Waterbury Democrat., 1902-12-12
COON HUNTING IN VERMONT.
Willy Ways in the Chase.

It is almost as useless to go hunting coons without a gun as without q dog. The dog does the greater part or the work, and 1t Is as great pleasure 10 watch him do it as to catch the coon. This is where the Vermonter loses his prestige, for good coon dogs are much more rare than the coons. And this was the strong point with the local hunters, who had such success in their operations this year. Only full-blood- ed hound will serve the purpose, and oftentimes it is difficult to train them to restrain themselves to this variety of game. Most dogs cannot resist the temptation to take up ribbit trail, or that of fox or skunk. Even the best trained hounds cannot resist the temptation to tackle a hedgehog now and then, until they have suffered the consequences enough times to teach them better.
 The little hamlet of Wardsborough presents one of the most picturesque sections of Vermont. It is set into the Green mountains, in the beautifully faStile val ey of the West river, and is about twenty-three miles northwest Of Brattleboro, being reached by the mar row gauge road out of Brattleboro. It was not discovered that this section of the state abounded in coons until a few years ago. when a Massachusetts man went up there to visit friend and in- cidentally took a night out hunting for coons. The visitor had q dog that had been trained in the west for hunting these animals, and they were surpris- cd to find that the coons were only waiting to be shot. Since that time a few good dogs have been imported into the state and the hosts of the To- cal hunters were in possession of one of the best of these. The farmers do not object to having these animals shot in as large numbers as one de- sires. for the "yarmints" steal their corn and otherwise raise havoc with the crops. and there is no prohlbitiVe law in any season. Some day when they find that. the coons make the state attractive to hunters the legisIa- ture may spend day or two framing law to prevent such sweeping de- struction of the animals as that ac- plished this year
 The coon lies in his burrow and sleeps through the day, and his first impulse when he awakes is to. get to the brook or river and quench his thirst, which might indicate that he spent the previous night out After he has satiated his thirst he makes for the neareFt cornfield for his evening meal. Early in the season, before the corn is ripe enough to suit his taste, the coon will satisfy himself with beechnuts. but corn is his favor ite dish. The local hunters started every coon they got in a large corn field, but, as is always the case, the field was not far from big ledge, where the coon makes his home.
 When being chased the coon has the shrewdness of the fox. and he will con- trive many clever methods of throw ing the dogs off the scent. The most common is to jump into the stream, and, swimming down the river, escape to the other side. The dogs are, of course, unable to catch the scent in the river, and they are often worried for hours in this way before they can again locate the trail. Another favorite method is to retrace his steps and to make the trail as tortuous as possi-