The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-05-23
GENUINE COON DOGS.


coons, coon hunting, and coon dogs.
"Every hunter at some time or other
has his ideal dog, and the genuine
coon hunter never wearies of re-
counting incidents of the past, and
especially does he love to extol the
exploits of his 'old dog
"Contrary to the general opinion,
the coon dog cannot be good for
much unless he has all, or nearly all,
of the best qualities of the dog fam
lily. He must have intelligence,
courage, patience, endurance, and,
r ,aSs sE-tsss. sst-cr Tsst Pe~et a
iscsnting four footed game. ~ tb, ~
elements are rarely all developed in
a dog; of recessity good coon cogs
are rare. Some coon dogs run still
on the trail. That is, they do not
bark, reserving their voice as an
unerring signal that the game is freed.
There are advantages in this class.
The coon, having no notice that he is
pursued, has not the warning to
avoid danger, or to choose lodges,
bad trees, or water for the trail, as
the coon is pretty sure to do before
barking dog. My experience and
observation have been, though, that
the still running dogs are, as rule,
the weaker scented class, and conse-
quently not to be preferred to the
stronger scented, barking dogs. To
this rule, if it be one, there is a
singular and important exception. l
have known the best blooded and
best scented hounds, naturally track
barkers, to adopt, seemingly as the
result of a reasoning process, the
habit of still running.
No matter how hot or how cold the
trail may be when such dog finds it,
not sound escapes his throat. With
nose to the ground he glides like a
shadow through the dark forest. AS
he draws nearer to his game his
muscles grow tense. He steals like
a cat on his prey, until, suddenly,
with rush and roar, he is upon it.
Then the great caution of the willy
game succumbs to fear. The mother
coon and her family-as the quarry
is apt to be are instantly stampeded,
, and forced to seek the nearest tree,
be it large or small. In this way
whole flock of coons is sometimes
} secured. Still l prefer the music of
t the barking dog in the chase. He is
4 more entertaining animal in the
I woods than his silent, shadowy
brother, and, taking it all in ell, is
= the more successful of the two in the
q end.
"The retreat of an old coon before
: a barking dog is frequently finely
r executed affair. 1t is planned with
: deliberation and skill. 1t is con-
I Quoted with the inteut to puzzle and
retard the dog, and to throw him off
i entirely if possible. Over ledges,
along the tops of stone walls and rail
, fences the coon jumps and skips.
d Now he climbs tree, not to stay,
but to run to the extremity of some
:, long limb and jump from it to the
= ground again, making wild break
!, plunges into swsmps, and after a
+ tortuous travIrsing of their depths
s HES him back to the hills again. He
IS runs around the driest knolls,
i repeating his puzzling tactics over
y and over again. 1t is Oh such track
as this that the best test of the coon
,s dog is made. Here is where the
W cross breeds give up in despair,
n while the grand old hound keeps his
head and his nerve, perseveres, and
e secures the prize at last.
IS "a great mistake coon hunters
it almost universally make is letting
:. their dogs, after the coon has been
'e dislodged from the tree, fight the
d animal until it is killed. Nothing
II wears out a dog more than this.
The dog, of course, is anxious for a
se fight when the time comes. That is
y his reward for his long and persist
l. ent chase. He should have the fight.
10 ha Ip
ie crotched sticks. When the coor
Mt falls to the ground, get crotch ovel
to him as soon as possible and mole
l. him down. Let the dog have few
IN grips with him, and then you dispatcl
ry the coon. This will be perfectly sat
isfactory to the dog, and will b'
ne more humane to both dog and coon
of "a coon sho.ld never be left IL
r a tree by hunter after his dog ha
n succeeded in putting it up. HI
of should bay at the tree until morning
H. if necessary, and exhaust ever.
mt degree to get that coon before h
tie gives him up. Nothing so encoura
he ges dog to see and know that yo
he are willing to work as hard as he
mt to get the game. Nothing discoura
ges him more than to lose the gam
N, after he has brought it to bay. Th
of hunter must be true to his coon do
to if he expects the dog to be true t
1t; him. If he is satisfied of the SINGER
of ity and earnestness of his master
he the dog will work all the harder O
the trail, and when he trees the coo
he will stay at the tree until mornin