# How did Bo and Luke Duke make a living? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 22, 2015, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722 "2015-03-22T23:25:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/1 "2015-03-22T23:25:13Z")
How did Bo and Luke Duke make a living? Uncle Jesse had a Social Security check. Daisy worked at the Boar’s Nest. Cooter ran a garage. What did Bo and Luke do? Did they run moonshine? They were never shown transporting moonshine. This brings to mind a question. If they were running moonshine, were Boss Hogg and Roscoe justified in their less than reputable attempts to put the Duke boys in jail? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/2 "2015-03-22T23:29:34Z")
Meth. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/3 "2015-03-22T23:31:37Z")
They sold pictures of Daisy in the shower. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/4 "2015-03-22T23:38:08Z")
In the TV show the boys couldn’t carry guns because they were on probation for carrying moonshine. (They used a bow and arrows instead.) So they at least had previous in that regard. Otherwise the them tune revealed: “_Makin’ their way the only way they know how / That’s just a little bit more than the law will allow_” adding “_Fightin’ the system like a true-modern day Robin Hood_.” TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/5 "2015-03-23T00:08:25Z")
> [@Robert163](#): > > What did Bo and Luke do? Did they run moonshine? They were never shown transporting moonshine. Yes. It’s just understood. (It’s the only way they know how.) Also, they (later) raced competitively. > [@Robert163](#): > > If they were running moonshine, were Boss Hogg and Roscoe justified in their less than reputable attempts to put the Duke boys in jail? No. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/6 "2015-03-23T00:08:50Z")
They were booze runners. I was also under the impression that Boss Hogg was in the business of the same, and the reason he disliked them was that they were usually competitors and would not work exclusively for Boss Hogg. ---
**Author:** ![HeXen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@HeXen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeXen)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/7 "2015-03-23T00:11:42Z")
Damn shiner’s. Roscoe should’ve just threw away the key. I thought that episode where Daisy fell in love with the guy they thought was their cousin was pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/8 "2015-03-23T00:12:15Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > They were booze runners. I was also under the impression that Boss Hogg was in the business of the same, and the reason he disliked them was that they were usually competitors and would not work exclusively for Boss Hogg. Ahhh… well that explains alot!! ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/9 "2015-03-23T00:16:35Z")
> [@TCMF-2L](#): > > In the TV show the boys couldn’t carry guns because they were on probation for carrying moonshine. (They used a bow and arrows instead.) So they at least had previous in that regard. > > Otherwise the them tune revealed: > > “_Makin’ their way the only way they know how / That’s just a little bit more than the law will allow_” > > adding > > “_Fightin’ the system like a true-modern day Robin Hood_.” Yes and their trouble with The Law apparently goes way back. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/10 "2015-03-23T03:21:50Z")
IIRC didn’t they race stock cars? I seem to recall some episodes with them on race tracks. But its been over 20 years since I watched the show. I don’t recall for sure. Moonshiners were some of the earliest NASCAR racers. They had souped up cars for their night runs anyway. Racing was a natural off shoot. [http://www.nascar.com/en\_us/news-media/articles/2012/11/01/moonshine-mystique.html](http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2012/11/01/moonshine-mystique.html) ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/11 "2015-03-23T03:30:37Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Yes and their trouble with The Law apparently goes way back. Yes, in fact, since the day they were born ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/12 "2015-03-23T03:31:40Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > IIRC didn’t they race stock cars? I seem to recall some episodes with them on race tracks. But its been over 20 years since I watched the show. I don’t recall for sure. > > Moonshiners were some of the earliest NASCAR racers. They had souped up cars for their night runs anyway. Racing was a natural off shoot. > [http://www.nascar.com/en\_us/news-media/articles/2012/11/01/moonshine-mystique.html](http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2012/11/01/moonshine-mystique.html) Yes, that was a strong element of the show. The General Lee afterall was a racing car. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/13 "2015-03-23T03:53:52Z")
Weren’t they also basically dirt farmers? There were always chickens running around, so they probably made some money off of that. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/14 "2015-03-23T03:58:02Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Weren’t they also basically dirt farmers? There were always chickens running around, so they probably made some money off of that. I think I may of also seen a goat in one episode ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/15 "2015-03-23T03:59:50Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > They sold pictures of Daisy in the shower. Wouldn’t their customers get all wet? ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/16 "2015-03-23T04:03:10Z")
With the plethora of road construction on nothing but gravel roads and bank robberies in Hazard, I guess Boss Hogg makes his money in construction kickbacks and the Duke Boys get a taste of the bank theft after apprehension. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/17 "2015-03-23T04:13:11Z")
> [@Robert163](#): > > I think I may of also seen a goat in one episode I saw an alien in one episode, but they didn’t make any money off it. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/18 "2015-03-23T10:54:44Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > I saw an alien in one episode, but they didn’t make any money off it. Not much of a market for alien milk in Georgia. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/19 "2015-03-23T13:19:25Z")
Rent boys for Southern Gentlemen of a certain inclination. It wasn’t that far a drive to Atlanta. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722/20 "2015-03-23T13:41:13Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > They sold pictures of Daisy in the shower. C’mon, they sold pictures of Daisy washing the General Lee. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-bo-and-luke-duke-make-a-living/715722.md?page=2)