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Coon hunting

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
Anyone run dogs anymore? It's something I've always wanted to do and never had the chance. Before the "all about me and my deer" it seemed a lot more folks got into it.

It's still an itch I have that needs scratching. Going out with Jamie and his pups last year really brought this back to the surface. Then reading about "traditions" in that other thread kinda changed my mind set. This is something I need to do. And maybe start a new tradition with my kids beyond the deer.

I'm not one to hunt for something I'm not going to eat what I kill. That's what has kept me back from doing it all these years. I feel that it'd be more of a service at this point and something that could be enjoyed in groups of people. Back to what got me into hunting back in 1993 at 13 years old.
 

jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
The pathetically-low fur prices have a lot to do with dwindling numbers of coon hunters as well. I've only seen a handful of people doing it around here. It's just not worth the time and effort. Seems the guys that do it are only doing it to watch their dogs run.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
The pathetically-low fur prices have a lot to do with dwindling numbers of coon hunters as well. I've only seen a handful of people doing it around here. It's just not worth the time and effort. Seems the guys that do it are only doing it to watch their dogs run.

It's a animal that needs managed. That fur has zero interest to me.
 

Jamie

Senior Member
5,691
177
Ohio
my dogs will and have treed coons. lots of Cur dogs pull double duty on rats and coons. I do not hunt for them for three main reasons. I'm not going to eat them. I agree they are a terrible nuisance animal. I'm happy to let somebody else exterminate them for the ODNR. fur prices are so bad that you cannot hardly give away a coon hide and, more importantly, property lines. There are way too many ignorant, over-protective "deer hunters" who would never let you run dogs on their property, day or night, because they think it will somehow ruin their deer hunting. running dogs that cover so much ground is a real problem for trespassing, getting permission, etc., especially in the middle of the night, these days. serious coon hunters in these parts pretty much have to trespass like crazy, and I know some, if not all of them do. many run silent dogs and don't bother shooting coons anymore because they are worthless.
 

Boarhead

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Dave me and my buddies and family grew up on coon hunting with dogs,hell we used to have all kinds of coonhounds but my favorite were always the Blueticks.Back then we could go most anywhere as we knew most of the farmers and landowners.
We could just go from one farm to the next and stay out all night.
Like Jamie said to do anything like that today you would be trespassing everywhere as all the land has been broke up except for a few spots.
I am glad i got to grow up like that and hunt with my Grandpa and Dad.
Sure was alot of fun.
I know very few guys left that run dogs.
 
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"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
IMG_4693.jpg

Nothin to see here.... lmao
 
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MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
It boils down to the younger generation are too busy play with their thing, I mean smart phones. My brother and I ran a coon dog 50 yrs ago and it was fun. I still laugh when I think of that Blue Tick dog as it wouldn't walk across a bridge. We would have to drag it across. Once across it would start hunting again.
40 yrs ago I had a customer that had a 50 ft house trailer that he kept his coon dogs in. Heated and air conditioned. But at that time he had dogs selling for 8-10K which was the price of 2 nice cars. Go figure.
 
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jagermeister

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
18,060
223
Ohio
It boils down to the younger generation are too busy play with their thing, I mean smart phones. My brother and I ran a coon dog 50 yrs ago and it was fun. I still laugh when I think of that Blue Tick dog as it wouldn't walk across a bridge. We would have to drag it across. Once across it would start hunting again.
40 yrs ago I had a customer that had a 50 ft house trailer that he kept his coon dogs in. Heated and air conditioned. But at that time he had dogs selling for 8-10K which was the price of 2 nice cars. Go figure.
Sorry, but I don't think it's got anything to do with smart phones. See posts above...
 

OO2

Well-Known Member
2,566
111
In the Uplands
It boils down to the younger generation are too busy play with their thing, I mean smart phones. My brother and I ran a coon dog 50 yrs ago and it was fun. I still laugh when I think of that Blue Tick dog as it wouldn't walk across a bridge. We would have to drag it across. Once across it would start hunting again.
40 yrs ago I had a customer that had a 50 ft house trailer that he kept his coon dogs in. Heated and air conditioned. But at that time he had dogs selling for 8-10K which was the price of 2 nice cars. Go figure.

