Registered: Jan 2007
Location: Darlington, South Carolina
Posts: 1139

I was reading in one of my Wick books the other day about hunting conditions. Wick was saying that he's hunted in just about every weather scenario you could imagine, yet he hasn't really noticed a correlation or pattern between the weather and coon movement. I've heard lots of people say this, and I believe it (mjflores on here did a super-impressive study on his own about this and posted the results in a thread on here a while back).

He did say, however, that one thing has pretty much held true in his experiences over the years. He says that coons don't usually walk good on nights that are really still with no wind, but a little wind and movement will usually have them walking pretty good. I thought this was interesting.

Now, I don't think he's talking about coons out wandering around in twisters, and I know that there still, quiet nights when coons probably walk like crazy. I'm talking about in general.

Another thing - I was talking to an old man the other night about coon hunting. He has kept a record of EVERY SINGLE HUNT he's been on, be it pleasure or competition, for years and years and years. The dogs that went, temperature, date, number of trees, coons seen (or off-game), etc. That's pretty cool! Anyway, he was saying that looking back over all the years of hunting, it seems that December is the toughest hunting month... not as many coons treed in December according to his "records".

I'm not saying any of these things are right or wrong... I really haven't paid it much attention in the past. I just think they're interesting and was wondering if y'all have noticed these same things, or any other "trends" in coon hunting. In other words, I'm really bored, LOL .

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Erin Britt

Aight guys, this ain't a bench show and I ain't a hound. Keep ya eyes where they need to be.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: vt
Posts: 1256

most years i dont even see a coon track in december and january here-

they den up -

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Registered: Aug 2004
Location: bainbridge ny
Posts: 2589

i would agree with both of these hunters after winter sets in at first sign of real cold weather coon tend to den up then when the cold persists for a while the coon tend to move a bit more like people i think they get cabin fever and come out and move a bit.
i know when it first gets cold i din'r go hunting for about 2 weeks then get used to it and hit the woods hard again

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Registered: Jul 2006
Location: Turtle Mountains, ND
Posts: 1023

Early this year I also read Wick's comment about a little wind being good for coon hunting and kept it in my mind during the year. I noticed that a little wind seemed to have a positive effect on coon movement, and that the effect of the wind appeared to be a little more pronounced on nights with a lot of moon.

Coon are fat come December and don't need to feed as much during those early weeks of winter. Although in my area, if the daytime temperature gets above freezing in the winter, load the dogs because the coon will be moving. And that's why I'm headed out in a couple hours.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Lumpkin, Ga
Posts: 8757

Coons walk fine on still nights! That one doesn't hold water! Bright moon-lit nights too!

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Johnny Williams

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Registered: Jan 2005
Location: Neenah,WI.
Posts: 502

I have noticed the same thing through the years, I've treed
a lot more coons in a 20 mile an hour wind than when it's
dead still.

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Registered: Jan 2006
Location: bronaugh,MO
Posts: 2595

Opening night last year Chels and I treed 11 here in SW Mo with horrable winds before we finaly ran out of shells.


The only real trend I have seen is in this area when theres snow or ice on the ground the coon dont move around much. Down and right back up unless its late January-into Febuary when the rut is on.

I always figured it was because they dont see but a couple weeks a year with snow or ice total before it melts off, and most of the time thats only for a few days at a time.

Last year when we got that huge ice storm in Jan/Dec they got to moving pretty good after a couple weeks though. Guess they got used to it or the rut got the best of them.

This is my favorite time to hunt. All the dumb ones are dead and the big ol boar coon are covering ground looking for the ladys. Coondogs tree coon this time of year.

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Registered: Oct 2007
Location: Iowa
Posts: 463

Around here I hunt about everything but coons after the snow and cold hit. I may see a set of coon tracks come down out of a den, walk 10 ft. and go back to the den tree. The best coonhunting i've seen is a light drizzle with a little fog. Seems like during 30 or 40 mph winds the coon are all setting up.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Lumpkin, Ga
Posts: 8757

Well I'll tell ya what. My momma didn't raise no fools. I'm not going to be out there in howling winds, driving rain, hailstorms,or thunderstorms! When the temp gets below 20 it's too cold for me or my hounds.

I don't feel the need to hunt when I can't hear the dogs strike or tree...or even hear them 'til I walk right up to the tree after locating them with a tracker. I can pick my nights better than that since we can run hounds year round.

Coons are harder to tree in Jan and Feb but they don't hibernate or hide from their shadows on bright nights. Not around here they don't! I like to see a big boar coon's coat shine in the bright moonlight without the use of a light. Some of my best nights have been on a full moon.

Sometimes coons just are not moving but I don't think they check to see if the wind is blowing or not or the phase of the moon... or what Mr Wick says about it! I think coons do what coons want to do myself!

Who knows the mind of a coon? Certainly no human!

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Johnny Williams

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Registered: Mar 2005
Location: Pilot Mtn, NC
Posts: 2205

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bluedogman
Well I'll tell ya what. My momma didn't raise no fools. I'm not going to be out there in howling winds, driving rain, hailstorms,or thunderstorms! When the temp gets below 20 it's too cold for me or my hounds.

I don't feel the need to hunt when I can't hear the dogs strike or tree...or even hear them 'til I walk right up to the tree after locating them with a tracker. I can pick my nights better than that since we can run hounds year round.

Coons are harder to tree in Jan and Feb but they don't hibernate or hide from their shadows on bright nights. Not around here they don't! I like to see a big boar coon's coat shine in the bright moonlight without the use of a light. Some of my best nights have been on a full moon.

Sometimes coons just are not moving but I don't think they check to see if the wind is blowing or not or the phase of the moon... or what Mr Wick says about it! I think coons do what coons want to do myself!

Who knows the mind of a coon? Certainly no human!

---

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