020, Meg only had about $180 won. She then won the Alabama State Race and made Silver Champion by winning around 52 casts last year. Meg was not Super Staked, so she became eligible to run for her ticket in May, but she had to have surgery at the end of May. Back in February, she had gotten cut by a crippled hog in a creek. I did not even realized that she had gotten cut by it until she treed a coon and I noticed she was bleeding underneath her chest. I took her to the vet and they stitched her up, but she ended up getting a knot that kept swelling up. I took her to a different vet who found that she had a piece of pine bark in there and she had to have surgery to clean it up. Once she healed up, I started hitting the hunts again about June 12th and she got lucky and got a ticket in $30 hunts the last few weeks of the month.”

This is David’s first time to one of the PKC Truck Hunts and he was excited to get to be a part of it. He talked about why he decided to try to run, “I have been a member of PKC since the early 90’s, but have always just supported the local clubs. I ran for a truck ticket around 2013 with a young dog I was getting ready for the Super Stakes, but he got hit by a car and I never made it. Last year I just decided to make a run for a ticket and we got lucky.”

When the time arrived Friday night for dogs and handlers to head to the woods to try to earn that first cast win, Meg and David found themselves up against Somewheres Stylish X-Tra being handled by Cliff Black, Insane Rebel Ranger being handled by Levi Esposti, and Tracker’s Lil Piper being handled by Duell Murphy. David described how this round went for them, “We had a great cast scoring on eight coons. Meg took an early lead, but the Piper dog of Duell Murphy’s had me on edge to the end. Piper looked really good also.”

On the late round, Meg and David found themselves heading back out to the woods with Ole Fred being handled by Jeremy Burns, Mafia Boss being handled by Jody Williams, and Neosho River Homer being handled Duran Link. Meg’s score of 250 plus at the end of the round would see her heading into Saturday night’s Final Four. David talked about how this cast went for him and Meg, “We started out quick with everyone struck in under the minute. I had 25 strike and 100 tree and got lucky when we saw the coon in a big den tree. Fred had 100 strike and 75 tree with me, so he was leading at that point. The other two dogs were split about 30 yards from us, but we could not find their coons. On the recut, Fred was 100 strike and 100 tree close in front of us and Meg took 50 strike and 100 tree deeper in. I had treed first, so we walked past Fred to Meg and she had that one as well. Fred was not as lucky. On the re-cut, I struck Meg back in for 25 strike and then treed her in for 100 points pretty deep. I was disappointed that it was a den. Another tree was scored for Fred. He and Boss, who was deep out of pocket, withdrew. Homer had been treed in deep behind us with a coon. By this time we had about 40 minutes left in the hunt and nothing was stirring, so we never got treed again.”

Now David and Meg are in the Final four and it is a moment that they are anxiously awaiting. David shared how he feels about this next round, “I am pretty excited to get to hunt with some of the big winners that I will be getting to hunt with tonight. I have hunted with Bobby and Topper once before. Before coming over here, Topper was the dog I had picked to win it. I still hope I can find some lucky breaks, but really just feel honored to get to hunt with all three of the dogs and handlers that I will be competing with. I have heard nothing but good things about all of them.”

Also before he and Meg make their way into the upcoming Final Four, David wanted to share some words of appreciation to those who have shown him support, “I want to thank my wife Peggy for sticking by me and putting up with my hunting through the past 31 years. I would also like to thank Marlon Norris for giving me the opportunity to own Meg. He also hunted with me this week helping get her ready. We put in some tough workdays with very little sleep lately. The Lord has truly blessed me.”

Now the time has come for David to see if his pick to win, will win, or if Meg will bring with her Lady Luck on this cast and he will be the one returning to Alabama in a new truck. He is about to find out and we wish him the best of luck!