Sure is easy to point a finger at the younger generation...my guess is you wouldn't let the younger generation run coons on your self made deer paradise.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
It really is a shame that one animal has basically taken over all hunting... Sometimes I'm not very proud to be a part of what deer hunting has become. This is one of those times.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
I wont say much in an open forum but i coon hunted with an old timer for a couple years about 4 years ago. He has since passed on but the time i spent with him was a blast and also frightening.

1. Get the notion of not trespassing out of your mind. Landowners hate coonhunters with a passion. Lots of it stems from the 80s when you could get $20+ per coon. It drug the lowest of low out to the woods. Fences, crops, signs, nothing stopped them from shining coons. Most didn't even have dogs, they just drove around shining the trees. As a result you will be hard pressed to find permission. Way harder even than deer hunting permission. So if you want to hunt I'll remind you what my buddy said one night when i asked "George who owns this place." Sign out by the road said George owns it tonight". He had a switch in the cab of the truck that would kill all the lights, tail lights, headlights, brake lights, license plate lights, dash lights. All of them.


2. Coon Dogs don't give a shit about property lines and no matter how hard you try there's no telling where they'll go. We ran one dog that would tree within 100 yards of the truck, but 1 out of 20 times he wpuld just haul ass or double back. I've pulled dogs out of a shed in a trailer park at 2 am. I've had them tree on a pastors tv antenna tower on his house, trees in people's front and back yards, even on some lady's porch once. In two years i had three guns in my face at 2am.

3. You might think you're going to slip out around 10pm for a couple casts and be home in a few hours. Then that dog gets a wild hair and hauls ass. Guess whose still driving around at 6am trying to find a dog. Even with a GPS collar on its no guarantee. You wont catch a dog that doesn't want caught.

4. There's a lot of counterfeits out there. (Dogs that look good on paper but aren't worth the paper they're written on) They may even look good when you give them a try with the guy selling them. Not every pup from a bad ass on paper dog will turn in to a bad ass dog. In other words if you don't have the heart to cull a dog and move on then you'll never have a good dog. Get it in your head now that you'll walk out of the woods with only your collars in your hand a couple times before you find a good one.

5. Get you some electrical tape to hogtie and muzzle them so you can sew them up . You will need to sew a dog up on the tailgate at 2am so get a suture kit and a big bottle of sheep penicillin from TSC. Fences, coons, and even coyotes tear some big gashes in them. If you don't have the heart to sew em up yourself your vet bills will be outrageous.

On a positive note. There's nothing like standing in a dark field and hearing a coon dog hook and tree. Then when you get in there and roll that big boar coon out still alive the fight is on son!
 
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Jamie

Senior Member
5,691
177
Ohio
I used to coon hunt with my now deceased squirrel dog guru. being an old timer, he had a blatant disregard for property lines. Hell, he delighted in trespassing on farms he formerly had permission to hunt that now housed a couple of deer hunters that ran him off. and because of it, Like Joe, I had some very unpleasant experiences with irate landowners and/or the law in the small hours. lucky I never got in any real trouble. Coon hunting would be very enjoyable if you had no boundaries, but that is a very unlikely circumstance. for sure, there is more to a hunting life than deer hunting, and I know that from experience. Giles, get a squirrel dog. :smiley_coolpeace: a good one will tree coons for you just the same if you must kill coons.

We'll be ok managing the coon population so long as Bigslam is wielding Thors' Hammer. :smile:
 

Isaacorps

Member
5,230
145
Columbus
I wont say much in an open forum but i coon hunted with an old timer for a couple years about 4 years ago. He has since passed on but the time i spent with him was a blast and also frightening.

1. Get the notion of not trespassing out of your mind. Landowners hate coonhunters with a passion. Lots of it stems from the 80s when you could get $20+ per coon. It drug the lowest of low out to the woods. Fences, crops, signs, nothing stopped them from shining coons. Most didn't even have dogs, they just drove around shining the trees. As a result you will be hard pressed to find permission. Way harder even than deer hunting permission. So if you want to hunt I'll remind you what my buddy said one night when i asked "George who owns this place." Sign out by the road said George owns it tonight". He had a switch in the cab of the truck that would kill all the lights, tail lights, headlights, brake lights, license plate lights, dash lights. All of them.


