'Coon season report: "...worst I've ever seen"

The Virginia gun season on 'coons will end in about a week. Jeff, Billy and I have decided to let the rest of the season die without going anymore. We're not finding anything.

What we've killed this season hasn't amounted to what the three of us would normally kill in a week or two. Billy's killed two, Jeff's killed one and I've killed four. Seven kills between the three of us is what we were doin' in a week last year. Billy's been chasin' 'coons for 50 years and he said this season has been "...the worst I've ever seen."

Jeff, Vince and I went Saturday night. We took three dogs and hunted the five places on Jeff's 250+ acres where we've always had good success. We hunted for three hours and the dogs didn't even pick up a scent. Susie and Jasper came walkin' back up out of the ravine on the last hunt like they were done with it.

We have no idea what the problem is, but we know there's no 'coons on Jeff's place. We suspect Parvo, Diptheria or Lyme's disease might have killed them off. Jeff and I haven't killed one on Curtis' place in two months. Like Jeff's place, the dogs can't even find a scent.

'Coons normally mate in late February. I can't help but wonder if there's no 'coons to mate, will there be kits this coming spring? It don't look good. It could take two or even three years for the population to recover.

See???? You were Ordained to come hunt Texas!

I came into this world kicking, screaming, and covered in someone elses blood. I plan to go out the same way.

See???? You were Ordained to come hunt Texas!Trey,
I don't recall ever seeing a coon in S. Texas. Do you even have them?
Of course, you could put Jim into them pigs, he can work a bolt action pretty fast.

"The trick is to stop thinking of it as 'your' money" (Tax Auditor)

Life is not waiting for the storm to subside, life is about learning to dance in the rain.

We have a lot of them here in Missouri ... but we had a big distemper outbreak about 10 years ago we didn't have very many coons for several years. Hope that's not whats going on there.

Trey,
I don't recall ever seeing a coon in S. Texas. Do you even have them?
Of course, you could put Jim into them pigs, he can work a bolt action pretty fast.In a pen full o' wild hogs? Here, hold my rifle an' hand me a coupla' them frags.

Jim, check with your local warden, There was a distemper outbreak last March in Fayetteville that required the county vet to put down all 106 dogs in their holding area so it may have jumped animal hosts.

I Cast my Boolits, Therefore I am Happy.

If it wasn't for car kills we'd be up to our hip pockets in coons in South West WI. I shot 10 of 'em under the bird feeder. There is a serious fur trapper who worked the area, and even still as soon as we get a day above freezing , the snow in the yard was full of coon tracks and my wife saw another one in the yard in broad daylight. Recently I came home from ice fishing after dark, and buried a bunch of fish in the snow to keep them from freezing. I brought some in to clean. When I needed more fish inside my fishin' partner went outside and was yellin', "Duke, where's a gun?" Heck he had to walk past two by the back door. I asked Jimmy what was wrong and he said a fat coon was stealin' a fish, but he run him off.

Duke

pleanty around here, not to worry they'll repopulate

Boolit Bub Join DateNov 2012Posts45

Season??? You have a designated time of the year to hunt coons???

Season??? You have a designated time of the year to hunt coons???You're surprised? Each state has it's own game laws and Virginia is no exception. 'Coons are classified as fur bearers and, yes, there's a season on them.

Boolit Master Join DateNov 2008Locationcoastal north carolinaPosts842

coon run in cycles. the population builds up and then distemper or encyphalitas comes in and about wipes them out and they slowly build back to a peak again. I have seen them laying under the den trees dead in the spring in wi. I have seen them walking around in the daytime acting like they could barely function. I don't know if a didease outbreak is a localized event or it covers a big area. They congrgate in the dens in the norhern states and if one is sick, they all get it. The ones that survive probably carry an immunity and pass it on so the stock stays healthy for a few years

Judging by road kill there are plenty of coons in N TX, probably no shortage down Trey's way. My favorite state park has more than a few, so many they make tent camping a bit of a challenge.

Life Member NRA, TSRA
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Jim,

Identify the recent northern transplants in your area. Stake out their decks where they are feeding the coons cause' they're so 'cute'.

In this area the numbers are down too. Hides at the international markets are shooting up again. I've gotten some reports of $45.00 to $60.00 for 4-6x size coon. Hide counts are down and demand is up so this means hi $$$. From Maryland down to Fl.,west to Texas is coat types. Ind., Ill., Ia.,semi-heavys ; northern teir Mi. west to Montana are heavys. The Russians and Chinese are buying up every rat, coon, possum, and yote they can get their hands on.

Every area has up and down years. Temps, rain, snow, dry spells, food, disease, and 'us' make the difference. Here, like 2 years ago you couldn't drive 2 miles with out seeing 3-4 coon road kills. We would almost cry seeing all the money going to waste. Because of this happening more and more is one reason I stopped buying fur. These cycles seem like they are happening more often than say 15-20 years ago. Guess it's Al Gores fault, at least that's who I'm blameing.

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