Coon huntin’

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My personal war with raccoons started 3/84 and lasted until 9/14. The "Eco Friendly" mindset says don't wear fur! So the only coon hunting any more is just for fun. The value of the pelts plummeted and the population skyrocketed! My farm house was under siege from the day I bought it to the day I move! (30 years). I often killed 25 or 30 a year!. My weapon of choice was whatever was at hand! 22's, shotguns, my EDC 38 special, and even Bow & Arrow!

One of my several blackberry thickets was on a patch of very poor clay soil. Every coon's body that was recovered went flying into that thicket. after years of "Organic Fertilizing" that thicket became my best producer!

One of the gunshop guys from our Thursday Night gang kept wild coons as "pets". He fed them and built shelters for them. Yet they bit him several times a year. But he always got mad at me because I killed the destructive little thieves.

Ivan
 
My uncle lived it the Pa mountains. Always had Coon dogs and hunted every year until he couldn’t walk the woods. He stopped at 87 years old.
I remember him telling stories where the dogs sometimes stayed out all night on a chase. He would leave a blanket out on the trail. Go back the next day and his dogs would be waiting for him. He lived for his dogs.
 
There is (or was) an annual BBQ ‘coon dinner fundraiser not far from us. BBQ ‘coon is different but not bad if you are hungry! :)
 
Racoons are nasty varmints!

They chase the song birds out of the feeders and gorge out on bird seed. I shoot them out with my .177 cal pellet rifle. I killed three one day this past week. I toss them on the ground and the night critters take them all before morning.
 
My granddaddy was an old school coon hunter. Black and Tan hounds and a good bit of whiskey. According to him there wasn't anything better for a weeknight in the South, in the 1960's. I have some pics I will have to dig up.

Once he got to old to chase the coon dogs, he turned to fox hunting. They would cast the dogs around dark and sit aroung a fire, listening to the dogs run and pass the whiskey bottle. I was the only male grandchild so I got to spend a lot of time with him. We would make a pallet under the stars or sleep in the truck if the dew was to heavy. Good times.

But for now here is a link to the Coon Dog cemetary.

Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard - Cemetery
 
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From the time I was 6 to 18 I lived in southern Mo.,southern Il. and then Ia from 77-85. Ate many a BBQ coon and a few possums in my day. Once at a pistol match in Los Angeles a woman shooter from LASO asked me what BBQed coon tasted like. I said it's pretty good with alot of sauce on it and not as greasy as possum. She replied that didnt give her much to go on. We went out to eat lots of times with her and her husband, but they never came over for dinner.
 
hsmith9491 said:
My uncle lived it the Pa mountains. Always had Coon dogs and hunted every year until he couldn’t walk the woods. He stopped at 87 years old.
I remember him telling stories where the dogs sometimes stayed out all night on a chase. He would leave a blanket out on the trail. Go back the next day and his dogs would be waiting for him. He lived for his dogs.
Click to expand...

My dad would leave his jacket/coat and the dogs would be
sleeping on it the next morning. I was amazed the first time
I witnessed this.
 
Old Arkansawyer said:
My dad would leave his jacket/coat and the dogs would be
sleeping on it the next morning. I was amazed the first time
I witnessed this.
Click to expand...

I am not lucky enough to have any dogs. But I do have cats. I don't know about sleeping on a jacket but if I leave one lying around it will get peed on.

I know, I know, not the same thing. Just how my cats let me know that they love me....
 
I was hunting one night with a guy that had a dog that was not straight broke. He left on a deer. He had a brand new coat and he left it and came back the next day and the coat was gone. He eventually found his dog but the coat was long gone. Larry
 
Similar. My uncle was big coon hunter, still a big coon dog lover. He took me out on my first hunt when I was about 12. For a kid keeping up was a challenge. At the tree he had one dog that was a great tracker but was gun shy and would run when there was shot. Being the new kid my job was to hold the dogs collar and don’t let him run. Now I am not a big guy nor was I a big kid, the dog may have outweighed me. It was a wild ride but I held on. :)
 
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