Raccoon Hunters
arraflipper
Member Posts: 1,248 ✭✭✭
I worked 10 hours yesterday, but just had to go out that evening for a while * hunting. There is something magical about seeing those eyes shining back at you. For years hunted with a carbide light, then what ever I could find that was a light. I have even hunted them on a real bight moon lite night with no light, see a bunch in the trees where there shouldn't be anything then turn on the light. Then years ago got a head lamp that is red or white light. It spoils a person on a star lite night last night. With the red light on those eyes are ruby red looking back at you. Used to make good money when fur prices were high, and had lots of people want to go * hunting. Now I go alone, but it's just the thrill of hunting that lures me into the woods. 71 and still finding it so much enjoyment, to be out there and getting to see a pair of eyes looking back at you!
Comments
The lights that are common these days would have been considered magic 40-50 years back. I have a tiny headlamp that weighs a few ounces but produces as much light as the 7-8 pound wet cell headlamp I used back in the 70's, Before that was a 6-7 D cell flashlight for lighting up the treed * and a 2 D cell "walking light". Had to tote an extra set of batteries if you intended to be out long.
Coon hunting was a lucrative second income for some folks. Work all day, hunt half the night, and then get up at first light to start all over.
Since the fur prices fell into the basement, no one except the died in the wool dog men hunt the masked bandits much and the populations are out of control. Over the past 5 years, we've been trapping for a guy who raised free range chickens but he gave up this year. We can't even make gas money from the fur and the critters repopulate every year so it became a never ending loss/loss for both of us.
Yep, X-* hunter also. Made some good money back in the 80's to early 90's when fur market was on. Had some good tree dogs.
So thick now days that it's a challenge just to have any chickens. I have deer feeders and game cameras and have to arrange so as they don't get on or into the feeders.
Not seeing very many mom's with babies this year.
Usually mother nature will keep them culled with natural selection such as distemper but no much last few years.
Furs prices kept them in check few years ago.
A * will look at a carbide light on low flame faster than anything else I've ever used.
Racoon hunting was big around here back in the ‘60’s. Still is, somewhat.
I went only one time when I was about 12. They said the youngest had to carry the gun, which was a .22 rifle. We chased the dogs up and down ridges with lots of big dead falls. I had no light and had to keep up with the big guys. By the time we quit, that .22 felt like it weighed 20 lbs.
They lost a dog and I had to ride in the back of an old Jeep with the stinking dogs.
That was my first and last raccoon hunt.
Lots of climbing over dead falls, fences and up & down the terrain! Not to mention when the dogs got on a deer track😣 Most of the time left them and went back the next morning to pick them up🤨
My Grandson shot his first 2 weeks ago. That made 26 at our place this year. Our record is 32.
Figure keeping them down as much as I can helps the Turkeys.
Went with Grampa when young.
I grew up raccoon hunting and hunted into my upper 30s. got rid of the last hounds about 10 years ago. I preferred Treeing Walker and English hounds.
It is a young mans sport. I just don't have the energy to chase hounds all night anymore.
TRied it many years ago . My brother and some of the neighborhood guys were big into it . Quickly learned that splashing around in freezing cold swamp water at 2 am was not something I enjoyed
When young and using carbide lamp I carried water in a half pint whiskey bottle, and carbide in a Bayer Aspirin bottle. If the flashlight I carried worked you put that in your mouth so you could see a little bit of what you were doing when recharging and filling the tank with water. I had a battery out of a string trimmer, and a rheostat so I could dim the light way down. The thing must of weighted 8-10 pounds then used twine string off of bales to wrap around the *'s foot to carry them. With a rifle in one hand and up to four * hanging off your shoulder it was a load. One time I shot a * out of a tall tree on a bluff. The * landed way down below, climbed down and gave it a wood shampoo. Put it in a low tree to get on the way back. Climbed back up walked the bluff and got a few more *. Got to where I shot the first * and it was gone, saw it up ahead shot it again. A few more whacks with a stick, tied it's leg on and started up the bluff. with 3 *. Lots of briars, and soft clay so was slipping back, and thought it was the briars . Instead it was the same *, it had latched onto my leg. Bit through, two pairs of pants, I was holding onto a sapling so I wouldn't slide down hill. When ever I moved it bit deeper, my brother came back and used his rifle barrel for a club. The next day the vet was out and my brother was telling him about * hunting. They kidded me about getting rabies, like I said that was the toughest * around could of been sick. Still got a small hole in my leg where it bit me. Sure had a lot of fun doing something that you liked doing, and made more money than I did working all day!
I am ignorant about racoon hunting. My stepfather used to live-trap them in his subdivision and let them go miles away. He never ran out of them, and I suspect some released ones made their way back.
Is there any good reason or way to eat a racoon?
never went hunting them but lot of school buddys trapped and hunted them make decent money for a kid well even adults for that matter , its obvious been many years but when the price hit a dollar or three when the bottom fell out of the market most all them stopped hunting a few continued on for the fun and thrill of the hunt
I did go the raCoon dog nationals many times for years in Kenton Oh ( labor day week long event ) a long time ago
I remember my 1st trip there . more guns and dogs than I could ever imagen in one place spend days trading and buying selling guns and related items those were the good old days for sure . people cmae from all over the country for it
sadly it turned into a huge flea market "junk tshirt trinket BS flea market " over time then went away completely the old fellow died off that ran it for years and the family said enough . but was a fun time for year's
Carbide lamps worked good, if Nunn is around he will certainly recall the many * hunts we enjoyed years ago.
These days I take out more in my backyard than ever.