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Bob Rakow with Blueticks Andy (three-legged)
and Baldy
Raccoon Hunting Questions

The purpose of this page is to ask technical questions about raccoon hunting.  Certain questions will be posted for discussion or input.  Example: where to find a certain hunting product.  Questions are sometimes answered by raccoon hunting veteran, Bob Rakow (see Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond ) and his son, Dr. Tom C. Rakow .  If you have a question, thought, or response to another question or thought, please fill out the form and click submit.

Tom  The real problem rests with Pete - not his dog.  Although I don't know how old Pete's dog is - or how often he has been along on hunts - he may already be ruined.  In our booklet, Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond, we have a brief section titled "Starting and Keeping Your Dog on the Right Track."  We state, "A major concern for any raccoon hunter is that his or her dog is chasing what it is supposed to be chasing.  Do what you can to get your dog started on the right track - and then do what you can to keep him or her 'straight'" (p. 13).  We then go on to give a few suggestions.  It sounds like Pete's attitude is not only ruining his dog - also your relationship with Tom.  I would suggest one of two things.  1) Don't let Pete come along any more.  Note:  You are not wrong in not wanting to let your dog get ruined.  2) Or, allow Pete to come along only if he agrees to keep his dog on a leash between runs.  I doubt very much if Pete will enjoy trying to lead his dog through brush, briars, etc.  Although I do not advocate beating a dog - a person does have to be firm - and the earlier the better.   The younger the dog, the gentler the discipline needs to be.  However, under no circumstances should trash-running be tolerated.  Let me know how it works out. 

Tom  Because your dog is still a pup you shouldn't be too concerned about his lack of interest in a coon hide.  While it is true that some dogs are even treeing at this age (e.g. George who is the dog in the picture - see http://www.rockdove.com/exctree.html was treeing at 6 mo.), this is the exception rather than the rule.  Even a dog that starts out quickly still has a long, long way to go before he or she is seasoned.  I would encourage you to study our pages - and other sites.  If you haven't purchased the Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond booklet, you will find it helpful in getting and keeping your dog on the right track.

Tom  Thanks for your question.  I believe that a key is to be patient and let the dog settle down to treeing - even if (and more aptly - especially if) the hunter knows what tree the raccoon has been put up (e.g.seeing the coon climbing up the tree in the moonlight).  This is an opportunity to observe the technique your dog is using to make sure it is at the right tree (e.g. makes a couple of quick small circles - and then a big circle).  Often inexperienced hunters make the mistake of rushing in before the dog is sure - and sometimes even encouraging the dog to tree when the dog has not made sure.  Or, as we call tapping.  Of course much of this involves a hunter being able to accurately read his/her dog.  Hope this helps.  Also - we will be putting on some new pages in the next weeks.  A recent page can be found at  http://www.rockdove.com/andyspec.html

Tom  This really depends on which dog is the better hunter - and if the dog is sound.  Don't hunt your dog with another if the hound doing the training is prone to chase trash.  Another aspect to consider has to do with how well either of these dogs responds to another dog joining in on the hunt.  Sometimes a dog will hog the tree, etc.  One of our dogs that was prone to hog the tree was Andy.  Later he lost his leg, and, as you can imagine his behavior changed in this area (see http://www.rockdove.com/andyspec.html ).  If you will search the Raccoon Hunting Questions site (I believe it is on page one) you will find information
about conditioning dog to help prevent gun shyness.

Tom  It's easy to tell that you're  a coon hunter who truly loves his dog!  Because your dog is eight years old I doubt very much that you are going to be able to permanently stop this behavior.  Some would suggest a shock collar if you were certain the dog was running something other than raccoon.  However, as I'm sure you already know, such a run is usually real short - and therefore it is pretty hard to get between the opossum and the dog - or to the opossum before the dog catches it on the ground.  Of course, the one major concern is that in training another dog - the one being trained is also bound to pick up this bad habit.  I would suggest that you keep any young dog you might be training on a leash until you're sure that the Walker is on a raccoon (of course this can be a real hassle).  It sounds like you know how to read your dog when something isn't right.

Tom  This for the most part depends upon things like: the terrain being hunted, overall condition of the dog (which can be influenced by how early or late in the raccoon season it is, food your dog is being fed,
etc.), age of the dog, length of each night's hunt, weather conditions, etc.  Another problem that may arise is that a dog's feet will sometimes get sore.  This is more likely to happen early in the season.
If this happens you will  need to give the dog a break.  A key is knowing - or being able to "read" your dog.  And,  it's important to remember that a dog is a living - breathing - creature, and not a machine.

Tom  Congratulations on your pup.  The fact that your dog is a coonhound mix should not hinder your dog from becoming a fine coonhound (assuming that both parents have innate hunting capabilities).  If you will read through the answers to previous questions, you will find that the topic of crosses has been covered as well as when to start training.  Crossing can sometimes actually enhance the chances of having a good dog.  The one major draw back is the resale value of crosses.  A real key has to do with proper training of your dog.  Our booklet, Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond http://www.rockdove.com/excsimht.html will prove helpful.

Tom  Your dog can certainly be trained to run coon. In fact, a coonhound is often considered a pup until they are around 2 & 1/2 years old. However, the sooner you begin the better.  I would encourage you to study our Raccoon Hunting Questions http://www.rockdove.com/coonques.html.   Also, our booklet Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond will give you a good overview and important instructions on the procedure.  It is well worth the $14.95.

Tom  Continue to review our Raccoon Hunting Questions pages http://www.rockdove.com/coonques.html and read the Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond page http://www.rockdove.com/coonhunt.html.   Excerpts from our booklet Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond http://www.rockdove.com/excsimht.html should also prove helpful.  If you are serious about training your dogs to tree coon I would also advise spending the mere $14.95 for the book itself.  We will also (Lord-willing) be having another advanced booklet coming out in the near future.

Tom  I would be very skeptical that your 7 year old Rottwieller will ever become much of a coondog.  Not that she won't get a coon or two at some point, but her age will make it difficult for her to advance in this area.  An older dog can certainly learn - or adapt. (For a prime example of this read the page "Special" Andy! which can be seen at http://www.rockdove.com/andyspec.html ).  In fact, even dogs in their prime
continue to learn on the trail and at the tree.  Nevertheless, normally they do so because they have learned what is basic to catching up with or treeing the coon.  However, my experience is that new learning for an older dog comes easier if the behavior to be learned is directly tied to something previouslylearned.  For example, we have a mixed dog that knows many tricks.  When she was around six years  I taught her a new trick (a trick that was quite different from others but that I wanted to purposely include)  for a dog demonstration I was asked to give in the area).  She learned it - but this seems primarily due to the fact I was using the same principles for training she had been used to learning from.  An example, would be if your Rott was used for treeing squirrels - then there would be a better chance of trying to transfer your dog's treeing to raccoon.  But then again - all things are possible.  But regardless - enjoy your Rottwieler!

Tom  Thanks for stopping in at the Rock Dove Publications site.  Commercial scent is certainly helpful.  However, a hide is better in that it offers positive reinforcement when the dog reaches the end of the trail.  When the dog does what it's suppose to - it not only receives verbal praise - but also gets to mouth and shake the hide.  Of course a real run is what you are ultimately wanting your dog to experience.

