First Time Coon Hunting (equipment)

Yeah, good calf high boots. A good sharp folding knife. A couple of mag pouches that will hold whatever extra batteries you need. A pair of leather gloves.

Oh, and if ya'll are going to sell the hides you want a solid bullet. A coon isn't hard to kill with a head shot. The females are better eating.

Ok I used a maglight for a light my first year as long as you've got a buddy with a real coon light you really don't even need a light if your using dogs an you no what tree the coons in you just need a light on the coon and a gun.

Lights:
I'm assuming most coon hunting take's place in the dark. I have a good headlamp (zebralight) but it is mostly flood. Even though it will light up eye's a good distance away. I also have several LED lights that will light up a tree 30-40 feet up, standing 30-40 feet from the base easily. Only thing is they require a hand free to use. Run time would also be important I suppose, 1 or 2 spare sets of batteries wouldn't add too much bulk though.

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Light is the most important thing, proper boots the second most. I know many people who coon hunt with no gun, so that's a distant third.

For a light, you really can't beat a real coon hunting light. I use a Bandit box light, which is a traditional type coon light with a rheostat type switch so you can adjust it from dim to super bright. They are heavy duty, last all night, and most of tomorrow night. They are also heavy, cumbersome and expensive. As long as someone in your party has one of these, you can get by with a simple walking flashlight. Definitely go with runtime instead of candlepower. You just need enough light to walk by and you need it to last a LONG time. Coon hunting with dogs can turn into an all-nighter in a hurry. For shining the coon in a tree, there isn't a regular flashlight that will compare to a box or belt light, although it's fairly common where I live for a coon to look away from a really bright light, and tend to look towards a dim one. No matter what, you will need to see to walk, so carry an extra light, or 2 or 3.

Boots - at a minimum, wear something like Lacrosse knee high rubber boots. That's what I wear most of the time. Hip boots are big with coon hunters. Crossing water happens all the time.

If you live in an area that has snakes, and you are hunting while they are still out & about, GOOD snake chaps are an option. You cover a lot of ground coon hunting, and watching where you put your feet isn't always possible.

As for the gun, a scoped rifle will work with a good light to see by, and in some cases can help you find the coon. Personally, I don't ever carry a rifle. At the beginning of coon season, I cut some good walking sticks out of cane stalks behind my house... and I will carry a stout 6' long green cane walking stick, and a .22 pistol in a secure belt holster. Usually a Colt Woodsman, but sometimes a Ruger Single Six. If made to choose, I would leave my gun at home and take the stick probably. A rifle is a PITA to haul through the woods at night - better to have both hands free, and a good long walking stick is much more valuable.

A good pair of compact binoculars can help find the coon too. Lots of people don't think to carry them. Lots of people also forget to carry a compass, and they are still wandering around out in the woods too - so carry one.

Hunting with dogs at night can be quite an adventure. Whatever you decide to carry, keep in mind that you are likely to have to bust through thickets, you are probably going to trip and fall down, get muddy or wet, and walk at least two or three miles at a good clip. I usually carry a little backpack with water, extra dog leashes, snacks, spare socks, spare light, first aid, knife, multi-tool, basic stuff.

If you are hunting with several dogs, definitely carry a couple of cheap dog leashes on your person. Sooner or later the dogs will do something idiotic, they will need to be caught up, and YOU will almost certainly catch one while you are away from your Uncle and if you don't have anything to leash him with, you will be forced to hang on to his collar and holler for help.

As for the 17HMR question, most coons shot with .22 aren't all the way dead when they come out of the tree - but in our case the dogs finish them off. A 17HMR with the BT Vmax bullets will kill one graveyard dead, but may leave a big hole in the hide.

my two cents.....

as far as a gun, a .22 or a .17 is fine. personal i hunt with a pistol, its just easier to carry. dont worry so much about a gun. its a coon, not big game.

for the light, if other fellas have a brighter coon light all you need is something that you can use for your self to get through the woods. they can shine the coon while you knock him out.

make sure you have some sort of water proof shoes on. knee high rubber boots at least and you might want to find you a cheap pair of hip wadders. my last pair i bought at Dicks sporting goods for $20.

clothing...... make sure to have extra socks, pants, etc. gloves are always good. also i wear 1000 d briar bibs cause we have some pretty thick woods down here.

remember coon hunting is all about having fun.

It depends on where you are. But a pair of comfortable boots are a must. I like the LaCrosse rubber boots a lot.

Are snakes still out? Tics? Going to be running through brush and briars? Wading creeks? Are the stream channels deep? Will your have to search for a stream crossing due to water depth?

Gun (22LR), knife, light, boots, brush pants, hat, cell phone? radio? compass (just in case).

Oh yeah, if you're running behind the dogs and suddenly the dogs come running back passed you, turn around and try and pass the dogs. You never know???

I have never been out Raccoon hunting before...Is it a good time guys?

I have never been out Raccoon hunting before...Is it a good time guys?

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I've hunted critters with dogs all my life, and I like coon hunting the best. I usually don't kill the coon. It's more about working the dogs for me.

But what's great about it is, more weird and crazy stuff happens while coon hunting than any other type of hunting I've done. It's great for kids too - big adventure. At night, all kinds of critters are out, including some you don't want to run into.

