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-- Part Four (http://forums.ukcdogs.com/showthread.php?threadid=266148)

Part Four

Yes, I have...by John D

but for a different reason. The weather always plays a part in the hunting, but it always has and thats part of the game, I guess.

The one thing that makes me want to throw my hands up at times is the people that now live near or in areas I used to hunt in. I live close enough to a major city that all kinds of people have moved in, and if they see lights in the woods at night, they are UPSET. The days when the only people that saw you was the farmer up the road who might drive down to sit, listen, and visit a little and maybe tell you where the coons were tearing something up and would you "please kill those #$%@#$!", those days are gone, around here, anyway.

I think we all know we need to have permission to hunt on private property, but that won't prevent every car that comes up the road from stopping and giving you the "whaddya doing, you got permission, a dog ran my kids pony through the fence routine".

Meanwhile, the dogs have done whatever, and I've missed it because of this "conscientious citizen". The worse thing is its an irreversible situation and as the larger tracts that can be safely hunted are split up, the hunting spots will just plain be lost. I guess I could hunt a dog that would never get more than 50 ft. away from me and walk hunt, but I'd rather quit than do that.

Even if no one stops to quiz me, there are places where I'm on pins and needles, just waiting to hear a gunshot, or a vehicle start up at the big, new house up the road and come screaming down to where I am. Sure, I can always explain, very politely, what I'm doing and try to educate these people, but that's like spitting on a forest fire. This, for me, takes the fun out of it.

It might take several years of run-ins for me to actually quit, but I'm too hooked to give it up very easily. But, I do have 2 boys and I'm not really sure I want them to even take up this sport. I realize that not encouraging my own boys to coonhunt is killing the future of this sport, but I'm more concerned with their safety and long term happiness, than I am with making coonhunters out of them. I'm not real sure about doing that and they do go hunting with me on occasion, but I'm extra careful where I go when I take them.

Waxing philosophically...by Tank

I think the struggles are what keeps me in this little game. The money is sometimes tight but I would probably have wasted it on wine, women and song anyway.....lol

To me the fun begins with a pup watching it grow and develop. Seeing the understanding in it's eyes when it learns NO and HEEL and LOAD. The first time it trees, the first time it opens on track, its first coon etc...

That is the times I love. Of course I like it when the ole boys go out and split on three trees and you walk ALL night long just to gather them up too.

But...the thing I like most is meeting new people, (this is a code word for "getting good places to hunt"), travelling around the country, making a fool out of yourself a time or two, (maybe three) and laughing with each other all night while your fingers freeze together....

People like BigE, Maddog, Trapper, Swamprat, Sprayman, Larry A, Larry S(the voyeur), Hobo, Dog, Nitelife, Shooter, and even ole Cheryl.....
I had to quit hunting for eight years or so....Uncle Sam wouldn't let me keep hounds in the barracks....Don't think I will anytime soon.

Yes . I have felt that way…by Bluedogman

Many years ago I had some Black and tan pups, I'd put a lot of time into and lost both of them, one by an automobile and the other by poison. I had some other problems at the time, that are too personal to talk about here, but the loss of the dogs together with other circumstances caused me to stay out of coon hunting for 20 years. I never forgot about hunting during that time, and got back into it and have stayed with it since then. I could probably have helped myself if I'd forced myself to get some more pups and work with them. Don't let anything stop you from doing what you love. Just get up and go at it again!


You ain't gonna believe this…by PlottmanB

I started "back" into coon hunting in the summer of 1998. I have not bought a trained dog. but have been struggling to come up with a pup that I can train into something that suits me. This season I started with a 1 year old female. First off the dog I was planning to use to start her quit treeing??? Next the dog I borrowed( a 12 year old retired Grand Night Champion) apparently had become senile and wouldn't stay treed over one minute. Next the hunting spot where I put my feeder buckets (to get an easy one to start her)the land owner cut the timber and all of the coons left. Finally last night I managed to tree one and the pup was at the tree and treeing. I found the coon ,loaded the rifle, fired two shots, hit the coon, but not good enough to get him out, and the rifle jammed!!! A .22 short mixed in with the long rifles got turned backwards in the auto loader mechanism. I wound up taking the rifle apart, breaking a spring, leaving the coon, muttering some unmentionable words.LOL. Yes I have considered quitting!! But I guess I'll stick with it after all, when the plan comes together it's gonna feel sooooo good.