Ron Boehme is a sporting dog enthusiast, breeder, wingshooter, & host of the popular The Hunting Dog Podcast. While a resident of Michigan, Ron has a 2nd-home in the Shenandoah Valley where I was able to catch him passing through for a fascinating & passionate episode about the bond between hunter and dog. We begin with a rundown on hounds, pointers, and retrievers - the three categories of hunting canines - and hear how they're imbued with a rich history, culture, and most amazingly, a symbiotic bond with their human masters that dates back at least 10,000 years. If you have a pet lab or beagle or dachshund, then I hope you’ll enjoy learning about the wilder nature of your canine companions. When it comes to story time, Ron tells of his adventuresome boyhood in the only patch of wilderness a kid could find in Chicago: the graveyards… With the joyously mischievous qualities of Mark Twain, Ron's storytelling transports us into a 1960's world of building forts, evading cemetery security, mail-order home taxidermy, and pursuing game amongst the tombstones. To close this soulful episode, we end with a lot of heart as Ron speaks to the emotional burden of being a dog owner - the tragic knowledge that you’ll outlive your closest companions and how that connects us to our own mortality.
Check out Ron on Instagram to see his life with sporting dogs, listen to his podcast, and visit his website for further info, including his new online dog training workshop.
Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on Instagram
Check out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my art
Contact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com