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Raccoon Hunting Questions Audio Tape
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and
Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond
(Excerpted in Full Cry and Sportsman's News .)
(A sixty-four page booklet packed with tips and information for only $14.95!)

Item: Quantity:
Devotions for Dog Lovers
Devotions for Hunters and Anglers
Hunting and the Bible
Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond
Raccoon Hunting Questions Audio Tape
The Prodigal Pooch
Self-Inflicted Hunting Arguments
The Rail Rider
Raccoon Hunting Gift Pack

Click here for excerpts.

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.

Harley from wv  I have a black&Tan coonhound that is about 8 months old he'll run with other dogs but wont bark on tree or track he is also very timid around a live coon what if anything can I do to get the dog aggressive THANKS

RJ  I read the book called "Where the Redfern Grows" and it inspired me, now I am interested in buying some coon dogs and learning to coon hunt. I dont know anything about how much a good coon dog should cost. I was told by some friends that if you buy a good coon dog it will cost at least $800 bucks and\or more. I like the way the redbone breed looks, can anyone tell me about how much a good redbone hound would cost.

H.D.  I woul like to know what if anything I can do to make my 8month old B&T more aggresive on a coon and bark on the track and tree

adam  I have a five year old english she is a very good dog. She has one problem and that is when she trees she chews the tree and while she is chewing she does not bark. When she does it the two minute rule always gets me at a night hunt. So my question is how can i get here to quit chewing the tree.

Bosco  Great site fellas I hunt a 16yr old bluetic and a 7yr old walker here in mich and its great to see all the young folks getting into the sport. Lots of people ask me why I keep hunting coon when they're not
bringing anything price wise and I just keep telling them that if I did'nt love the music of the hounds I'd quit. Thanks for a great site and happy hunting

Josh  I am 18 years old and have just started coon hunting.I bought my first coon dog a couple of days ago  she is a 9 mouth old redbone who has never been worked with or even seen a coon and i was woundering the best way to start training her or what i shoud be doing with her right now.she came from a good line of dogs.thanks for any infomation you can help me with.

Walkerman  If I have a personal protection issued for the state of Indiana to allow me to carry a handgun almost anywhere could I wear this gun while I'm in pursuit of fur bearing game? Also, since I'm a handgun
permit carrier by the state of Indiana why does it say no guns to possess while chasing wild fur bearing
game.

Tom  Now is the time to start training your dog.  Check out are excepts and they should be helpful.  If you haven't ordered our Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond I would encourage you to do so.  You would first want to start teaching your dog some basice obedience - and then you could start conducting simulated hunts (I talk about this in the booklet) using coon scent or a hide.

Tom  You moght contact the DNR  to get a permit tp uses a leghold trap and plan on putting the raccoon to death.  Or,  I would suggest that you check out this site ran by Stephen Vantassel  http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/living_wildlife who is a professional in the wildlife removal service.  You might find some helpful information for your raccoon problem.  Trust that this helps.

Josh  hey its josh again i was worndering about my new redbone the other day that had never seen a coon.but i have been taking her out in with a boy who has a fixed coon skin from last season and we will make a trail and hang the skin in a tree she will lead the other dogs to the tree but the other dogs i've doing that with both are females,one is 2 years old and the other is 5 months but on the trail she dont bark she just gives it a 110% and at the tree she want bark unless she sees the skin.so what i am asking is how good she is doing at her age(9 months)and where should go from here.

JO JO  I was wondering if anyone could tell me about he book walk with wick the tree dog encyclopedia written by John Wick. thanks very much.

bob  i dont have a coon hound ; my dog likes to hunt she is a year old do you think i could get her to tree

donnie  I have a 2 year old black and tan she will not bark at a cage coon and she will not show no interest in it at all . i don 't know if I should try to keep her or try to find me anther dog . do you have any
suggest to help get her start .

Ben  Do coons live in russia? We are moving and I want to bring my dogs.

