Registered: Oct 2024
Location: Richmond Va
Posts: 10

I was just wandering, do you all hunt racoons in the snow? I am a little concerned about the frozen snow and ice cutting their pads.

Also with the acorns pretty much gone, do you focus on creeks and hollers?

I guess they eat about anything, but they pretty much need some access to water.

So what do you think they are eating this time year, and what types of areas do you focus on?

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Rob Akers

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Registered: Jun 2023
Location: Jo daviess county illinois
Posts: 170

Normally coon don't move very good after a snowfall other then mating season.now if you get a warm up with snow on they'll move good after being holed up for awhile. Water or food source and they'll be there.

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Registered: Aug 2011
Location: Emporia, Kansas
Posts: 383

back in the 60's, Don Williams and I hunted almost every night one night that stands out in my memory was we had already started and it was around 28 degrees was about 3 miles from his house when it started to snow big fluffy flakes that just floated down. by the time we had went 4 more miles there was about 2 inches on the ground. ran and treed 2 in short order. My 2 dogs split and went up river his 3 went north up a creek. I went to Doc and Ruby.. they had 2 in a hollow tree.. when I got his pickup and headed north they were treed in a hole in a hillside... now Doc would surely dig and they brought one out and 5 more came out of that hole.
now That was the best snow hunt I ever had mostly after the snow has already stopped trailing gets worse.. not impossible BUT the scent is not as good.
I have seen times when the snow was on the ground deep and the Temperature dropped. One noted place was near Miltonvale Ks my good friend had a noted den tree that we could always get a track going .
but Tracks indicated it was 10 days before they moved.. so when the temperature drops a lot the hunting is not very good.
If there is a crust on the snow you can surly get the dogs pads tore up.

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Registered: Oct 2024
Location: Richmond Va
Posts: 10

That is a neat memory.

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Rob Akers

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 1609

Hardest temp to hunt is right at 32 degrees. Up here we get good runs hunting cattails after they are frozen "safe."

If you are worried about the pads, go to a tractor supply store or dairy outlet and get some udder balm. Work it into their pads and toes. Got to get them soft so they don't crack. It works like hand cream for your hands.


Now if you run on crust/ice and tear them up, you probably shouldn't have hounds. Sometimes it does help if the handler is a little smarter than the hound.

If you hunt any water, besure that it is open or froze good. I know an idiot that lost 2 hounds falling through the ice 2 different years. (slow learner) After days under the water, their bodies filled with gas and they floated to the top and he got his collars back. Really not worth it.

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OLD TIMER

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Registered: Jan 2023
Location: North Central OH
Posts: 81

It's about being a woodsmen/women at this point. Knowing your country and putting in the boot leather in all kind of weather and seeing when and how in your area game moves. If you want a straight hound and there young, probably not a great idea to run in the cold and snow. If your building a great hound and they have several season's under there collar, cutting them loose in bad conditions let you know how good of a hound your really packing. In OH I really enjoy hunting in the snow. I don't think twice about taking a young dog out when it warms up with snow on the ground as long as it stays soft and don't crust over. If i'm working old dogs and its snow covered and cold, I hit the creek banks. Just try and stay away from water if its froze over but not thick enough to hold a dog. You can lose a dog fast that way. If you live in an area where you get long stretches of bitter cold, it my take a little warm up and coon will really move. Some areas just have a day or two of bad weather and coon really have know reason to move. Deep in Jan or Feb here I tend to do some morning hunts and tree several coon on the outside.

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Registered: Jul 2025
Location: kentucky
Posts: 18

i love to hunt in fresh snow or hunt while it is snowing lightly. I don't hunt in these zero weather nights we are having right now it too hard on the dog and me lol

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