Coon hunting is one of the oldest sports changing with the times. Today’s coon hunters are not the hunter-gatherers of yesteryear. Now, it’s more about the bond with your dog and the competition of the trials, according to Joe Moore.
Joe, a longtime member of the Greene County Coon Hunter’s Association (GCCHA), grew-up coon hunting alongside his father in the organization. The organization dates to the 1970s where rendezvous were held for hunting the coon and tanned pelts were auctioned two times a year at the Washington County Fairgrounds, remembers Marvin Cumberledge, a member of GCCHA since the 1970s. Now coon hunting has become a beloved sport for anyone enjoying time in the woods, following the trail of their dog listening for that distinctive bay or “strike”.
Competitive events for coon hunting are organized and governed by the United Kennel Club (UKC) and the Professional Kennel Club (PKC). Trials are held to test a dog during Night Hunts, Bench Shows, Water Races, and Field Trials, per the UKC. As Joe explains, three or four dogs are grouped together to run; this is called casting. A casting guide and judge are assigned to the group and follow the dogs scoring them on standards of the UKC or PKC based on the event.
There are seven distinct hound breeds recognized by the UKC and PKC, with breed standards for every type of dog run. Dogs are worked year-round to stay in condition but harvesting a coon during the hunting season is rarely done anymore.
Competition has club members traveling to South Carolina, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky to run their dogs. Awards are presented depending on the competition and some Grand Champion events can bring in prize money from $10,000 to $50,000. Nighttime competitions are held locally involving 10 to 20 dogs, with bigger national level hunts running 200 to 600 dogs per night, states Joe.
A well-bred coon dog can cost you $750 for a puppy, $1500 to $2000 for a 1-year-old with some training, and $5000 to $10,000 for a finished dog. Many supplies used to train your dog, like coon scent, can be bought online and with today’s technology, you can follow your dog on your phone using GPS tracking. This comes in handy according to Marvin, where you see and take the path of least resistance to get to your dog that’s treed a coon.
Monthly meetings and events for the dogs in Greene County are held at the Dunkard Valley Rifle Association. Local properties owned by club members and access to other properties are used to train and run the dogs.
The Greene County Coon Hunters Association holds meetings on the third Sunday at 6PM, located at Tom’s Run Road near Brave. They are 25 members strong and members range in age from 13 to 91. After talking with Joe and Marvin, anyone can tell that it’s the love of being outdoors, working and bonding with their dogs is what makes coon hunting so much fun. FMI, contact Joe at jmoore5790@gmail.com or Marvin at woodlandk@windstream.net.