Richard  I am looking for the book "Walk With Wick" are you famialar with it and it's author. Thanks for any help.

jim  hellow my name is jim your site is great i have a question i am new to hunting with hounds its not real popular in salt lake i got a nice redbone for my son he is now eleven months old the problem is he tends to fight with other dogs mostly labs but i took him coon hunting with some guys and he did the same thing with there hounds he gets alog fine with my new redbone four month old female my friends are old school hunters who have very good dogs  they say shoot him can i stop this or should i just
hunt theme alone thanks

thedude  i just wanted to say that i definately believe in multiple roles for dogs all of my dogs work on my farm and cover various hunting roles. thanks for the page i learned a lot. i recently aquired a walker. the lady i aquired this dog from called him a "sooner" but i was told by a local breeder that this is a joke, is it? and should i pay the money to get his papers? he will probably never be a sire but some local coon and cat hunters have expressed interests in breeding to him.  even though i would never charge for this should i paper him for theyre interests or is that practical for me? this is my first coon dog and ive been working him on trailing,  he has a hell of a nose  and "cuts"  trail well but because his previose owner living in an apartment she disciplined him for barking, now even though he wants to sound he is worried about it, he is only eight months so is this going to be a problem or can i work him out of it eventually? thanks for the site

donnie  Is there anyone in ms train coondogs

Tom  I would begin by conducting a simulated hunt using the dead coon.  In our booklet Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond we explain how to do this.

Tom  He may just be a slow starter.  What we observed over the years is that each dog has his or her own schedule.  It's wonderful when a pup starts running and treeing at 6 mo.  However, we always considered a dog a pup until they were about 2 to 2 1/2.  Keep giving your dog opportunities and at some point I would almost be willing to bet that he will "click" at some point. Hope this encourages you - be patient - and happy hunting!

Ronnie  if any of you are from oklahoma email me please

Kelly  How do I start my walker pup hunting.

Tommy  I own A pair of 14 month old walker pups.One of them is turning out to be a real coondog.I've hunted him in a few local nite hunts and at the A.C.H.A. Little World Hunt,he has never finished loweer than 10th place except for at the little world where we were scratched over a bad call from the judge.The other pup,which is out of the same liter,is a beautiful hound and is a real good dog as far as striking in on a coon but he won't tree his own game.What should I do to make him into the coondog that his brother is destined to be?      P.S.  this is a real good site!IT gives young people who are just geeting started a chance to learn about this great sport that we share. Thank you and good huntin'.

Charles  I have recently found an add for a red tick coonhound.  I have heard of a blue tick but never heard of a red tick.  Is there such thing as a red tick and if so what are the similarinties between a bllue tick and a red tick.  thanx.

Chris  I hope someone can direct me to the right place...I am having a terrible time with a coon in my barn...I am sure there is more than one and they just love my cat food....I have a trap ( it will not kill or mame them) but I still can't get it....I have used Peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches....What I catch is the cats...Anyone out there have any suggestions...Please,,,,,All I am doing is buying cat food.....

sam  yes i got a 4 year old bluetick and every since about two months ago he all ways treed coons and now for some reason hes going after possums to do you know how i can get him back to coons?

Rick  I'm 15 and just got into coon hunting I got two walker pups about seven weeks old and I was wondering when would be a good time to start training my dogs? Thanks

I have 1yr old dog and he not do any thing I trap coon in live trap. and he did non anything to do wit  what should i do

kenny  hi my name is kenny my question is i have 1yr old treeing walker and trying to train him for a long time. I can drag a dead coon around the yard and he will go after it but as soon as i take him out in the woods he will not do any thing.except run back to the truck my buddy has a real good dog and we take my dog out with his ever chance i get but he will not do any thing. what should i do ? should i keep trying or should i get a new dog? thanks

matthew  yall have a great page i'm glad yall are doing this thanks

Tom  In the head - either behind an ear or between the eyes.  If you use 22-hollow points the raccoon should be killed instantly.

Tom  It sounds like your 5 month old is doing well.  Make sure that you hide the hide in the tree - and put it in different places so that the dog dpends on scent - and not sight.  As far as barking on trail this will come with time and excitement.  That is unless your dog ends up being a Silent Trailer.  Silent Trailers catch and tree alot of coon.  As you look at our site and other pages you will see a three- legged bluetick named Andy.  He started out as a Slent Trailer but after he lost his leg he converted to Open because he was unable to catch up with the coon so he depended on his voice. As far as dog food you should follow the instructions on the label. Different types of dog food have different levels of protein, etc.  You really can't go by how much you feed.