Tom  It sounds like your dog concludes that you have arrived at the tree - and can therefore quit barking.  Your dog knows that you are nearby before you know where your dog is actually treeing.  To change this your dog needs to be encouraged to continue barking after you have arrived.  Purposely wait awhile after you arrive at the tree and encourage your dog to keep on barking with words of encouragement.  Basically, condition your dog to want to keep barking because you're pleased with such behavior.  If you have a hard time finding the tree your dog is at - you can put a small bell on the dogs collar.  It's important to remember when crossing breeds to look for the traits that will enhance or compliment one another.  I would not be afraid of having too much hound.  Hounds (due to their breeding) normally have innate tracking and treeing traits.  It is also important to remember that with any dog (whether cross or purebred) - the training is vital.  Even the best bred dog can be a disappointment if not trained right or kept straight.  On the other hand, even a dog with somewhat limited - or mediocre ability can end up being a fine dog if the person training is knowledgeable - and other circumstances are right.

Tom  One of the keys to skinning out the tail is to cut the hide on the underside.  Cut the hide to the bone as far up the tail as you can (especially since the hide is cold).  Because you are tanning the hide make sure you're patient and continue to the end.  Otherwise you will break it off.  As far as tanning - there are actual kits for tanning a raccoon. These kits are offered in various taxidermy magazine.  Look in the back of hunting magazines for addresses.  Two companies that I receive magazines from are: Wasco (see http://www.taxidermy.com ) and the John Rinehart Taxidermy Supply (phone 1-608-755-5163).  Follow the instructions regarding the tanning procedure.  My advice would be to keep the raccoon hide frozen until you are ready to begin the process.

Tom  Good to hear from you.  Listed below are a couple of websites.  The Coon Hound Central should be especially helpful.  The Full Cry Magazine itself has quite a few product lines advertised.  By the way, your Walker may be tapping trees - treeing where the coon has gone up and down.  Try waiting awhile before going to the tree.  Basically, let him settled down to treeing well before shining lights, etc.
http://www.coonhounds.com
http://www.treehound.com/treehound/html/fullcry.html

Tom  Thank you for stopping in at our site.  One thing you didn't state was if the pups are male & male, female & female, or male & female.  Of course, if they are male and female there would come a time (unless one of the pups was spayed or neutered) when you would want to separate them to avoid
inbreeding if they are of the same litter.  It also depends to a degree on how large the pen is - and how serious the fighting continues to be.  One thing I would encourage you to do is to continue to always feed each pup in it's own dish.  Start by trying to set the dishes at opposite sides of the kennel so that there is a degree of distance between the two.  I would also encourage you to have each dog wait until you give the command to let it eat.  An experienced trainer can do this with more than one dog at a time.  However, I would suggest that you separate the dogs until they learn.  You control this by saying "No" or "Wait."  When the dog starts to go ahead and eat - put your hand around the dog's muzzle and squeeze it - and say "No" or "Wait."   Then after a few seconds say "OK!"  Gradually increase the amount of time that you wait before saying "OK!"  This is helpful in teaching your dogs other areas of basic obedience as well.

Tom  Thanks for your question.  Let me just say first of all that I clearly remember times hunting with Bob at about 2-3:00 a.m. in the morning when we were almost home.  It was cold - I was tired and half asleep -the truck was warm - but Bob would decide to try one last run!.  Sometimes this persistence paid off big time.  Sometimes we would have been better off to quit early.  On the other hand (while bowhunting) there are times when I have seen raccoon come out right at - or even before dusk - and also returning to the den right at daylight.  There are a number of factors to take into consideration regarding if it is better to hunt right after dark - or in the late hours.  If you are in an area where there are a significant number of coon hunters (and you are able to hunt various properties) you might want to start hitting the hot spots early rather than to be going in behind someone who has already beat you to it.  An experienced handler will often be able to tell by the way the dog responds as to whether another dog(s) has already been in the cornfield, etc.  If conditions are dry you will probably want to take into account the amount of dew on the ground to determine when the best time to hunt is.  As you probably already know, dry conditions can make tracking tough - especially for an inexperienced dog.  Of course if you are hunting in a wet
area, or if it has recently rained, this makes this point far less important.  Sometimes a later hunt can result in cold trail for the dog to track if it picks up the track at the old end (beginning) of the trail.  Also, there are times when a raccoon will lay up for awhile - which may also make the track cold if you hunt later.  This is true even if it isn't a long trail.  On the other hand a late hunt may result in a hot trail if you catch the coon heading back to the den.  Such things as the moon (e.g. full moon, etc.), the temperature, and what time you need to get up in the morning are also to be taken into the equation!  And, I'm sure that there are other factors to be considered.

Tom  I would suggest that you contact an area veterinarian or two to see if there is something going on in the area (e.g. Distemper, etc.)

Tom  From what I have found digging usually starts when the dog is left alone for quite an extended period of time and seems to suffer a degree of anxiety (sometimes referred to as Separation Anxiety).  After the dog has been able to dig out once - it will attempt to try again and again until it realizes it isn't
going to escape.  Sometimes the digging takes place so the dog can be cooler.  In this case the dog needs to be moved (at least for awhile) or more shade provided.  Of course digging is also a natural
behavior and one of the benefits of having a cement floor in a kennel is that the dog soon learns that the digging will not accomplish much.  I would advise you to fill in any holes with something that can't be dug
out easily (e.g. good size rock or cement block.  You can cover the ground in your kennel with some larger pieces of plywood.  Large enough so that the dog(s) can't get underneath it - and then out.  In a sense this replaces the cement floor.  This should stop them from digging right out after they have been put in.  However, I would advise you to try to take the dog out more often for exercise.  This is especially true of the pup.

Tom  I would think that much of this depends on how old the dog is.  A young dog can be conditioned not to bother - and yet there is a degree to which there is a natural tendency for a dog to be antagonized by the presence of a deer or goats.  However, just because you may be able to condition your dog not to bark at, or chase your pet deer, does not mean that this will be the case in the woods.  Each deer ultimately has it's own scent.  Check out our Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond page http://www.rockdove.com/coonhunt.html and keep reading the Raccoon Hunting Questions pages.

Tom  Lead coon is alive and is led to make a trail.

Tom  Of course it's important to use a light to avoid running into electric fences, etc.  However, I would advise you to use a smaller light - or to dim down you head lamp when walking.  We have normally used the light to get the dogs attention (along with whistling).  Sometimes having a light on will distract a young dog from staying with older dogs who are running.  So, it probably depends on a number of
circumstances as to whether you should have your light on.

Tom  I would encourage you to read the various raccoon hunting pages we have (Raccoon Hunting Questions, Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond page http://www.rockdove.com/coonhunt.html, and the excerpts from Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond http://www.rockdove.com/excsimht.html ).  Actually, you can train your dog to both chase squirrels and raccoon.  In fact, squirrel hunting can help get your dog treeing.  You would find our booklet to be very helpful.

