On September 27th, 2024 the hurricane named Helene made it’s way from Florida through the deep south to Appalachia. Rain came down in the mountains situated between Erwin, TN and Spuce Pine, NC in unimaginable quantities. It’s estimated that between 20-30 inches of rain fell in only a few hours. That water poured down the steep mountainsides with rapid aggression and without mercy. As the rain came down into the creeks and eventually into the rivers below it wreaked havoc.  

There simply is no way for me to describe the destruction I’ve seen with my own eyes. The death toll in the mountains continues to climb. At this time I don’t even know the current toll. Entire villages, like Chimney Rock, NC, are gone. I have not even heard a count on how many homes were destroyed. A Tennessee Valley Authority dam near me took so much water at it’s peak they estimate it to be nearly double of what goes over Niagara Falls at its peak. If you’ve seen pictures of the destruction on TV I can assure you that no matter how bad it looks – it’s worse, much worse.  

What does a hurricane have to do with Bear Hunting Magazine?  

Saturday morning after the high tides had passed I had a phone conversation Chris Powell of HoundsmenXP about the situation. At the time the area where I live in Greene County, TN was entirely cut off from the rest of the world. All bridges were blocked or gone to our north and all mountain routes to our south were closed. I26 from Erwin to Asheville is shut down indefinitely. I40 from Newport, TN to Asheville, NC is also closed. Although I solicited no help Chris Powell offered to use his Houndsmen XP platform to provide emergency assistance to our region.  

Powell’s family set up an Amazon purchase link and sent it out the hound hunting community all over the nation. Almost immediately purchased of every conceivable need were made. Those supplies were shipped to Appalachian Baptist Church in Greeneville, TN. The church unloaded, organized and distributed the supplies as quickly as possible. They delivered supplies locally and to multiple locations in the mountains of western NC.  

The logistical feat that was accomplished in basically five days was near miraculous. The amount of emergency supplies that went from the four corners of the United States into every nook and cranny of Appalachia had to be one of the greatest logistical feats in human history. Without federal help and any central authority the regular American folks meet the needs of the great natural disaster in the recorded history of Appalachia.  

Houndsmen, including many bear hunters, played a key role in his epic emergency relief. It is an amazing thing that our simple of bond as hunters was so strong that the larger hound community came to the immediate rescue of their fellow houndsmen. It was so phenomenal that even the Glenn Beck media conglomerate has published an article about it all ready. Houndsmen don’t always get good press. Their perception in the public eye is normally when a houndsman does something negative. This time houndsmen got to exhibit the the best of their natures. In the state of Tennessee, especially, the community and public officials including a State Representatives and a US Congressman will know in future matters that we are the good guys.  

Houndmen helping houndsmen. Bear hunters helping bear hunters. That’s a message that the nations needs to see as we fight the battles to keep our way of life in places like Colorado.  

What houndsmen did in response to Helene is what Guarding the Gate is all about.