Ten Things Every Coon Hunter Should Know - Huntinghoundsmen ...

hounds fail and those pups are culled when a little time andpatience, exposing the pup to opportunities continuallywithout “pushing” often results in a better hound. Dogs arelike kids. The ones that are permitted opportunities continuallybut are allowed to develop a love for learning usuallymake better students in the long run.Stud dog ads are largely responsible for creating the needfor pup buyers to push a pup beyond its ability to processthe training. If he’s not a six-month wonder like the otherpups in the ads, he’s a loser. If nothing else in this articleclicks, please take this one to heart. Remember the Ernestand Julio Gallo commercial – “We will sell no wine before itstime?” Apply that philosophy to pup training. Don’t cull thatpup until you are sure he or she is mature enough to processthe opportunities you are presenting them.2. How to find places to hunt.Most coon hunters will agree, the most severe threat to thesport of coon hunting is the decline in places to safely runour hounds. The current economic downturn has somewhatstemmed the tide of building that was the case a few yearsago. Urban sprawl is taking a breather for now and with thedecline in building the demand for hardwood timber issomewhat diminished. A downside to the poor economy forcoon hunters is that land owners, including the big timbercompanies with hundreds of thousands of acres across thesouth, and small farmers alike are looking for tax breaks.They have learned they can offset their tax burdens by leasingthe land. Leases usually involve deer and turkey huntersthat generally hold dog hunters in disdain. Combine thatwith hunting seasons that exclude dog hunting, likeMississippi’s spring turkey season for example and you seethat finding opportunities to run dogs can be a challenge.Many states now have recreational trespass laws thatrequire written permission. Many landowners will give permissionto hunt but don’t want to put it into writing for fearof repercussions should someone get hurt on their land.When I lived in Michigan I devised a written permissionstatement and carried copies in my truck. When Iapproached a land owner about hunting I showed them theform that stated that I would not hold them responsible forinjury or death incurred while on their property and that ifmy dogs or I were responsible for damage to his or her propertywhile engaged in hunting or training dogs, I would befully responsible. I signed it along with their signature allowingme to hunt their lands. I never had a landowner refuseto sign the form after I had signed it in their presence.Your demeanor when asking for permission has a lot to dowith the answer you get. I usually went on a Sunday afternoon.If possible I took my son or my wife with me. Iwashed my truck before I went. I put on presentable clothes.I wanted to present a wholesome look. If I appeared with athree day growth of beard, dirty jeans and t-shirt and drovea vehicle covered in mud the landowner was likely to drawmany conclusions, one of which could indicate that I hadbeen up all weekend digging ruts in some farmer’s field withmy 4x4. I usually make the point that my dogs don’t run livestockand chase deer and that I have the means, via the GPSunit and the Tri-tronics to control them at all times. I ask ifit’s okay for me to come at any time during the night orwould the land owner prefer early evening hours before hegoes to bed. I assure the land owner that I will not climb hisfences except when absolutely necessary and then only atthe post, I’ll close all gates behind me that were closedbefore I arrived, that I won’t drive across his fields and that Iwill not leave anything behind me that was not there whenI arrived. I have to continually remind myself that I am aguest and that I must behave on the landowner’s propertyjust as I would behave if invited into his home. Learn this lessonand develop this attitude and you will find that mostfarmers will let you hunt.3. How to select the right kind of gearWe’ve often joked about the guy at the hunts with the$40,000 truck, the $1000 tracking system, the $800 dogbox, the $500 shock collar, the $400 light, the $200 bootsand the two-dollar dog. But there’s no denying it, the equipmentyou choose will not only enhance your enjoyment ofthe sport but will also improve your odds of having a successfulhunt, whether for pleasure or in competition. Here ismy list of fundamental gear items that I have with me onevery hunt:First, you need a quality light source. I am absolutely soldon the new, lightweight LED lights that are on the markettoday. In my view there is no longer any need to carry theweight of a battery box or pack on the belt. Secondly, inorder to have a comfortable hunt, a good pair of well-fittingrubber boots with water resistant chaps properly sewn to theleg of the boots is essential for wading briars and nettles andfor crossing creeks. John Wick once said, “When your feetget wet, the fun’s over,” and I agree. Thirdly you will wantto invest in a Garmin GPS-enhanced tracking system andlearn to use it. It will help you recover your dog, keep thedog out of harm’s way and take you to the truck at the endof the hunt. If you are a young hunter, electronic gizmosoffer no problem to you and you will catch onto the use ofthe Garmin quickly. If you are a geezer like me, ask one ofthe kids at the club to show you how. Next in order is a Tri-Tronics Trashbreaker trainer. Read all you can about the useof this trainer and never turn your hound loose without it. Itsapplications are too many to list here but trust me and don’tleave home without it. Of course you will need a 4x4 pickupand a dog box to round out your list of essentials. I wouldadd a good quality coon squaller such as the Zepp and agood pocket knife. For some of you, a stop at the cornerstore for some chew is also an essential. I’ll pass on that,thank you very much.4. How to buy a coonhound without getting burned.Coon hunters are human and humans by their very naturewill lie. I have a friend that teaches in public schools. I haveheard her tell of watching kindergartners doing some type ofnegative behavior and when asked, “Johnny, why did you dothat?” Little Johnny says, “I didn’t do it.” The teacher replies,“I was standing here watching you do it,” to which LittleJohnny says, “It wasn’t me.”If there’s one thing that brings the urge to prevaricate to thesurface in the human race it’s this thing we call coon hunting.Coon hunters, like fisherman can’t resist the temptationto lie. Do you think that’s harsh? Consider this scenario, oneI’ve witnessed many times over the years.Time out has been called or the hunt is over and a dog hasnot been handled. The owner employs the tracking deviceand leaves the cast to retrieve his or her dog. Upon return,what does the handler say? You go to the head of the classif you get this one right and get to wear the dunce cap if youmiss it. I’ll bet you a dollar against a donut that the handlersays, “He was treed and had the coon.” I have never hearda handler in that situation say, “He was treed slick.” Whydoes the handler think he has to lie? Unless lying is thathunter’s best friend, the answer lies in one word; pride.When we put our nameplates on these coonhounds theybecome extensions of ourselves. An average dog becomes a“number one coon dog” because to admit anything lesswould be to admit that we either don’t know how to train acoon dog or we were dumb enough to buy an “average” dogwhen the world knows we hunt nothing but the best. This