The History of Coon Hunting

Coon hunting has been there since the colonial period when scent hounds that were excellent in tracking game were imported from countries such as France, England and Ireland. These dogs had been bred to attain high tracking skills. Their physical features allowed them to quickly follow prey through thick forests. Some of the coon hounds had webbed feet to help them move through water and marshy areas while others had long and moist nostrils to aid in scent recognition.

The practice of hunting for coons however did not pick up pace until the 20th century when it became a popular sport and past time. A more important reason for the hunting was the raccoon fur which was highly valued. Some people also considered the meat of the animal to be a delicacy. As in the present day, coon hunting was done with the help of specialized dogs that could easily and quickly move through thick bushes and follow the coon scent at the same time. Soon, people began competing against each other in coon hunting. Dogs had to participate in competitions such as water races, drag competitions and treeing contests.

Seasonal hunting for coons was at its highest in the mid 20th century. In the 1946/47 season for instance, around one million raccoon were hunted. This number quickly rose to 2 million in the next sixteen years. The 1976/77 hunting season saw an all time high number of raccoons being hunted down for their meat and fur. The total number of the coons killed was 5.2 million. As the century came to an end, raccoon hunting started dwindling down. This was caused by the fall in prices of coon fur thus sparking a fall in demand of the coons. In 1980 to 1990, the number of coons killed was around 3.2 to 4.7 million. By the time the 90s were coming around the number had drastically dropped to 0.9 million.

The reduction in coon hunting had several effects on various sectors. One of the biggest effects was the uncontrolled breeding and multiplication of the raccoons. As the coon populations increased, they soon started venturing into peoples’ homes and gardens causing a lot of damage. Another effect was the rise in demand of coon fur. The fall in the hunting had caused a wide scarcity of the fur and therefore with time demand was back to an all time high. These two factors led to a revival of coon hunting in the 21st century. Today, coon hunting is a practice that has gained immense popularity and is carried out in many states. There are various organizations that facilitate coon hunting and bring coon hunting enthusiasts together. It is however important to note that different states have different rules on coon hunting.

Today, people hunt coon mostly as a hobby and pastime activity. Others do it as a game and even earn millions from it. Coons are also hunted for their valuable fur and their delicious meat. With time, hunting is slowly getting back to the aggressive intensity witnessed in the mid 20th century.