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 exposed to hound hunting. I was taught to respect the hounds and their abilities, and to understand and read their every move.
Later, in high school, I got more interested in raccoon hunting and started going with my cousins. Because I was used to Tri Colored beagles it was natural for me to buy Tri Colored 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 puppy and spend all those countless hours training and molding 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 in to 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 Houndsmen. All SportDOG products are made with the highest quality standards and always put perform 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.
Favorite Products
My two favorite 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 out performed 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.
Other Senior Prostaff
Rick Grant
With his wife Terri, Rick co-owns and operates Perfect 10 Kennel. Their business offers boarding, grooming, and retriever training. They also breed Labrador retrievers. Rick has 30 years of experience in retriever training, participating in everything from field trials to hunt tests to upland hunting competitions.
Brian Szczech
Brian has been training retrievers for more than thirty years. He is a member of and competes his dogs in the Hunting Retriever Club circuit. He has personally owned and trained 3 Grand Hunting Retriever Champions/Master Hunters, one being GR HR CH Super Shooter of Ontario MH Hall of Fame...
Chris Yielding
Chris owns and runs Backwater Cypress Retrievers in North-Central Arkansas. After starting back in 2016 with just a couple of dogs, he has built his business up to training a great number of dogs from many different states.