Tom  I can't personally  recommend any breeders.  However, I would encourage you (if you are primarily interested in raccoon hunting as opposed to showing) to purchase a dog from someone who is known for having good hunting hounds.  Except under the rarest instances would a hound not have some good hunting potential.  It is important to remember that breeding is only a part of having a good coon dog.  I'm
convinced that proper training is what helps a dog with good innate ability to fully develop into the dog it had the potential to be.  There are many dogs that could have been great hunters - but were either
ignored in the training process - or due to the lack of experience of the trainer weren't trained properly - or the trainer allowed the dog to be led astray (get started running trash) with other poorly trained dogs.

Tom  It's just not a good practice if you are trying to keep your dog chasing only raccoon.  You just can't be present enough to help curb bad behavior when it breaks out.  In training a young dog this is tough enough when you are hunting over a number of hours out in the field.  If your dog takes off after the wrong thing (and discerning this comes with experience by the way the dog takes off, runs the trail, etc.), you can try to stop it.  Furthermore, your dog will no doubt come to a point where it will begin to roam.  Males seem especially prone to range out farther.  Not only can your dog get started on the wrong track, but your dog can also get hit, picked up by someone who might think it's a valuable dog, or even get shot by someone. In addition, such dogs can get into a pack and unknown to their masters end up causing  a great deal of damage to deer, livestock, or even become dangerous to humans. Although I won't take the time - I could tell you about a pack I experienced that was killing cattle and was composed of various friendly farm dogs. Often the owner thinks that their dog is home because it is seen most of the day -
even though what is happening is that they are seeing it because it returns after a nights run.  Hounds especially will have a tendency to track something as opposed to certain other breeds that will tend to stick closer to home.

Tom  Yes, you can.

Tom  Congratulations on your new dog!  Of course one of the most important things you can do is build a relationship with your young pup.  You will want to teach your dog basic obedience.  However, I have found the earliest I can really begin teaching a little bit and seeing the dog catch on is when they are about 10 weeks.  However, even then training time should be simple and short (perhaps only a minute or two at a time a few times a day).  Give your dog lots of praise and make training a fun - fun - fun - time.
Two of the biggest mistakes I think a trainer can make is to: 1)Not be consistent.  (e.g. When you say sit - the dog needs to sit before you quickly give another command. 2) Push a dog too far in a training session before quitting.  ALWAYS leave the training session on a happy note.  I would encourage you to read our raccoon hunting related pages, bookmark some of our pages as you  keep checking out new answers and new pages, and of course  buy the Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond book.  It gives information that will prove helpful even as your dog matures.

Tom  Thanks for stopping in at the Rock Dove Publications site.  As far as individuals in your area who would be involved in coon hunting you might want to go to the following url: http://www.coonhounds.com/coonclub.html  Coonhound Central has some very helpful information (including a listing of clubs).

SHAUN  THIS IS TO JASONN IN SOUTH CAROLINA I ALSO LIVE IN SC AND AM AN AVID COONHUNTER IDONT OWN A COMPUTER BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE SOME INFORMATION ON LOCAL CLUBS FEEL FREE TO CALL ME AT HOME AT (864)647-9579 HOPE ICAN HELP

Tom  Nice to hear from you.  My first question would be "How old is the dog?"  The chewing is especially common for dogs under a year.  The chewing is also attributed to what some call "Separation
Anxiety."  Basically the dog gets anxious when left for (what she perceives to be ) extended periods of time.  Probably the best advice I can give to curb this behavior would be to give the dog something to play with - and try and make sure she is in a place where she can't cause alot of damage.  Try and keep the time your dog is confined or left alone as minimal as possible. To help your dog burn off energy - when you don't have alot of time (e.g. in the morning when you need to be somewhere in a little bit) a Frisbee works great.  Also, you can teach your dog the boundaries of the yard.  For example, we have a black lab/golden retriever cross that has learned the boundaries (if you are interested I can tell you how).  I will play with her and she will do figure eights at full speed.  On the other hand we have a 2 & 1/2 year old Dalmatian that has much more energy.  She also knows the boundaries.  But hers involve running around the house a number of times.  Both of them have come to realize that this is a time for burning off penned up energy.  As far as having control of your dog in the field.  Your primary objective should be to have your dog under control at all times.  Basic obedience involves rehearsing - and repeating - and refining the basics.  One thing you can do is to tie a long cord/rope (e.g. 50 feet) and take your dog out to the field.  This way your dog begins to realize that it can always be caught by you - or realize you are always in control.  Your dog can actually be taught many neat tricks but it takes time.  I use a reward system (e.g. when the dog responds in the way in which I want - the dog receives verbal praise and a snack).  A form of Negative Reinforcement that works well for a Black Lab is to take your hand and squeeze their muzzle (their mouth is such that it is uncomfortable for them).  Do this and say NO when your dog disobeys (e.g. You have told her to stay and she doesn't).  However, try to help your dog to achieve - and then respond with positive reinforcement (e.g. Don't ask your dog to stay so long that she will probably fail).

Tom  Congratulations on your new dog!  I would advise you to begin by teaching your dog some basic obedience (e.g. sit, stay, come, etc.).  However, I  have found that your efforts are slow at 10 weeks.  But (assuming you will keep the training sessions short, sweet, & simple) you would be wise to start now.  Just don't get frustrated - or impatient with your puppy.  Try and bond - and don't overdo it.  As far as when to introduce the pup to a coon skin it would be fine to do that now.  But always introduce the hide with the intention of training the dog.  Read our pages and you will find a great deal of information that will help you out in your training.  If you haven't purchased the Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond book - you would find this quite helpful.

Tom  Thanks for the interesting question.  I have never heard of anyone running a blind dog - and would be quite skeptical if someone told me about one.  I guess I would have to see it to believe it!  But would believe that a blind dog could make for a fine watch dog for a designated area.  However, even a dog (with what most would consider to be a severe dissability) can be an excellent hunter.  A prime example of this can be found with regards to Andy, a three legged Bluetick (see - http://www.rockdove.com/andyspec.html ).  Also, (although here we are talking about treeing by sight) - one of the best squirrel dogs we ever had was a one-eyed cross named Rover.

Tom  I responded to a similar question regarding barking on page 2 of Raccoon Hunting Questions.  The Muzzle is a very helpful tool if used properly.

Tom  This is Bob's son, Tom.  Bob went to be with the Lord in August of 1998.  One thing I would encourage you to do is to continue to check out the Raccoon Hunting Questions site.  This continues to be updated.  Also, we have some other helpful single page articles, and excerpts from the Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond book.  Of course the booklet puts much of this in handy form, plus you will find some additional information not found on any of these pages.  Lord Bless, and be patient when training your dog.

Tom  Thanks for stopping in at the Rock Dove Publications site.  Below is the listing for Full Cry and some other pages where you can see Andy when he had 4 legs - and when he was still hunting with three.  Also, a picture of george on the tree (both dogs were registered Blueticks.
http://www.treehound.com/treehound/html/fullcry.html
http://www.rockdove.com/excactul.html
http://www.rockdove.com/andyspec.html
http://www.rockdove.com/leavedog.html
http://www.rockdove.com/exctree.html

Tom  Full Cry is an excellent magazine - their phone number is 217-865-2332.  If you are not running your pup with another mature coonhound I would advise that you focus on first implementing Simulated Hunts (for an example see http://www.rockdove.com/excsimht.html .)  Otherwise, you are merely banking
on a hit and miss method.

