One last hunt

[DANNY ELLER]

Well got out one last time Saturday night left at 7:30 and turned on the garmin drifter went east down the 2 track about 100 yds out turned 90* right told Ron he hit a track sure enough not 40 yds out he treed the first coon of the night. Sent it back to the truck and I walked on ahead a couple hundred yards and he went east on the garmin you could watch him work the track to the tree. coon 2 was on the ground before hauler got back. Sent him back to the truck again, with a little grumbling going on. I walked on down the trail drifter making a loop out front all of a sudden off he went for a long run came treed garmin said 465 yards out. Ron has a bad hip so I made this trip alone, ended at a 16 inch beach stub about 20 feet in the air (den tree). as I was praising him up all heck broke out had yotes on 3 sides of us they stayed just out of light range. Did not have to worry about drifter he never left my side till we got back to Ron and shot a few times. On down the trail to the end drifter put his head in the air and off he went about 300 yards and treed the biggest coon of my life. The elusive 30 lb. er we are 1/2 mile from the truck but this one has to hit the scales. hit one more den tree on the way. Got to the truck at about 10:30 and went home. Over night someone switched coons with us the 30 lb.er only went 19 pounds on the scale. Sure did feel bigger last night, That may of been the end for the year snowing hard with more to come. If it was not a bad way to end the year Dan

[Flooded Timber]

Sounds like a real nice time Danny. You gotta hate that guy that comes along and swaps critters in the middle of the night for smaller ones:lol:. Hope you had a great season...

[Whit1]

Many years ago a friend of mine had coon hounds. He would call me once or twice in the autumn to tag along on a hunt. I taught school at the time (am now retired) so I didn't stay out all night with him and his hounds. A night time coon hunt is one of the most exciting hunts I've ever been on. Trailing a hound, with your ears, on a coon in the pitch black of a crisp, late October night and then finding your way to the tree through all kinds of cover is an exciting experience.

There was one coon that took up residence behind the house (we are in rural Manistee County and our "block" is a square mile) that he nor any other coon hound guy could ever get. He would just keep going until he tired of the game and went into a very large den hole in a huge maple tree. We would follow the hounds just to see how that smart ol' boar (we always thought it was a very large, old male) would work to confuse the hounds. I can tell you it was some kind of trek. I only did it a couple of times and that was enough for me and Ed, the hound guy, as well. :lol:

Thanks for bringing back those memories.

[jackbob42]

It always amazes me how much weight those coon can gain on the way back to the truck. Only to have it " blown " off on the ride back home to the scales ! :yikes: