Coon without dogs?

[IgrowSoybeans]

Does anyone have any pointers for a potential coon hunter who does not own a hound?

Is it possible to hunt coon without a hound or would I just be wasting my time in the woods (if you can call any time in the woods wasted)?

 

[FLORES425]

Coons love trash or old fish. If your state allows night hunting.

 

[swampdog]

I've had coons come to predator calls. They sleep during the day but you might see the occasional coon while still hunting. I watched one from a deer stand one afternoon. He was sleeping on his back in a hollowed out tree fork. Every 30 minutes or so, he'd sit up, yawn, and look around.

I watched one, from a treestand, stalk a flock of turkeys. He got a hen, too. The flock blew up when he pounced and a couple actually landed in the tree I was in. My hand was twitching on my revolver, but it wasn't turkey season.

On a sunny day, you can spot a coon a goods ways off in a tree. The sun glints off their hair.

If you can find a swampy creek bottom with lots of coon tracks, you might get one by sitting and glassing. Shining a light in the same area at night might also be productive. The wardens around here wouldn't be very understanding, though. Maybe with a brinkman and a .22 revolver, but I'd ask first. Firelighting can be a felony, here.

+1 on trash and fish. If no night hunting is allowed, try early and late. They like fresh deer carcasses. With the rut approaching, lots of fresh road kill.

If you haven't eaten all day, barbecued coon is pretty good.

Blueticks make good pets, btw.

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/bluetick.htm

Good Luck

 

[eastwood44mag]

They're incredibly habitual--even in where they choose to defecate. Find a pile of coon dirt. They will be back.

 

[redneck2]

I know two guys that hunt without dogs.

One guy has a bum leg and could never keep up with dogs. He uses an old Johnny Stewart caller with baby coon scream. Pulls up to a good area in his truck, sets the speakers out about 50' and lets everything calm down for 10-15 minutes, then starts the tape. Check every few minutes with a red lens light.

He had to cover the speakers with hardware cloth because the coons would get so worked up that they'd tear apart the speakers trying to get to the little coons. They usually start snarling and hissing loud enough that you hear them coming in.

Other guy walks tree lines between corn fields and particularly trees along a ditch that borders a corn field. Gets more coons than he did when he used dogs. Just shine the trees and you see eyes. He swears that the barking dogs scare off more coons than they find.

FWIW...a .22 mag works better than a .22 LR. Coons take a lot of killing and if you shoot them on the ground with a .22 lr, it may not be enough.

HTH

 

[dfaugh]

Never huntied 'coon w/ dogs.

We'd go out at night w/ high powered flash lights....We could hear the coons in the trees, and we'd just find 'em by sound. Used a .22. Occcasionally would see them during the day, when hunting other game, but basically nightime is the time to hunt.

 

[jeepmor]

Easy

Just build a Koi pond, they'll be there.

jeepmor

 

[MCgunner]

Put some catfood out in your front yard and by 9pm just walk out and shoot all ya want.

 

['Card]

Caution: Walking around at night with a spotlight and a firearm can get you into some pretty hot water in some jurisdictions. Check local laws, first.

 

[gezzer]

I've had good luck with a tape caller with the tape Coon Puppies. Play near feild edges and keep the speaker away from you or you may have to repel boarders.

 

[MCgunner]

Another thought, put the trash out early and wait till nightfall. That one's guaranteed. When you hear the sound of trash flying around the front hard, start cussing when you open the door. For some reason, they stand there and stare at you laughing when you do that.

 

[sturmruger]

When we had a worthless dog the coons would come up and eat out of her dog food bin. Now that we have a good dog she can kill all but the biggest coons. I did have to dispatch one when I found that she was getting her but kicked by and old ornery female it probably weighed close to 50 lbs and could fight. Sometimes I will put out some dog food behind the barn and see what comes in to eat it. Usually it will be coons but I have seen a few skunk and deer those I leave alone.

 

[crackerjack]

coon calling

Calling is quite effective , but you need to check you local game laws . This link is for some of the most effective coon calling sounds.

https://www.minaskaoutdoors.com/store/comersus_index.asp

 

[p35]

What does one do with a dead coon, anyway? I know they're popular to hunt in large parts of the country, but I never saw the point. Can't imagine eating one.

 

[swampdog]

What does one do with a dead coon, anyway?

I was asked the same question a few years ago by a friend that has coonhounds. Then he asked me "If we shoot it, what will we hunt next week?"

 

[fal 4 me]

The fall 2006 issue of Predator Hunting magazine has an article about using calls to hunt coons. You might want to check it out.

 

[turkey hunt]

I have killed may a coon without dogs, up to 15 in a night several times. we walk the edge of the timber with spot lights and shoot them out with a .22..

good luck

 

[NAK]

Pick cold, still nights and hunt river/stream/lake banks. Spotlight the trees as well the the water's edge.