How To Hunt Raccoon
Information and Basics (Racoon or Procyon Lotor)
Also known as simply 'Coon Hunting', it is typically done to benefit from the sale of the Raccoon hides much like many other animals such as Mink, Beaver, Fox, Coyote, Bear, etc. Traders and manufacturers purchase hides for the purpose of making them into clothing, shoes, rugs, figurines and other retail items. Some animals and body parts can be made into glues and other products as well.
Hunting or trapping the Raccoon has also become apractice to simply lower the population or to remove the masked bandits from locations in which they are not welcomed. Raccoon like to live in old buildings and structures like barns to find shelter from the elements, which is fairly atypical of most wild animals. This can be a burden to the home owners due to the mess, feces and damage the Raccoons can create to the person property.
It has also been known that some people hunt Raccoon simply for the sport of killing them. Some see them as a disease carrying rodent that only cause problems. And in some areas Raccoon need to be hunted to keep the population under control.
Traditional Raccoon Hunting
Traditional Raccoon Hunting is done by dogs following the scent of a Raccoon until the Raccoon is forced to seek refuge up a tree or some other safe place to hide. Occasional the dogs will catch it before it can find a safe hiding place. I have personally seen them find cover in underground dens, in big hollowed out trees, under old box cars, under houses, inside junk piles, in piles of wood, in many old buildings and inside barns. Most of the time a 'Coon will escape into a tree which is typically known as "treeing". The dog(s) will wait at the base of the tree or other object until the hunter does something to remove the Raccoon or is simply forced to leave the location. When possible the Raccoon is then shot or flushed out of their hiding place and the dogs will then take it's life.
What Kind of Dogs Should Be Used?
What kind of dogs can be used when hunting Raccoons? Many breeds of canine can be trained to hunt Raccoon. Hounds are probably the most common used; Bluetick, Redbone, Black & Tan, etc. Also Beagles and other hunting dogs make great "Coon trackers" as well. These "trained dogs" are educated to "track" or follow the scent of the raccoons left behind from the raccoons natural pelt smell often times contributed to their feces and eating habits. Tracking a Raccoon can be very difficult, their paths are often winding and over many different terrains throughout their nightly voyage to find food and cause mischief. They often climb on trees, crawl into dens and piles of junk to avoid danger. This can prove to be very challenging for the dogs to keep the track of a Raccoon. The scent of the Raccoon is naturally diluted over time and can be more faint due to dry conditions, thus the best tracking conditions are near moist areas or and damp humid nights.