Joe  I JUST GOT A REDBONE COONHOUND.SHE IS 3 MONTHS OLD AND JUST TO GET HER USED TO USING HER NOSE  HER NOSE I WILL LET HER SMELL SOMETHING THEN I WILL RUB IT ON THE GROUND MAKING A TRAIL. THEN I WILL PUT HER NOSE AT THE BEGGINING OF THE TRAIL AND SHE WILL TRACK IT DOWN. I ALSO GO FOR WALKS WITH HER TO KEEP HER IN SHAPE.IS THEIR ANYTHING ELSE I CAN DO?

buckshoot  DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A COONHUNTING  CD  FOR CDROM if so pls let me know  (looking for one that is like you would be - at a comp.hunt ) if there is not noe i/someone needs to comeout with one!!!!!!! thank you ..see ya in the woods keep the dogs runing..

jake  I got a walker coonhound pup and she is 9 months old and I dont know how to start her out do I take her out with older dogs that run good?

Tom  Some of this depends on the area (e.g. number of trees, etc.).   They will be in hollow trees, rock
dens, ground dens, or old buildings.   If you think you have found a den tree - if you look closely you will probably find some grey hairs that have rubbed off of their belly. Hope that helps.

Tom  I'm not aware of any way to prevent a dog from running a trail across roads.  The shock collar method would seem to me to be quite confusing for the dog in this case. My advice would be to try and run your dog in more remote areas. Otherwise, as you know, you could have your dog hit. Lord bless, - and happy hunting

Tom  It takes time and committment but bloodhounds certainly have the nose and size for such a task.

Tom  One thing to remember is that she will probably never become a "great" coonhound.  But, since you have other dogs already I would encourage you to keep running her with them.  It also depends quite a bit as to what she is crossed with (Sporting Breed vs. Non-Sporting Breed) to what you should expect.  As I've told others you should consider a coonhound to still be a pup at 2 1/2 years.  Your dog seems to still be getting used to you.  I beleive that there is certainly hope for your dog - but it will still take time
investment.

Tom  The Blueticks and Redticks can come from the same litter.  However the Redticks are definitely in the minority.  The Blue coloring would seem to be dominate.  Check with some Bluetick dealers.

Tom  There are some sites on the web where you can place your ad.  You might try some of the links on coonhoundcentral http://www.coonhoundcentral.com I'm not sure if you could sell them over ebay - but I would check that out as well.

Tom  Glad to hear about your new dog!  We have had a dog or two that ran and treed their own coon at 6 mo.  However, normally a dog doesn't begin to advance until they are 9 mo-1yr and sometimes later.  What is key is to spend time with your dog and give it as much experience on the trail as possible.  Be patient!  It may actually be a couple of years before your dog starts running well.  One of the best and quickest ways to train a dog to run coon is by running yours with some quality dogs.  In the same token -
one of the quickest ways to ruin your dog is to run it with some dogs that have a tendency to chase trash (e.g. deer, etc.). Read our pages and I believe you would also find our booklet could give you some key points.

Tom  I'm not dure what the best would be.  But if you make sure your cage is set up where you are certain raccoons are you can use peanut butter, sweet corn, etc.

Tom  Yes a Black and Tan is a fine hound.  Others you might consider are: Walker, Blueticks, Redbone, etc.

Tom  Sorry we don't - but if you find a lpace where you can get one let us know!

Tom  Your dog not ranging out far is quite normal for his age.  As the dog gets older and has more hunting experience this will change. As far as the Bluetick and Redtick cross - even with registered dogs you can have both in the same litter (e.g. You can have two Blueticks breed and end up with a Redtick or two in the litter - although the Bluetick color is dominant). I take it your friend's dogs are not registered therefore he refers to them as a cross.