Jeremy  I have a six month old walker name Diamond, and a seven year old walker named Chief.  Chief will tree on a coon and we will find it but Diamond acts like he does not smell anything and will walk away from the tree. Could you tell me way that is please?

Tom  Although there are dogs that will track and tree at six months - this really the exception rather than the rule.  George pictured here http://www.rockdove.com/exctree.html was that type of dog.  However,
even a dog that tracks and trees so young has a long - long way to go before that dog should be classified as being mature.  In my opinion one of the best dogs that we ever had never really began
treeing on her own until she was 2+ years.  Later she was used to train a number of other dogs.  Your dog is still a pup - but you are giving it some great exposure and experience.

Tom  You probably know from following your uncle around - what the basics are. But you need:
1) A well trained dog
2) An adequate light
3) .22 caliber rifle (in the Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond book I tell why a rifle rather than pistol)
4) Sharp knife for skinning

Tom  I would certainly not give up on your dog.  Although there are dogs that will track and tree at six months - this really the exception rather than the rule.  George pictured here http://www.rockdove.com/exctree.html was that type of dog.  However, even a dog that tracks and trees so young has a long - long way to go before that dog should be classified as being mature.  In my opinion one of the best dogs that we ever had never really began treeing on her own until she was 2+ years.  Later she was used to train a number of other dogs.  And, as I said (in my opinion she was the best dog that we ever had.  Bob's all time favorite was Andy who lost his leg in his prime.  He is the three-legged dog pictured on the front of the Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond book.  There are other pictures
as well that can be seen at the following urls.
http://www.rockdove.com/andyspec.html
http://www.rockdove.com/leavedog.html

Also, one of the dogs that we had - a blue tick named Skipper - who was run with Andy (the three-legged blue tick) did not start treeing until he was about 2 1/2 yrs old.  In fact, I remember the night that we found out he was actually putting coon up.  Dad (Bob) was hunting Andy and I took a neighbor (who was the age of my dad) who had bought a dog from us.  That night I put a bell on Skipper's collar in order to make sure I didn't loose him.  We had been running him with the two main dogs.  I took the neighbor
and another friend along.  And, to make a long story short we simply followed his bell as we heard him on a side hill - and ended up at the tree.  However, without the bell I wouldn't have known he was on a trail.  We eventually got him treeing well on his own.  I have seen it when it clicks with a dog.  I have compared it to a person learning another language - or a person learning to read.  There comes a time when (with a particular experience )it seems to click.  This is not to say that there won't be times when you will doubt your dog's ability again.  But, once it clicks you can usually stir up what has clicked.

Tom  There are a number of things you can use (e.g. sweet corn, peanut butter, etc.).  If there is a particular area such as:  a garden,  a corn crib, or garbage cans where the raccoon have been coming place it there.  You should find the information regarding raccoon found at the following url to be very
helpful.  http://www.ec.gc.ca/cws-scf/hww-fap/raccoon/raccoon.html

Tom  Your dog is still a pup.  Try getting your dog used to a coon hide first.  Let him sniff it and play with it.  Then gradually begin shaking it at your dog while you make coon sounds, etc.

Tom  Thanks for the words of encouragement and congratulations on the beagle! I don't know much about beagles.  However, about 10 wks is the earliest that a person can start teaching basic obedience.  And, at this stage it should only be for about 5 min. at a time.  Keep the training time fun - and always try to conclude each session on a positive note.

Tom  This behavior is not abnormal for a young dog.  I would recommend that you use a coon hide to help get your dog conditioned to barking  and shaking the hide.  You should find the excerpt from our Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond booklet helpful.  http://www.rockdove.com/excsimht.html

Tom  A young dog will sometimes be too scared to.

Tom  Your dog is young and should get over the habit with time.  Continue to hunt her - and of course keep telling her to - "Go get'm!"   If you periodically hunt her with the other dogs hold her (until she really wants to go with them to the point it is difficult to hold on to her - or until they strike) then just before you release her say something like "Go get'm! Go get'm! - and then when she is really excited - release her.
What you are really trying to do is to condition her to respond to your words.  However, as I said - she will probably grow out of this with time.  If she is sound - and is actually treeing OK now you might also try taking a younger dog along (e.g. a friend who has a young dog that you know is straight).  A female younger than your dog would probably work well.  Hunting a "Home Body" with another dog will sometimes cause such a dog to range out farther than normal - even if they are the one that is now leading.  However, make sure that the dog that you allow to go along is not in the habit of running trash so as not to mess your dog up.

Tom  Squirrel dogs operate by sight rather than by tracking - although they may at times incorporate their nose in the proccess.  You shouldn't really have a problem getting your dog to tree a squirrel - although a Black & Tan is known for their nose.  However, don't let your dog run loose as it was previously allowed to do.

Tom  Your pup is acting like a pup.  However, you are giving him important experiences that should pay off later.  Although there are times when a dog can be running and treeing raccoon at 6 mo. - this is the exception rather than the rule.  You could be practicing simulated hunts see http://www.rockdove.com/excsimht.html and we also cover aspects of treeing in the Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond booklet https://helius.safe-order.net/rockdove/page5.html.

Tom  If you go to the Rock Dove Publications Link page http://rockdove.com/page6.html and click on a link to "LIVING WITH WILDLIFE" - a site owned by Stephen Van Tassel - you will find a lot of great information. Another site that you will want to check out is found here http://www.havahart.com/cage/nuisance.htm.

Tom  I went into amazon.com and typed in "raccoon hunting" and only came up with our booklet Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyondhttp://www.rockdove.com/excsimht.html   If you haven't purchased this concise booklet - you will find it helpful.  I would also suggest that you subscribe to a magazine like "Full Cry".

Tom  I don't know whewre you live.  However, I would think you could pick up a cross at a reasonable price.  Scan the papers.  Or, you might even put a small add in a local paper.

Tom  As far as whether it will affect your dog's bird hunting activity really depends upon the dog.  However, as you might have read on one of our pages, Bob Rakow used to use a Springer Spaniel to hunt during the day - and raccoon at night.  We also used cow dogs that served this dual purpose well.  I am not familar with the type of beeper you have.  Of course (depending on the area you hunt) your dog may go on point for birds at night.  Anyone who has coon hunted in high grass on pheasant ground has had the thrill of almost stepping on a couple of birds at midnight.  It certainlly wakes one up to have them unexpectantly flush between your legs!  I would recommend that you, after you have conducted simulated runs http://www.rockdove.com/excsimht.html, hunt in an area not heavily populated with birds (e.g. Woods with acorns) until your dog begins to catch on to what it should be running.

Tom  Apart from live trapping, tieing your dog in the yard, timed horns (which won't work much after a couple of times - they get used to it - but you probably won't!) I don't know what to do.  You might want to search Stephen Vantassel's site Living with Wildlife (also on our link page).  Stephen's page here might give you some ideas - http://www.wildlifedamagecontrol.com/solutions.htm#Animal Damage Prevention Strategies  Let me know how it works out.

