Click to Enlarge   Raccoon Hunting With Jake by Martha Daniels photography by Cliff White Jake says there’s nothing like a crisp winter evening and a coon hound hot on a trail. George picks up the gun, Jake grabs the lantern, and I have my flashlight. We are ready. The snow in the woods has melted down to thick, icy islands. The air is crisp and cold, with a half-moon above casting dim shadows. Jake Seifert and his father, George, are wearing insulated coveralls and heavy boots. I’ve added an extra layer of longjohns and have thick socks in my boots. George lets Pat out of her kennel in the back of the pick-up. Pat is a black and tan hound with a friendly face. She leaps to the ground and races around us, sniffing the air. She’s excited by all of the smells of the woods and flops her tail back and forth, glancing first to one of us, then another. She stops and catches scents on the ground. We follow her up through the woods, across a valley and a stream and up a steep hill. There are several hollow trees, and we look for tracks in the patches of melted snow. “Stumbling through the woods, over stumps and trying not to fall over and trip at night is the tough part,” says Jake with a laugh. Jake tells me about his favorite parts of raccoon hunting. Two years ago, he started hunting with his dad–and Pat–when he was 13 years old. He says he can hardly wait until November rolls around and it is time to prepare gear and go on the first hunt of the season. “The best part is hearing the dog bark,” he explains. “I can’t wait to see the raccoon up the tree and see how many will be there.” Raccoon hunters know that the fur is heaviest in late winter. Earlier furs will not be as thick and will not bring top price when they sell them at the fur auction. The fur is very durable and is used for coats and collars and for trimming winter gloves and hats. Large raccoons with thick coats bring the best prices. Raccoons can grow to 2 to 3 feet long from head to tail and weigh from 7 to 25 pounds. Raccoons are the most hunted fur animals in the state. Most of Missouri’s raccoon hunters use hounds at night. Jake carries the lantern as we look for signs of wildlife in the cold weather. Pat sniffs around the trees, looking up and sniffing some more. The snow and cold have confused her. “It can be kind of dull until you hear the dog start to bark,” Jake says. “You can tell from the sound of their bark that something is right in the front of them. They are chasing it at top speed. “You know for sure that you got something when you hear the dogs bark in one spot,” he adds, his face wide and eyes glinting. “You finally get to where the dogs are and find one or more raccoons.” “My job is to hold the dog back,” he continues. “When the raccoon falls out, it will scratch her. I carry the big flashlight, search the tree and hold the dog back.” Raccoons are nocturnal, meaning they come out at night to look for food and prowl around. There are many raccoons in this area, especially along the streams. The people nearby often complain of raccoons coming onto their porches, getting into their gardens in summer and damaging their homes. In many cities, especially in neighborhoods that border a creek or river, raccoons become a nuisance. People living in this valley will be glad if we find some raccoons tonight. Raccoons spend most of their year in a hollow tree den or a den dug out beneath a big tree’s roots. They are excellent climbers and can go up and down a tree quickly. A big raccoon may move around to several dens in a one-mile area. If there is a heavy snow or ice storm or real cold weather, raccoons will stay in their dens and not hunt or feed. In winter, they will come out to search for acorns or nuts under the dead leaves. We find a few areas where they have been digging around on the forest floor. Pat finds a hollow tree surrounded by tracks and begins baying in a loud, “Ooo-ooo-oooooo!” She stops and the forest is silent. Not a peep out of any wild animal. The tracks in the snow are all around. The tiny hand-like footprints definitely tell us that at least one raccoon has been here. “I remember once when Pat had three raccoons in one tree,” Jake says. “The thrill comes when you get the gun out and are ready to shoot. You shoot and the raccoon drops to the ground. The dogs always go wild from the scent of the raccoon!” Pat visits several more den trees, but no raccoons. Perhaps the snow is too new and they are staying deep in their dens. It is late in the season and Jake tells me about their good year. “Most nights we get more than one raccoon a night, and there’s usually more than one raccoon in a tree,” Jake explains. “We have 28 raccoons this year, better than ever. “The two hound pups we have didn’t do much this year,” he adds, looking ahead to next year. “They’re too young. But next year should be the best yet!” RACCOON HUNTING BASICS What kind of dog do you need for coon hunting? Any dog that has a good nose for smelling the scent of raccoons and the desire to chase them will do. Most hunters use hounds bred for raccoon hunting, such as black and tans, blueticks and Walkers. How do you train a hunting dog for raccoons? Take the dog out with another hound that is trained or take the dog to an area where you know there are lots of raccoon den trees so they will easily pick up the raccoon’s scent. Where should you hunt? Hunt in areas where you know raccoons are feeding, such as woods along rivers or streams. Areas where there are den trees are good, too. Watch for their tracks near the water. Always be sure to ask permission from the landowners before you go onto their property to hunt. When should you hunt? Raccoons are most active from dusk until dawn. Their furs are in prime condition from late November until late January. The 2002-03 season for raccoons in Missouri is from November 20 through January 20. Raccoons can be taken with a hunting permit, and there is no daily or possession limit. For more information on raccoons and hunting furbearers, see the Department’s website: <www.mdc.mo.gov>.