Tom  It really seems to depend upon the individual raccoon.  However, many seem to come out right after dark.  I would say that for the most part they come out right after dark in order to begin eating as soon as they can.

Tom  You can go to huntsmart.com (click on the url below).  Hope that helps.
http://www.huntsmart.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=displaypage&page=free%5Fcatalog%2Ecfm&eid=121

Tom  You can find supplies through Full Cry and the Night Lite company (they are on the web), and I
know another company called the Bill Boatman Company.  Hope that helps

Tom  We always found that after a rain - or even while it is still drizzling that not only do the coon seem to be out frogging around - but that even a young dog is able to pick up and trail a raccoon.

Tom  It really depends on the person selling - and the breeding background of the dog.  Usually they sell for about  $150.00 - but you can also pay quite a bit less - and a lot more.  You might want to look in the pets section of newspapers under dogs.  Be patient - and pick one that you really like and are willing to spend time with.

Tom  You might want to try peanut butter.  Hope that helps.

Tom  I beleive you might find some clubs by going to the links section of web site http://coonhoundcentral.com    Another place where you can find a lot of information is by subscribing to Full Cry Magazine (we are in no way associatied with this magazine - but it is quite extensive.

Tom  It would certainly have the potential.  I would encourage you to read through our pages - and buy the Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond book.

Tom  I would reccomend that you contact the Department of Natural Resources in your state.  There may be a permit that would allow this individual to use a vehicle for these purposes.  I do know that in certain states mules may be used in pursuit - but regulations even with regards to this may vary
greatly.  The best thing would be to call an offical (e.g. Game Warden in your area) and ask her or him if this is possible.

Tom  Dogs mature at different rates.   Yes, some dogs can run and tree their own coon at six months - but they are few and far between and are still a long, long, long, ways from becoming a good coon hound.  Your dog is young.  Many consider a coonhound a pup until they are two and a half.  Keep working on your dog.  He will "click" if you continue to give him the right experience.
Sometimes the ones that take awhile end up in the long run to be some of the best dogs.  Be patient.

Tom  Your dog may not have the best nose for raccoon hunting - but you never know.  I would advise you to read our web pages - as well as the raccoon hunting questions and the answers.  You will learn some of the basics.  You might want to order our book Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond because it tells you some of the things you can do to get your dog started. Pit bulls are not normally known for their noses.  So apart from that point I don't know much about pit bulls.  They would certainly have the right stuff for being a kill dog if the coon was caught on the ground. Your dog might serve to be a "short chase" dog.  By this I mean that your dog would have to run into one - or have a really hot track.  I'm doubtful that your dog would have the ability for a long run.

Tom  Redbones are good dogs.  As far as female or male - females seem to be easier to train other dogs with.  Also, they (males)have a tendency to range out farther.  The one draw back is that females come in heat - and sometimes when you don't want them to.  However, there is a way to get around this.
Personally, I have always been partial to females - but it comes down to personal preference.

Tom  The thing to do is contact a couple of buyers and campare what they will give you.  Much depends on the going price, how well they were skinned,  and the quality of the hides which is determined by size - and the time of year in which they were harvested

Tom  It really depends on the dog.  Some dogs need some help to know it's alright to bark.  If the dog is running raccoon and you think she/he  may be putting the coon up - but is not barking - you might want to try putting a bell on the dog's collar in order to keep track of the dog.  Once you get a dog at the tree it is actually quite easy to get the dog excited. If you faven't gotten the Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond book - we do discuss this a little bit.

Tom  Your dog will grow out of most of this.  Normally a coon dog is considered a pup until they are about  2 &1/2 years old.  Just be patient and he will get down to business.  It probably won't suddently stop - but in time he will mellow out.

Tom  You're on the right track.  I would say to read our pages and you will learn a lot.  Especially the Simulated Hunt page.  It is covered in more detail in our booklet.  It is well worth the $14.95.

Tom  We actually used a rat terrier cross to coon hunt.  The dog works for a short run - when the track is hot.  However, we hunted her with a German Shepherd who served as the "kill dog."  The both of them together made a pretty good team.  But, not the same as a pair of hounds.

