MY FIRST COON HUNT. 



H. L. KRUEDER. 



A few weeks ago my friends Mr. P and 

 Mr. S. and I were basking in the rays of a 

 warm autumn sun, while watching the play 

 of a litter of Beagle puppies, by Ch. Roy K. 

 and Lonely II., when the oft referred to 

 sport of coon hunting was brought up and 

 we then and there agreed to undertake such 

 an event. 



The details were left in my charge and I 

 at once sent for Snyder, the best all around 

 hunter in this section of the country, and 

 arrangements were soon completed. For 

 two weeks we discussed the probable hard- 

 ships and chances for accidents, with con- 

 siderable real apprehension. At last how- 

 ever the time for starting arrived. Snyder 

 with his two record breaking coon dogs, 

 called Carl and Scot, led the march. A 

 young man nearly 6 feet in his stockings, 

 with a pair of tree climbers and a lantern 

 came next. My friends and I followed 

 with two lanterns, a gun and 5 sandwiches. 



We headed south and after a sharp walk 

 for 15 minutes Snyder gave orders to 

 light up, and in the woods we went. We 

 had hardly proceeded 500 feet when we 

 heard the greatest scrambling and crack- 

 ling of twigs, without being able to detect 

 the cause. Snyder said it was a herd of 

 young cattle. We acce'pted the explana- 

 tion, asked no further questions and soon 

 moved on toward timber land, on a ridge. 



Snyder had hunted the coon in these 

 woods, many times, and apparently knew 

 all the wood-roads and cross cuts in them. 



The dogs here gave tongue, at least 

 Scot did, but Snyder did not appear to 

 take much stock in his say-so without the 

 endorsement of his old reliable Carl. 



The tramping in these woods was dry 

 and clear underneath and barring fallen 

 trees, rocks and stumps, comparatively lit- 

 tle inconvenience was experienced except- 

 ing by my friend Mr. P. who was carrying 

 the gun and who was perspiring freely. 



Snyder said he was making for a favorite 

 coon tree and we naturally expected to find 

 Mr. Coon and family at home awaiting our 

 visit. 



The climber here adjusted his irons and 

 up he went. Repeated knocks and calls, at 

 various holes in the tree, failed to bring any 

 response. 



Just then old Carl began to give tongue, 

 about a quarter of a mile distant. Every- 

 body up and away. 



Now Scott was saying something in an- 

 other direction and Snyder said he must 

 be monkeying with rabbits. 



Carl's voice sounded soft and not eager, 

 yet we heeded it and followed. Now the 

 roads and paths were practically ignored 



and the pace grew stronger through 

 bushes and briars and barb wire fences. 

 Carl kept on tonguing and we did not ap- 

 pear to get any nearer. Snyder seemed 

 troubled and began speculating as to what 

 it was Carl had ahead of him and where he 

 would land it. 



About an hour and a half was consumed 

 like this, it being then about 11 o'clock, 

 when we came within easy distance of 

 Carl and found him occasionally tonguing, 

 on the banks of the Pascack Creek, with 

 pasture land on either bank. Now Snyder 

 said it was a mink who was crossing and 

 re-crossing the stream. Here Scot joined 

 old Carl and together they were evidently 

 trailing something. 



We sat down on moist leaves and waited. 

 In a little time both dogs returned to the 

 woods and were coming towards us. 

 Right here we detected the peculiar and not 

 particularly pleasant odor of a skunk and 

 found the dogs were trailing the animal. 



When the dogs were within 500 feet of us, 

 then going with much more vim and voice 

 than at any time previous they turned and 

 led off to the right. 



We reached a high knoll in the woods, 

 with a small valley below us, and sat down 

 to listen to the dogs, who were now ap- 

 parently very much excited and constantly 

 giving tongue. They travelled clear 

 around and below us and then about 100 

 yards from where we sat, they began bark- 

 ing sharp; and running around. Every- 

 thing was bustle and excitement in a mo- 

 ment, when we realized that the game was 

 treed and all kinds of game was mentioned 

 and thought of as being what the dogs had 

 up. 



Snyder was first at the particular tree 

 and urged the dogs on to show him the 

 correct one. Both dogs barked up a cer- 

 tain tree, about 30 inches in diameter. We 

 backed away and by holding lanterns be- 

 hind us, we were enabled to make out a 

 " bunch " about 40 feet up. in a smaller 

 tree. 



Snyder called for the gun, aimed steady 

 and long and then banged. All was quiet, 

 when he banged again. I thought I saw 

 the eyes glisten, and then thought the 

 bunch moved. Snyder banged again and 

 then declared it was funny. Our boy 

 climber was then ordered up the big tree 

 tq_see what the smaller one had in it. When 

 about 30 feet up he shouted that it was a 

 bunch of dry leaves. Then everybody felt 

 blue and our chances for getting a coon 

 appeared very slim. 



Snyder however ordered the boy to go 

 further up the big tree, which he did slowly 



281 



