The 2010 Wisconsin Raccoon Hunting season will be getting under way shortly, starting October 16th. Raccoon hunting is an old sport that began to evolve during the turn of the 20th Century. Hunting with hounds involves training dogs to hunt for and tree raccoon. Raccoon hunting usually involves coonhounds, which are among the most numerous and popular registered breed in the US today. There are six breeds of coonhounds which include: Redbone, English, Black and Tan, Treeing Walker, Bluetick, and Plott. When asked what breed he enjoys hunting with the most, Spike Lindley, an avid coon hunter, stated, "I enjoy hunting all breeds of coonhounds, but prefer Black and Tans for their top tracking ability and also Walkers for their speed on track as well as their looks."
The night begins by determining where you want to hunt. Once you have established this, release the hounds! The dog(s) will then search for a raccoon, by using its nose to find a scent trail. Once this occurs, the hound(s) will open (bark). He/she will then follow the trail until it comes to an end, which will usually be in a tree. Next, the dog(s) will locate, which is a distinctive change over bark that informs the hunter(s) that a raccoon is possibly treed. The dog(s) will then start barking in another distinctive tone usually a chop or short bark that tells the hunter(s) the raccoon is treed. "Every dog has his or her own distinctive bark, so it can be very challenging to describe to you what a locate and tree bark sounds like," suggests Lindley. Since you only hunt raccoon at night, there are many different things that people enjoy about this nocturnal sport. “My favorite part of the night is anytime the hounds get a good track going, and the anticipation of finding a raccoon up in the tree!” adds Lindley.
During season, hunters are allowed to harvest their quarry. The raccoon are then skinned, and their hides are kept to be sold at a later date. Although hide prices have drastically decreased in comparison to previous years, a lot of people hunt because they enjoy the sport, and want to keep their coonhounds in top condition. Some people also enjoy eating raccoon meat. “Hunters realize that if the raccoon population is not kept in check, the population will get out of control and disease will spread adversely, affecting the population,” offered Lindley.
There are many animal rights activist groups who feel raccoon hunters are not valuable members of society. Animal rights activist members feel hunters only kill to kill, without putting in consideration that raccoons are pests. Many people don’t realize raccoon populations are at their greatest now, especially since fur prices have dramatically decreased. Since raccoon have no natural enemies, they have been able to reproduce at a steady pace. “The main reasons that the raccoon population has increased so quickly is because of low fur prices, high gas prices (hunters don’t go as far to hunt or as often) and availability of food,” explains Lindley.
In summary, raccoon hunting is a very exciting and enjoyable hobby. Many people have spent thousands of dollars for a single coonhound. “One of the best I ever hunted with was a ten dollar cross breed that I trained myself!” stated Lindley. It allows hunter(s) and their hound(s) to work together. Raccoon hunting is a time honored tradition that has been practiced by some families for generations! Raccoon hunting is a unique and challenging sport that tests a hunter(s) endurance and fortitude. Oh and by the way, you better not be afraid of the dark!
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