The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-12-12
A MISSOURI COON HUNT.
FOREST SPORT AFTER wloHr
SETS IN.
Graphic Account Of Night q Southern nls.
sosri With . Pack Of Dogs sad Lots
Of Enthuslasm-Some Pointers
a. 10 How It's Done.

A writer in that best OF all sports.
mans papers. Forest and Stream, says:
Let inc here relate some points about
western coon hunting. l notice one
article in Forest and Stream that
speaks OF the hunter ascending the
tree and then shooting the coon. This
may be all right in the east, but in
Southern Missouri. where 1 hunted
last spring, it is considered as un-
sportsmanlise to shoot coon as It
would be to shoot pheasant on the
ground.
Alter the coon is treed the first thing
to 40 is Cf the treo permits) to climb
tho tree and get as near to the beast
rs possible, but If one had to shake
him out he would find his hands pretty
full. In fact. unless the tree was quito
small it would be almost impossible to
do SO. The thing to do then, after
reaching the proper place in the tree,
Is to break off limb as long and as
straight as possible; on tho end of this
put your hunting cap and thrust it out
toward the coon. lie is Immediately
paralyzed with fear, he does not wait
to jump out, but literally falls back
ward of tho limb to the ground,
Often large "boar" coon no sooner
secs one coming up into his
section Of the trees than with
an angry growl he starts down to meet
the intruder; but once get your cap on
stick, poke it at him, and all OF his
boldncss is gone and no usually goes
with it to tho ground. Most hunters
carry stick up the tree with them,
by putting it down the leg of their
hnnt Az" o'f' -..;ao r.,rroa .--,----
good stick and is just about the right
length. 1t is really better to carry
tho stick Up with you. for If the coon
is an cid one he is liable to show fight,
and 1t is II good thing to have your
stick ready. remember we'll the last
hunt | took before leaving Missouri.
1t was during the latter part of April
and the sap was pretty we'll up in the
trees. The night was very dark and
cloudy. one Of those nights when it
seems as though 1t would rain but could
not. The hounds started IL trail and
had not run it ten minutes when we
heard the leader bark "treed." On
going to the spot VIC found the whole
puck OF nine beagles and foXhounds
whining and baying up IL large water
oak. The night was SO dark and the
limbs OF tho tree so thick that the
coon could not bo seen. | started to
climb the tree and hnd almost reached
the top when l heard an angry growl
and saw pair OF shining green eyes
coming down toward me. l graspcd
the first limb that could find and tried
to wrench it OIL, but being green, il
was not ut all inclined to come. The
coon was almost at my elbow. saw
could not brcak tho limb, so turned
and strrrk him sull in the face with
my fist, Down he went right in the
middle Of the bowling pack. Well. he
a tho dogs busy for almost an hour,
assure you they were protty
looking sight when no coon was done
for Old Ben. our jach rabbit dog, had
piece of his ear torn off as big as II
quarter. and our leader, 1.-The Old
dan.' had been bitten through the hip
nd was almost covered with blood.
ihe other dogs had their share of
wounds, too. fancy can see them
now by the dim light Of the lantern in
the depths of tho gloomy bottom for
est, standing around tho dead coon,
painting and wagging their tails as
much us to say 1--WE are the stuff"
Well. after the excitement was all over
l found that too had been injured in
the scuffie. The knuckles OF my right
hand carry 8 scar to-day where my fist
came i'll contact with the coon's teeth
when l struck him in the face.