Billy Bob Coon Buster I am 16 years old, and I have bluetick pups for sale, I was wondering if you knew anyone interested ?

adam  this is to billy bob con buster i was wonting to know how much your asking pleese talk to me where do you live!!!!!!!

sam  fellars i am embarrassed by my question but i need to know what it means to split tree can you help me out. please reply

SHAUN  IN RESPONSE TO SAMS QUESTION ABOUT SPLIT TREEING.A SPLIT TREE IS WHERE TWO OR MORE DOGS TREE UP TWO OR MORE SEPERATE TREES AND A COON IS UP EACH DOGS TREE

Big70Bear  Do coons really wash their food before eating it?

SHAUN  IN RESPONSE TO BIG 70 BEAR IWAS ALWAYS TOLD THAT COONS WASH THEIR FOOD BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE SALAVA AND IT HELPS THEM TO SWALLOW THIER FOOD

Where can i find red boned coon hounds and how much money are they?

Chris Drepaul  Do you have to have a gun to coon hunt?  What do you feed a redbone coonhound?

Jeremy  Could you tell me how to rules and regulations on a UKC Hunt.  And how to get a list of hunts UKC and PKC nite hunts are held and when they will be.  Thank you for your time and help.

Bubba  I HAVE AN AMERICAN BULLDOG THAT IS OUT OF HOG HUNTING STOCK FROM FLORIDA. THE PROBLEM IS WE DON'T HAVE WILD HOG HERE. I WOULD LIKE TO START THIS DOG HUNTING . I FEEL IT IS AWASTE TO NOT DO SOMETHING WITH HIM.HE IS 7 MONTHS OLD AND PUTS HIS NOSE TO THE GROUND REGULARLY WHILE I'M WALKING HIM. THE QUESTION IS 'DO YOU KNOW OF ANYONE THAT HAS SCENT TRAINED AN AMERICAN BULLDOG?' I'LL KEEP CHECKING BACK FOR YOUR RESPONSE. THANK TOU

Matt  My qustion is do all coonhounds bark at a caged coon

TROPHY HUNTER  I coon hunt with plotts and would like to here from other plott hunters or people interested in plotts

Do you know any sites I can find on Walkers?

KJF  How d dogs get the scents. Can dogs atch scents in every kind of wheather. If so how

LEvans  Have you ever heard of a disease called Coon Hound Paralysis?  If so is their somewhere I can get information it?

SMILEY  I HAVE A YOUNG DOG THAT LIKES TO GO DEEP HOW CAN I SLOW HIM DOWN?

Charles  My German Shorthaired Pointer has been diagnosed with "Coon Dog Paralysis".  Apparently this is a temporary ailment that vets occasionally see in (mostly) coon dogs who eat the remains of dead animals. Dogs will be dogs! Has anyone ever heard of this?

Mike To Charles in responce to his question on coon dog paralysis. My dog contracted this every thing. One day fine the next night down, look like skin and bones no muscle-tone. We had gone out hunting and got ther other dogs out for the hunt and my dog Rocky was the last to try and jump from the dog box. When he hit the ground his back -end collapced. Took him to the vet and was dianosed with paralysis. We were told it is not common and if not treated a dog can die. The vet also told us that it comes fron the soliva of the coon and the coon contracts it from the bit of a female mosquitoe. Nothing was said about dead animals.When recovery is under way it takes along time. I have noticed that from time to time he has small memory lapses but he can get a coon on the run and keep him on the tree.If you would like to talk futher about this you may contact me at kaytdid@apex.net. I can tell you more then. Hope this helps, Mike

Kyle  I am 12 years old and am doing a report on Bluetick hounds.  Where can I get some information on the breed past and present (Oklahoma coonhunting in 1880's?) Gotta go to church now.

Amanda  Catahoulas are great all-round dogs.  they're used for everything you can think of (herding, hunting bear, hogs, squirrels, coons, deer, Search and Rescue, Obedience, Therapy, ANYTHING).  Mine LOVE squirrels and coons, and will do anything to get them.  With that in mind, I really wouldn't worry
about trying to keep it off squirrels. Training would be just like any other breed, make a trail with a live coon or skin and let the dog track and tree it.  Coon in a cage is a good tool for some dogs.  Mine open up on the caged coons, but not any other time. My Lucy taught herself to coon hunt and is now very good at it. A great place to go for information on Catahoulas is
http://www.catahoulaleopard.com/forum  people there love hearing about folks who work their dogs and alwas help with questions. You've got a great dog there, have a lot of fun with him.

Matt  I am from Pennsylvania, and i really want to get into coon hunting, and I don't know what kind of dogs work well in my area, and where to buy these dogs at, if you would please give me some advice on this, i would greatly appricate it.  thank you

George  I have a Bluetick female that is 23 months old and she is a little ill on down game and I do not want to use a shocking  collar so what should I do.

Scott  I have a fearless beagle who is 1 year old. Im hoping i could train her to coon hunt, she's not that big. She has a good nose and I've took her containtail hunting twice. She hasn't had any training yet. How do you suggest i should train her.

Debbie  Help, I have been looking every where for some information on how to rid our back yard of the raccoons.  I have a new apple tree and they promptly chewed it up. Our grape vines aren't safe either.  We don't have a trap and I was hoping that someone might have a way of repelling the pests, please let me know, thank you so much

Big D  I have a two year old blue tic female who has not been in heat yet.  I was just woundering if you could give me a couple of reasons why she hasn't and what I should do about it.

TROUBLE TRAINING I live new mexico here the coons eat the farmers eggs near the river.I found a trapper and he said to drag a hide along a trail and the dog will eventully catch on. My dog is a 1 year old beagle the retired vet next door says she's a hound that could be trained to hunt coon. so i bought a hide and drag it along a trail but the dog has no intrest in it at all. She loves to chase a cat off the wall. I can't hunt here until it gets cold, yesterday me and my dog ran in to a snake. there also are diseased ticks and a plauge. I've been looking for some hounds to run my beagle with but all i can find is rabbit hunting hounds. when i drag the hide my weiner dog wants to rip it apart.but the beagle doesn't want to have nothing to with it.Is she still to young.She barks at cats would this be similar to barking at a treed coon. My mom loves this site and has me show it to everybody. I would love to run my dog with some hounds in the winter. Do you Know of any in albuququerque new mexico. NOT MEXICO.

betsyblue  Where would I find an exerciser for my hunting dogs? I have heard of one that looks like a
wagon wheel.You hook the dogs up and you can set a timer for the miles you want them to run.  Any help would be appreciated.     Thank you

C. H.   Have you ever heard of carbide lanterns?  It looks like the picture above of the light on Bob's helmet.  Everyone I've talked to says they have never heard of carbide lanterns. I'd like to know if I got mymemories scrambled of coon hunting when I was a young man.  We used to use carbide lanterns to get around in the woods at night.  Thank you.

