Nick Gilliland

Hendersonville, NC

Background

I'm a North Carolina Licensed Landscape Contractor from Hendersonville, NC, and I've owned and run me own Landscape Company Nick’s Groundworks for 14 years. I also own and run Nite Life Kennels.

I've been around hounds me whole life. Me Grandfather Clint was a traditional raccoon hunter and so were many of me family members. Me Dad Bill raised and trained beagles for rabbit hunting me entire life, and that's where I got exposed to hound hunting. I was taught to respect the hounds and their skills, and to understand and read their every move.

Later on, in high school, I got more into raccoon hunting and started going with me cousins. Since I was used to Tri Coloured beagles it was natural for me to buy Tri Coloured Treeing Walkers. The addiction to the sport took off.

What I love the most about the sport of raccoon hunting would also apply to any one of the dog sports. I love to buy the pup and spend all those countless hours training and moulding and shaping it into a hunting dog then walk those countless miles behind the hound in the bush. Then one day it switches on like a light switch and your once small fragile pup has turned into a coon hound. It’s the best feeling in the world!

Why I Use SportDOG Brand

What I like the most about SportDOG is their wide array of products that help me be a better Houndsman. All SportDOG products are made with the highest quality standards and always outperform the competition. And if there's ever an issue, SportDOG has the highest level of customer service in the industry, to get everything back on track.

Favourite Products

My two favourite products are the NoBark 10R to help teach the young hounds their kennel manners, and the TEK 2.0. Where I live is very mountainous and most tracking systems fail miserably. The TEK 2.0 far outperformed its competitor. The range on the TEK 2.0 is three times the range of the competitions, and the mapping is more detailed, showing creeks and trails. The GPS is also more accurate, showing the hounds’ locations in proximity to roads and rivers.