Episode 43: Capt. John Donnell - Life of "Dozer"

Mill House Podcast

Mill House

Wilderness, Sports, Leisure, Education, Hobbies

5 • 973 Ratings

🗓️ 3 September 2021

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

I’ve always had great affection for being in John Donnell’s presence. When I first met him over 30 years ago he was affable with a heart felt care for how well he was received... It’s important for him to be liked and loved he is, by all. Many of us came to know John though Flip’s “Walker's Cay Chronicles,” as he was a guest on the show more than any other. When I asked Flip about his good friend, he said that John’s greatest trait was that he’s reliable - “He’d jump onto the table to give you a kidney if needed....” Whether poling an edge for hefty tarpon, pushing the shallow flats of Louisiana for 40 pound redfish or pulling the trigger of a shotgun, Donnell was born a child of the outdoors, destined to roll through life with the wind in his face chasing big stuff. John has seen the great evolution of the the Florida Keys, from its prolific fishery to the halcyon years of drug running. On today's podcast, our friend relives his vivid, adrenaline filled life. Thank you John for your honesty, and willingness to tell your story with us...

Transcript

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0:00.0	As a child of the outdoors, John Danell has wrapped his life around hunting, fishing, motorcycles, and planes.
0:10.0	He holds his passions close to his heart and his friends closer, like Flip Pallet, who said
0:16.4	that Dozer's greatest trait is that he's reliable.
0:19.6	He'd jump up on a table to give you his kidney. If he's not in the woods he's on his skiff.
0:24.4	When the fishing slows in the keys you'll find him in Louisiana chasing big reds.
0:30.5	On today's podcast we cover a fraction of what he's seen and done, but most importantly
0:36.4	we see a compelling riveting risky side of John Dunnell. We broke everything, we broke lines, we broke hooks, we broke rods, we broke our minds, we broke our minds. We broke marriages. We broke the whole thing.
0:58.0	We came up with the idea of going out that night and chasing girls and whoever had the biggest pair of
1:03.9	pain he's won the pot. I knocked another arrow and he turned around the other
1:07.9	way and I shot him going through the other way so I double-lunged them both ways.
1:12.7	But it was nothing for us to paddle an air mattress
1:15.0	out into government cut.
1:17.7	I got him on.
1:18.7	All right now, I'm gonna teach him a lot so. I'm just an old guy that likes to fish. I'm not quitting yet.
1:26.5	And he said, well who the hell do you think you are, Sue App? And I said that's exactly who I am.
1:33.0	Life's journey to the grave should not be one arriving with a pretty well-preserved body,
1:38.0	but rather skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly torn out, thoroughly used up, proclaiming wildly
1:47.0	Wow!
1:48.9	What a ride!
1:49.9	There's something fishy going on here.
1:54.2	John Donnell, the legend at large.
2:01.2	John Denel, the legend at large.
	...

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