DILL  I want to hunt coons but i dont have any dogs, all i have i a 22. got any ideas?

mark tyler  I'm writing with a question regarding traing a young dog to hunt coon.  I have a 9-month old Black and Tan.  He has been going with the older dogs since he was 4-months old.  He would always go with the older dogs and stay with them the entire time.  The problem is, he doesn't bark while at the tree.  He haqs only opened up once or twice while running the trail.  Recently, I put him on a caged coon and he was reluctant to bark while I had him on the chain.  After I took him off the chain, he would bark at the coon.  He did this for quite a while.  Is the dog progressing along fine?  What can I do to make him better?  Will barking on the trail and tree come with time and training?  Any more basic tips?

Bobby  I have a bluetick pup around 10 months old, and when i take her hunting she babbles on the trail. How dp i stop her from doing that?? thanks

walker man  I am thirteen years old and i have a six and a half old  walker pup do you think she is to young to be running with the other dogs?

scott  Tom I have wanted to get in to coon huntig for a while now well i just got a walkerthe dog is a lost and fond dog about three years of age .I havent ran her yet and she is jumpy might have been beaten.  She also had pups not long ago.Is she stil trainable if not train already and if not what should i start with and go about training her ferther thanks

you usaly dont see many Beagles that coonhunt,but a way you can start is to get a coon tail tail and pick on the dog with it then get a coon hide do the same do each for about two or three weeks each then get a chaged coon show it to him see if it will bark at it then turn coon losse see if the dog will chase it orfight it or even tree.

Mr. & Mrs Pete Butscher We have a bluetick about nine months old is he still trainable for coon hunting
and would having him fixed keep him from wandering from home less or is it just in his blood to run?

RICK M  I RECENTLY BOUGHT 2 WALKER PUPPIES, AGE 2 MOS. WHEN THEY REACH AROUND 9-10 MOS. AND I START TO REALLY START WORKING AND TRAINING THEM, SHOULD I TRAIN THEM SEPARATELY OR TRAIN THEM TOGEATHER, SINCE I WILL BE HUNTING THEM TOGEATHER ?

Are these animals safe for children to be around? And, what do we do to get rid of them?

tom  i recently got a  catahoula pup from the humane societyand would like to coon hunt wth him. he already shows great potential. he is already treeing and picking up scents great. my question is why dont many people use this breed for coon hunting? everything  i have read sounds like they are a lot like curs. but i cant find anything on coon hunting with catahoulas. thanks for any info.

josh  do you know of a person that would have  a good coon hunting dog 3or4 year old (treeing walker)that they would like to trade in the north west ga. area .

Nimrod  My sister works for a vet and she recently gave me Walker hound that was found half dead in an area frequented by bearhunters. The dog has initials "branded" onto his side. I have many questions concerning this  dog: 1) Is there a way to find the original owner? 2) If I can't find the owner how can I find out what the dog is trained to hunt?  3) I have been on a few pig hunts and I enjoyed it immensly but there are'nt any pigs where I live now, we do however have alot of raccoons around here.  Can the dog be retrained for coon?

Wes  How Long Should I Keep trying to get an almost 2 year old blue dog to tree or at least show some entrest in coons. He's been hunted a lot with other dogs since he was 6 months old.  Should I get another dog or keep trying?

Seger  Hello, I just happened to stumble across your page while looking for help starting my walkerpup.  I live in West Virginia and drove all the way to Mossouri to get him.  He is 5 months oldand absolutely goes nuts whenever he gets near a coon.  I had my doubtsabout letting him getso close to live action or even starting him out, but he has been impressing me like this since hehe saw his first caged coon at 2 months.  A few days ago, I went huntingwith my father in lawand a friend and our nite-champion cought a coon on the ground.  There was a big fight that followed and my pup who had been previously walking a few feet in front ofus turns up at thesite with the dead coon in his mouth barking like crazy.  I know he has what it takes to makea good coondog but I also don't want to ruin him by starting him too early. I religiously use a roll cage to teach him to tree and am teaching him to run track with acoon skin and scents. I hope it I'm not making a mistake by starting him too early, but its kindahard leaving him in the truck when we are out hunting.  I am just afraid he may get a holdof a live one thatcould ruin him.  Any thoughts?

brennan  i am 13 years old.and in all of my life i have never seen a racoon,opposum,and a armidillo.every time i go on the road at night or early in the mourning i look for one of those three.can you give me some
suggestions on where i can find those three.p.s. i live in tx write back

Craig  Hey.. id just like to say this is great page.. ive  never been coon hunting with a dog before  but id like to try it sometime.. If there is anyone who is close to gothenburg nebraska then look me up... id love to go with you.. me and my friends and family call for coon. its great hearing theose coon growling and hissing as they come in.. i just got back from hunting. yes i know its out of season but a farmer said he was having problems with them in the sweet corn so me and a friend went out and we shot about three..
remember if u live close to me look me up cuz ill go... Craig Furrow gothenburg nebraska thanks fellow cooners....

eric klingerman I have a question about coon hunting. I hunt alot of fox and coyote with an electronic game call and want to hunt coon but don't have the money to buy a coon hound.  Would I be able to hunt them with a game call with much success.  If so what kind of tape should I use.  Thank You

Steven  I have been running blue tick and red bones all my life with my grandfather. And like you said some people don't much care for buying crosses but right now I'm running two walkers and a walker rat cross and I really like the way my cross hunts and the rat terriors are known for being graet sidekicks they have a good nose on them as well I would go as far as say'n that a cross if traned is just as good as any other hound and just for a little piont it took a while to talk my grandfather in to letting me run her with his dogs but he finely gave in and now my 78 year old grandfather is working with his first cross.  HANKS Steven And maybe someday i'll see you at the tree. GOD BLESS

Steven  I don't know if you had mentioned this but if you really must leave your dogs behind we have always left a little food and water and a coat or shirt back were we turn them out at and I can't speak for all dogs but ours have always been there when we went back but I have spent a night or two on the hill looking for dogs but we always find them bacck were we turned them out.

Ray  I don't coon hunt, but have a dog (just a mutt) that suddenly lost the use of his legs.  The vet said he had coonhound paraylsis and even showed me the entry in his book.  He said it was a temporary paraylsis, but I am concerned that it was just a shot in the dark diagnoses.  Has anyone heard of coonhound paraylsis and is it really just temporary?  What are the symptoms and the recovery time?

Tracy  Hi my names Tracy and I am just getting into coonhunting here in North Carolina and I was wanting to  catch a few live coons in traps to train my dog with I have a 17 month old female walker with good bloodlines that I have had since she was 11 months old . When I got her I messed with her in the yard with a dead coon and could get her to tree but now seems to have lost interest. I also carry her with an older dog that is a Dual Grand Nite Champion and when she trees I can't get my dog to tree. I was thinking that turning a few live coons out in front of her might respark her interest. What do you suggest I use in the trap to draw the coon in or do you have any other suggestions any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

Lee i have a 1 year old walker that i have had since he was 8 weekssince he was a abot 10 weeks i have taken him out in the woods and i havegotten him coon hide and tails and played with him with them i am a trapperso i always had a fresh coon for him .since he was about 6 months i havecaught live coons and put them in roll cages and he goes nuts over them (hehas a great blood line his father is grandnite champ and his mother is nitechamp)but when i drag the cage through the wood and hide it he tracks it
very quickly and gets to it but when he's like within 5 feet away from thecoon it takes him a minute to find it he walks around a little like he'sconfused should he be smelling it better or faster?I also let the coon goand he trees it but they just run up the nearest tree and sometimes he willget on the wrong tree if he don't see the coon and now that he is a yearold i take him out in the woods but he only gets about 60 to 70 yards outthen works his way back to me how do i get him to go out and hunt?