Tom  You need to back up a step and teach him some basic obedience.  Get at least 50 -100 feet of rope(e.g. clothes line rope) and attach the rope to the dog's collar.  I would suggest that you then take him to a place where he can run some (e.g. football field, baseball diamond, or pasture).  He needs to realize that no matter where he goes he is not out of your reach- that he can be caught.  Hang on to the rope at first and gradually come to the point where he is running with the rope.  When you call him - pull on the rope at the same time and reel him in.  Of course you will not want a rope on him when he is actually hunting.  The best thing is to start this process when a dog is a pup.

Tom  What I would recommend is that you try a nylon muzzle the next time you tell yell at him  to "stop it" or "be quiet" and he doesn't.  Get up and go out and put the muzzle on him right away so that he associates the muzzle with the excessive barking.  Then - after an hour or so - take it off.  When - he
does it again repeat the same process so that he then begins to associate your - "be quiet" or "stop it" with the bad behavior - and the bad behavior with the muzzle.  You will need to repeat this a number of times.  And - even after he has been through the process a number of times you  will probably have to periodically repeat it as a reminder.  However, it won't take as long in that he will more quickly associate the consequences of the bad behavior with the muzzle. Be careful not to leave it on if the weather is real hot - it will make it more difficult for him to pant.  Lord bless - and hope that helps.

Tom  I don't believe you can start too early - but you can start too late to ever end up with a great dog.  There are limits to what a 9 week old can learn, and at times the time invested in apup will show minimal returns as far as the dog learning specifics.  Yet, you are bonding with your pups - and just as important - you are learning to read them.  At about 10 weeks you can begin teaching some basic obedience with significant returns.  This will make your pups more valuable, and a greater pleasure to hunt with.  Be sure and keep the training sessions brief - and fun.  Don't push your dog too hard (this will be part of being able to read your dog).  Always try to end the lessons with the pup having done a good job (or at least adequate job) of responding to your command.  However, always remember that  your dogs are
not little robots.

Tom  Frogs, crayfish, acorns, corn, and they really love sweetcorn.  They are notorious for going through trash cans which can hold a lot of things.

Tom  I certainly think that there would be many folks interested in your dog's pedigree enough to pay.  Your dog (although he hasn't been hunted) would be viewed as having innate ability.  Actually - you could still do some hunting with him - as long as he hasn't been running loose.

Tom  You can actually start teaching your dog basic obedience now - and in the next couple of months start using simulated hunts, etc.  I would encourage you to study our pages - and you will pick up some
important tips.  However, you will save yourself a lot of time in the training process by ordering the Raccoon Hunting Questions Tape, and the Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond book.  It covers some of the topics discussed on our question board in greater detail.

Tom  I would suggest that you try sweetcorn on the cob (perhaps heat it up just before dark), or peanut butter.

Tom  Besides the basic obedience, one of the first things you could start doing (depending on the age of the pup) is to begin laying a scent trail.  You may want to use a road kill.  But check the laws in your state.  In some places it is illegal to pick one up without a special license.  I would suggest you read our web pages (e.g. the Simulated Hunt Excerpt page), and of course - buy our little booklet Raccoon Hunting Basics and Beyond and audio tape Raccoon Hunting Questions.

Tom  I would definitely suggest a female - they seem to range out less.  Of course, you do have the heat problem - unless they are spayed.  We hunted with a female that came in heat - even with other males, but had a technique for that.  But probably, under your circumstances where you want the dog to be loose you would need to put her up.  As far as the general breed - you might consider a Border Collie.  They are sociable - but also have the herding - and protecting instinct. Dalmations are very territorial -  we love ours - but they shed continually. They can become a little aggressive to outsiders - but for the immediate family they are very protective.  They have the territorial instinct bred within (this was evidenced and further enhanced by the breeding when used as Coach dogs) in that they were left to guard the coach. I guess - I wouldn't advise getting a hound for your specific purposes - although a dog is a dog and would certainly work to a degree.  They would (under most circumstances) be less aggressive towards people (which of couse is good) - but may quickly develop a bad habit of chasing game far beyond your borders.  Their instinct would generally over rule your traing to stay within the borders.