Fritz ......I used to have some pretty decent bear dogs too. My absolute best was a Bluetick/Walker cross. He was super cold and fast. His father was a Bluetick that was a real meat dog and his Mom was a really cold nosed Walker. Unfortunately he got killed by a bear when he was about 5 but he died doing what he loved. I got the bear on the wall behind me. I think of that dog almost daily. Thanks for the pics............I sometimes miss the sport.