Most coon dogs will chase other kinds of critters too - bobcats, etc... so you never know what you are going to get into. I have one dog now that trees flying squirrels all the time, and we have come up to a tree and watched whole families of them bailing out all over the place. I've seen a coon dog that would catch a skunk and bring it to you like a retriever. Ever tried to outrun a dog with a skunk in it's mouth?

Anyway, it's a lot of fun, and always unpredictable.

What's "supposed" to happen is you turn the dogs out, they strike the trail of a coon, and eventually tree it. Depending on what kind of dogs you have, it could take an hour or less than 2 minutes to get that done... you go to the tree, get the coon and do it all over again.

In reality, unless you have the World's Greatest Dogs, it only works that way maybe half the time, and the other half you are scratching your head or saying ***! In whatever terms you commonly say it... In fact, ***! is the official motto of coonhunting, because it provides you with so many ***! moments... This: is the official smiley of coonhunters everywhere.

You can get one of those 6v lantern style flashlights at Walmart and do just fine. No need to spend a bunch of money starting out.

You are going to want a good pair of hip boots too. Get something comfortable too.

hunting rifle for coon

I am a safe coon hunter and you should be one too. When hunting coon only one person should carry a rifle. The rifle should not be loaded until the coon is to be shot out. you should only need one shot, the coon is just setting there it ain`t moving. I use a single shot .22 cal with a 3/4 inch scope. shine his eyes and shoot between them. You are only shooting to the top of a tree. Set your scope for 15 yards, when you can drive nails at that range, each shot will bring your to coon to the ground. Make sure the chamber and the magazene is clear. Hand the rifle back to the guy that brung it. Take some kids along with you and use the time to teach them some safe rules and to have fun with coon hunting.
enjoy your self and have a safe hunt. Carl

cmbluetick, I just copied that word for word in a book of quotes I have been saving for decades. I must have read it 20 times. Good words. Thanks.

My response to the original question is that the most important equipment is your ears.

Most people look at a car and inherently know that an engine makes it go. Some people look at a dog and can sense what magic is genetically gifted to their matter. My grandfather was one of those people.

(STOP - Regardless of any plans you had today, immediately go to Amazon and buy a copy of "Where The Red Fern Grows," by Wilson Rawls. When you finish it, pass it to a kid in your house. After the kid finishes it, you will not have to discuss Old Dan and Little Anne. You can just look each other in the eye and know. Dogs are special...)

I regret that as I grew up I began to think it more important to hang out with my friends on a cool evening instead of following my grandfather, who like Ben Hur in his great race was pulled along by 4 coonhounds at the end of a long leather leash. I went alot, just not enough.

The dogs would be so excited every night and each and every time. I remember thinking that something special was going on but at the time I did not understand the power of thinking. It is difficult to explain but I will try. If you close your eyes and think of Dolly Parton it is likely that your mind hears a lovely voice and wants to put your head against something. If a child sees a slide his mind tells him to look for a ladder. A body entering water does not think of a stroke to choose, it inherently thinks of taking in oxygen. Such it is with the coonhound when unbounded from tether. The magic is freedom. Freedom to tell the world this magical gift they were given.

When you hear it you will know.

"Where the Red Fern Grows", that is a special movie (and book). You can find it on the cheap stack often in places like Walmart. Brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it. Coon hunting is all about the dogs. In the movie Sgt. York, Alvin York (Gary Cooper) meets his future bride while coon hunting with his brother. Good stuff.

I have never been straight up coon hunting. Every coon I have killed was because I was just shooting into what was hopefully a squirrel nest... and a coon falls out.



I don't care for the taste either. Very greasy.

Bring 100% DEET bug spray. You're gonna need it.

t2e

If you want some extra excitement shoot the coon in the butt with a load of .410 bird shot, then stand back and let the dogs take care of the rest.


This thread is two years old.

It is about the dogs,just enjoy the sound of the dogs running and best of all listening to a good tree dog. Then go to the tree and shoot one out ever once in awhile to keep the dogs sharp.
As far as what you need to go hunting is the right clothes for the weather,a good flashlight,one single shot 22 rifle is plenty and light weight for carrying.If your in swamp country you might need hip boots, if your old school like me you need a good compass, and a side arm maybe a 41 or 44 just in case. You need a thermas of good coffee some lighter knot on the truck for fire startin, and most of all some strait coon dogs. There is no hunting as enjoyable and best of all you can take anybody along no matter the age anybody can enjoy coon huntin with dogs are at least listen to a great race.

You guys are missing half the fun ... poking the coon out of the tree to fight the dogs. My old dogs would have quit going with you all if you shot the coons out of the tree.

I grew up with two Redbones(Lady & Bigboy), a Bluetick(Blue) and a Redtick(McCloud) coon hound. My brother was the climb man, he was the one who could climb with out skinning his chest with the pole hooks(sliding down the tree), the ones with the long spikes, the short ones would bust you rear because the bark on the tree was too thick for the spike.

If you don't think a coon can whip a pack dogs, don't punch him out in the water. I have had to grab a many of dog to pull him out because the coon will drown them. We had a brindled cur/bulldog mix that would end any coon fight, he always kept her on the leash until the other dogs had all they wanted. We would then turn her a loose and with one bite... dead coon.

What you need to hunt ... good dogs, one good light, one set of tree(pole) hooks(someone to climb), good boots(didn't matter if they were rubber or not because they would be full of water anyway) and a compass. The gun was extra and mostly not needed unless less the tree was too high.

Miss those days...

Jimmy K