2. Coon Dogs don't give a shit about property lines and no matter how hard you try there's no telling where they'll go. We ran one dog that would tree within 100 yards of the truck, but 1 out of 20 times he wpuld just haul ass or double back. I've pulled dogs out of a shed in a trailer park at 2 am. I've had them tree on a pastors tv antenna tower on his house, trees in people's front and back yards, even on some lady's porch once. In two years i had three guns in my face at 2am.

3. You might think you're going to slip out around 10pm for a couple casts and be home in a few hours. Then that dog gets a wild hair and hauls ass. Guess whose still driving around at 6am trying to find a dog. Even with a GPS collar on its no guarantee. You wont catch a dog that doesn't want caught.

4. There's a lot of counterfeits out there. (Dogs that look good on paper but aren't worth the paper they're written on) They may even look good when you give them a try with the guy selling them. Not every pup from a bad ass on paper dog will turn in to a bad ass dog. In other words if you don't have the heart to cull a dog and move on then you'll never have a good dog. Get it in your head now that you'll walk out of the woods with only your collars in your hand a couple times before you find a good one.

5. Get you some electrical tape to hogtie and muzzle them so you can sew them up . You will need to sew a dog up on the tailgate at 2am so get a suture kit and a big bottle of sheep penicillin from TSC. Fences, coons, and even coyotes tear some big gashes in them. If you don't have the heart to sew em up yourself your vet bills will be outrageous.

On a positive note. There's nothing like standing in a dark field and hearing a coon dog hook and tree. Then when you get in there and roll that big boar coon out still alive the fight is on son!

Nailed it. This is why I love my no good walker/beagle mix who's never smelled something he wouldn't track lol
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
I will also say that it's a TON of fun if you have a good dog. If you have a counterfeit its a TON of work. Dog handling plays a huge part. For example after you're done at the tree its time to go back to the truck. You leash the dog and start walking. A good dog will stay right behind you on your heels and you won't even know he's there. If you go left around a sapling he goes left, if you go over a log he jumps it instead of going under, when you get to the truck he jumps up and loads himself in the box.

If you have to deal with a knot head dog going back to the truck you will be wore out. You're trying to navigate back through woods you don't know and its dark. If that dog is out front leading, yanking his lead, going around saplings, you will be wore out.

The best way i found to make a dog keep on my heels was a stick about big around as a broom handle. Every time he stuck his head around and tried to get beside me or pass me I'd wack him in the nose. Doesn't take long for a dog to stop putting his head out there and instead stay behind you.

A good coondog isn't like a duck or rabbit dog. They aren't pets. When we got those dogs out of their kennels at the house they didn't give two shits about ear scratching or belly rubs. They were making a B line for the truck because its time to jack up some coons.

Thats another thing. They don't coon hunt because they like to or to please you. They do it because they have a visceral hatred for them.
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
I will also say that it's a TON of fun if you have a good dog. If you have a counterfeit its a TON of work. Dog handling plays a huge part. For example after you're done at the tree its time to go back to the truck. You leash the dog and start walking. A good dog will stay right behind you on your heels and you won't even know he's there. If you go left around a sapling he goes left, if you go over a log he jumps it instead of going under, when you get to the truck he jumps up and loads himself in the box.

If you have to deal with a knot head dog going back to the truck you will be wore out. You're trying to navigate back through woods you don't know and its dark. If that dog is out front leading, yanking his lead, going around saplings, you will be wore out.

The best way i found to make a dog keep on my heels was a stick about big around as a broom handle. Every time he stuck his head around and tried to get beside me or pass me I'd wack him in the nose. Doesn't take long for a dog to stop putting his head out there and instead stay behind you.

A good coondog isn't like a duck or rabbit dog. They aren't pets. When we got those dogs out of their kennels at the house they didn't give two shits about ear scratching or belly rubs. They were making a B line for the truck because its time to jack up some coons.

Thats another thing. They don't coon hunt because they like to or to please you. They do it because they have a visceral hatred for them.


Pretty much some up my experience with coondogs, coon hunters and the whole process.... Seems like we spent more time chasing down dogs then we did hunting coons.... Most stubborn thickheaded animal in the woods...
But, always seemed like the owners never tried to break them of their bad habits either.... Just make excuses for their behavior because they were a "good treeing dog".....