Redbone  I have just bought my first coon dog at the Kenton Dog Trials in ohio. she is a 2 month old redbone with a very good bloodline. I would like to know what age to start her training and how i would go about starting her. i have read everting i can find on the subject of coonhunting and the most frequent response is to use another dog that is already trained. i have asked around at the local kennels and no one seems to know anyone with finished or even started coondogs. most of the people in my area have the same problem with their young dogs. Are there any alternitives that would have the same or simmilar results to using a trained dog?

Chris  Hi I was wandering if you could answer my question about my dog he is two years old and he is coon crazy he tracs ,and trees coons every time I take him out ,but he does'nt bark track unless it is a hot track what would I do to get him to bark on track I will appriciate if you would give me some advice. Thanks

shaun  Great job on the web page, it's great for the young hunters and very informitive to all of us, till next time GOD BLESS and KEEPEM LOOKIN UP

big dave  Been looking for a web-site where I could findout if the American Cooner magazine was still being published. I found it thanks to you'all. Enjoyed reading the mail people send in. Thanks agian.

Lee Ann  I need your help! I am doing a speech in a college course on all things, but coon hunting! I have looked everywhere but the information is quite limited. Do you have any facts or information on the history of coon hunting?

LC  I was wondering what kind of a coon hunter a basset beagle cross would make I recently aquired one and I already have a pack of rabbit dogs and I lost a good coondog a year ago and I really want back into it.   Could you give me some hints as too train the little booger

ERNEST  How much does the world hunt in Kentucky pay for first place?

rob  What do you consider to be the best state for coonhunting what breed is best for what state

jeff  My question to you is my dog will run a coon but has trouble treeing he will tree. But will back off once you get to the tree.How do i get him to tree hard.

chad  jeff,if you can get to your dog each time he/she trees before they  leave the tree leash the dog up to the tree that they are treed on. After you see the coon in the tree reward your dog by petting and by
giving it a tasty treat.Also encourage your dog to bark on the tree.  Try this each time your dog trees and maybe this will help in time.  The main key is patients.

jF.k  If he is about a year or older,you may want to get a coon out on him and let him fight it. This will
make him more aggrovated at the coon and then he will be more motivated.

William  What is the best walking / spot light to carry in the woods for coon hunting.. Where can I but one and how much is it?  Thanks.

stone cold  How do you get a hound to quit running oppusum

TOM  I have a fourteen month old half elk hound quarter walker quarter shepard,she has been treeing squirrels by sight and by tracking. When i take her coon hunting she dosen't act like she is interested at all. I hunt her by her self on squirrel. I have hunted her with other dogs and by her self. Should i give up on her as a coon dog? I enjoy squirrel hunting but my first love is coon hunting. She will fight a lead coon. Iwould like any help you could give me. I will be looking forward to your response.

B.K. Coonslayer I would like to turn a coonskin into a quiver for my bow.  I need the recipie for a tanning solution.

redrider  I would like  to know how to train my 3month old male redtick? And also My grandad owned a blind bluetick that treed usually and constantly 5-6 coons a night

Bill  I have raccoon's tearing up my lawn on a nightly basis.  I've trapped one but the other's are too smart.  It is illegal to discharge fire arms in  my urban neighborhood.  How do you suggest I erradicate them. I don't want a dog.

borr  I have a good coon hound that lately started chasing deer really bad.   I have been shocking him for it, but now he just won't leave my side.   I have heard that rolling him down a hill in a barrel with a deer hide and scent works, what do you think?  If it does work tell me how to do it.   Any other ways?

thad  I got a 2 year old bluetick a while back thatwas hunting with an older male that kept chasing him off the tree and now im having trouble getting him to stay at the tree is there anything I can do to get him to
stay

jason  Hello!  This year I have purchased a possibly very good bluetick with a good  bloodline.  I have a semi-trained walker that I am trying to finish up on now so that I may have a good dog to run the year old bluetick with.  I was wondering were I could find a cheap tracking unit with two tracking collars.  If I
have to order a new set, then what company should I choose that is representable.

Brian  I recently baught a female Redbone that is suppossed to be 6-months old.  I know where two of her littermates are and she is half again as big  as they are.  The dogs are registered and several people say the papers are good. I have never seen a pup that is as big and matured in the teeth and head, she looks like she's ready to hunt. Has anyone else seen this in a Redbone pup?

Richard  I am trying to find coon hound pups. Can you help me?  The man I would to buy a puppy from is Dave Dean do you know anything about him?  Are his pups any good?  Please help me?

josh  I had a pup out of Woodstock Little Grizzly, I was hunting him on a friends land about 2 weeks ago
and a man shot and killed him.  the police came and took him to jail after admitting it.  He didn't even shoot him on his land.  I just wanted to know if anyone had any ideas on what to do when i took him to court.

rob  i just heard that you could use springer spanyals to hunt coons is this true? if it is true i have a close to four yearld springer is this to old to teach?  if not what would be the best way to star tthank you

Doc  I just recently moved to the state of Washington, and there are many raccoons here but I do not know who to sell the pelts to. Does any one have any ideas? I live near seattle and don't even know where to start! Thank you.

David  hello,i have a 12 wk old redbone purple ribbon and wanted to know if there is something i need to be doing right now. And also i live in texas is there any open season or special license to coon hunt. i am very proud of my dog anddont want to let him go without hunting i see so much potential in him he is very loyal to me but still has alot of puppy in him. i a lookig to get serious into coon hunting any feedback would be greatly appreciated thanx alot

seth  I just recently bought a catahoula pupand I have high hopes of him and I treening coons one day .
is that a resonable expectation of a catahoula?

josh  hi i have a year and a half old redtick he will fight the coon but i cant get him to run a track how can i go about doing that he has killed 2 coon i am only 14. do you have any tips on getting him to run track.

franklin  I have a 15 mo. old walker that is registered. I started taking him hunting when he was 4 mo old
and he tracked and treed his first coon all alone when he was 5 1/2 mo old (honest), the man that i bought him from taught me everything i know and started me on the sport of coon hunting last fall so you can say i am new at this. My dog has always huunted with his mother and another dog that is out of this world, recently my best friend and full time hunting buddy died suddenly and now i am left all alone to try and figure out things. My dog sometimes will leave the tree when i get close and come to me and when i
get to the tree he acts like he loses interest and after talking to him and giving him encouragement he will try to leave again but most of the time he will tree and stick.  I want to try  to get him straight so i can train 2 one year old females i have bought. He willl occasionally run a fox or a deer so i bought a bottle of no fox and no deer with a scent collar so imust ask how do i use the collar and when? could you please send me the answers i seek and try to help me on these issues. P.S. I would like to mention my friend and mentor, Mr. David Pickard who dedicated 25 years of his life to the sport of coon hunting both pleasure and competition he was a great man and deserves the recognition that i give him

Bridget  My husband got a coon hound (Blue Tick)as a gift the dog at three yrs old trees real good until he starts chasing deer than hes gone for 2or 3 days how can he break him of that? the dog is a house pet we live in town. could we pen him in the basement with live coon? and make him live with the coon? any hints you could thow our way would be great.

