Nick Gilliland
Hendersonville, NC
Background
I am a North Carolina Licensed Landscape Contractor, from Hendersonville, NC, and have owned and operated my own Landscape Company Nick’s Groundworks for 14 years. I also own and operate Nite Life Kennels.
I grew up around hounds all my life. My Grandfather Clint was a traditional raccoon hunter and so were many of my family members. My Father Bill raised and trained beagles for rabbit hunting my entire life, and that’s where I was introduced to hound hunting. I was taught to respect the hounds and their abilities, and to understand and interpret their every move.
Later, in high school, I became more interested in raccoon hunting and started going with my cousins. Because I was accustomed to Tri Coloured beagles it was natural for me to purchase 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 purchase the puppy 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 timber. Then one day it switches on like a light switch and your once small fragile puppy 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 to the highest quality standards and always outperform the competition. And if there is 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 streams and trails. The GPS is also more accurate, showing the hounds’ locations in proximity to roads and rivers.
Other Senior Prostaff
Tab Smith
Having started Goose Pit Kennels in 1989, Tab has 18 years of professional dog training experience. He has competed alongside his son in goose calling. He won the 2000 Idaho goose calling championship and the two-man goose calling championship in 2002. He is an area chairman for Ducks Unlimited...
Christopher Dunlap
Chris has spent 30 years, since the age of 7, in the field, hunting whitetail deer, Eastern wild turkey, dove, duck, quail, pheasant, chukar, woodcock, and ruffed grouse. His passion is divided between upland bird and waterfowl hunting. He has hunted upland game birds in South Dakota, up and down...
Mike Tracy
Mike Tracy was born into the Field Trial World. Starting at the early age of 7, barely as tall and certainly not as powerful as the English Pointer male named Andy he handled, he took second place in a local Amateur Derby stake. At age 10, Mike won the Pennsylvania...