Wally  Once I catch the coon, what do I do with it?

ckelley  I was wondering, can a typical coon dog be used to be a successful squirrel dog as well or will it mess the dog up by hunting both day and night? Thanks for your time.

BRYAN  i just bought my first coonhound its a redbone.ive noticed that there are very few redbones that do well in compatition hunts,in the standings you see very few of them. my question is are redbones poorer hunters or are they just not used as much.i really like the breed and think they are beautiful and want her to do well .ive never trained a coon hound,but i have trained several labs for my duck hunting and have done well with them.i beleive i can train this dog she will already bark tree with scents at 8 weeks of age ,at least for afew minutes. am i on the right track.thanks very much for all your help ,ienjoyed your page it was very informative.

Matt  PLease, anyone with any idea of how to retain maps of the Somerset, Livingston, Rockcastle area of Kentucky please send me your information.  It will be greatly appreciated from one coonhunter to
another.  THANKS VERY MUCH

jack   I like hunting treeing walker dogs. I was wondering where I can find pictures and info on the dogs?

MENDY  I WAS LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON A WALKER DOG NAMED STYLISH HARRY-WALKER COON DOG.  ANY INFORMATION WOULD HELP.  WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE A PICTURE OF THIS DOG.   THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.

John  I am new to the area, I live in Metropolis Ill. and would like to find a club or clubs in the area to get involved with.  I have a young English hound and would like to get him in the woods.

Taylor   I'm looking for a good hound/cross for hunting cattle out of the brush in Arizona.  I've used Catahola/blue tick crosses and they worked extremely well I guess b/c there was enough hould in them to keep them closer to you and mabye enough Catahola to make them have some cow sense.  At the ranch I worked on we would run the pups with the older hounds to train them and it worked well.  I understand that everyone always think they have the best hounds, but I know you would know of a fellow that would have a hound I could use.  This pup would have to follow me horse back everyday and I'd like him to be loyal enough so that I wouldn't spend more time trying to find him than cattle.  Please let me know and God Bless.

Brad  I just got into coon hunting and i got a 3 month old walker, and i need to know how to train it. I want to start off by her treeing squirls. i will probaly start her right now just treeing without a gun. But in a few
months i will use a rifle.  thank you.

FLK  I am looking for info on how to train pups on starting to hunt ,bear , cat , is your  book on huntn coon relevant to bear and cat hunting. i am an apprentice houndsmen, I could use all the help you could send my way . THANKS!!!

shawn  HI I am 18 years old and have just recently began coon  hunting my brother has a dog out of sacket junior which  is supposed to be a good blood line.  I have three treeing  walker hounds now one is registered out of the same blood line and both of his parents are hard tree dogs and straight on a trail.
The other two are not registered one I believe is a pure breed walker that I saved from the pound he has treed once but in a pine tree, and i couldn't tell if the fur was in the tree or not.  And the other is real
young to young to hunt.  But I now have no dog to train off of because my brothers dog has gotten into some chemicals in a field and has lose of eye sight which has really hindered him and his hunting.  Now I am worried about training my dogs which i have invested a lot of time and mony into.  Any suggestions you can give would be of some great assistants.  Thank you for your time.

Eric in PA.  Hi, my uncle has a 4 year old walker bluetick mixed dog. Joe will run a track but will not
tree. Only 1 time has the dog ever treed. The dog will only hunt with my uncles older dog Sam  (joe's father) sam is a good dog, but how can we make joe tree and hunt alone.

Jim  I live in Southeast Kentucky and am looking for a "straight" coon dog.  I would like one that doesn't hunt too wide and won't run deer.  I usually hunt redbones, but have had a black & tan and a walker.  Do you know of any dogs available for try out in this area?

Bryan  I was just wondering if you know the prices of coon this year.  I'm in southern Iowa. last year I averaged 5 dollars. Thank You. You have a good page here too

jonrod  I just bought a 17 monthold female redtick. She acts real shy.She wont hardly come up to me.ShouldI be worried?I dont think she has ever been run before, what should I exept? What should I do to get her to come to me? Great website. Thank you.

dewayne  hello i would like to know some ways to break pups off of off game

Joe  I have a 2 1/2 year old English Bluetick.  She has trouble getting in the woods. After she is in the woods hunting she fine.  What can I do to get her to want to go out and hunt.

BigDog  A friend of ours has a redtick hound which appeared to be great with kids.  Is this generally true with this  breed?  We have 2 young children who want a dog and we are considering the hound.  PS we are really not considering using the dog for hunting, but we do live out in the vast open spaces of Colorado. Thanks for your help.

ben  i was just wondering if anyone had any good ideas on a coon feeder? i have used a 5 gallon bucket with a piece of pvc pipe in the side. are they any other ideas out there? please be specific. thanks ben

Joe  I have a 2 1/2 year old Eglish Bluetick.  Once I cut her loose into the woods she acts like she does'nt want to hunt.  Once she gets in the woods and hits a track shes fine.  What should I do to make her want to go out and hunt. Thanks for your time.

Can you teach a 3 year old half beagle half shelty to hunt

Chris  I have a bluetic hound and she acts like she isnt interested in coon at all.  I took her hunting with some other good dogs but she went the opposite direction as them and I had to chase her down.  She'll howl when shes at home but she is quiet in the woods.  Should I give up on her.

Bridget  We have a new 21 mounth old Red tick, what is the best way to start her out? shes fresh and knows nothing about coons.never been on a hunt.

Justin  I am from tennessee and I was wondering what the best dog for me. I am only 13. And if so do you know where I could get it from Thanx and Happy Hunting

Paul  Some cousins of mine and I have been trying to find out if there is any factual basis in nature for the expression, "It's an old coon that walks just before daylight."  Is there any advantage to a raccon for being the last to hunt before daylight?  Have you actually seen this situation? Thank you for your reply.

Brian  I recently purchased a redbone coonhound pupppy. My pride and joy. A week ago while the kids and I were out for a walk with him, he got stepped on by a horse, and broke the femer bone in his right rear leg. He has since had a pin place in the leg and seems to be doing fine. What is your oppinion on how he will do in the future. I would like to hunt him competetivly. the Vet said he sould do fine. I love your web site. thanks

Eric  well im 14 years old and i cant have a dog till spring and that really sucks bad. I hunt from 1-3 nights every week and i was wondering where in Tennessee can i find a good dog? And i was wondering what age should the dog be before i buy it? thanx alot

rich  what is the best way to brake a dog from face barking at the tree

baddogg  i have a 3year old walker male that runs and trees his own coon but every once and awhile he gets real bad on oppussum any ideas on breaking him? any ideas would be appreciated.

james  i have a three year old redtick latley when we take him he is the first to strike and the first to tree but we shine the tree no coon. we take him with other dogs but