Coon hunting in pines

wildcat3

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
All my good spots are tied up until after deer season except for a couple of hunt clubs which are mostly pine plantations. Is it worth hunting or is it a waste of time? There are a couple small creeks in the middle but overall it's a pine plantation/thicket. I had given some thought to putting some feeders out and hoping to tree a coon or two on what few hardwoods were in there.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I have quite a bit and will again this year hunt the Sandhills area. I have had good success hunting pines, they forage out in there and especially if there are blackjacks out in them. I cheat and road hunt my dogs usually since we have all kind of paths through the places. If you have them (roads/paths) ride them and look for tracks, see if it looks worthwhile. If it does go for it. If it doesn't try it a few times anyway just to see if they are there but avoiding the roads.

One place that I got out of a couple years ago was actually full of coons but there wasn't much in between in many places. You were primarily in pines or in those dreaded heads and they were hell to get to your dog treed and many times when you did they were so thick you still couldn't see over your head to see the coon up in the tree so I finally gave it up. I recently got in another club that had considerably more "fringe" area.
 
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wildcat3

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Well that's more encouraging. Any place to hunt during deer season is worth a try, even if I do have to drive to Ellerbe. I've been riding around some tracts at Uwharrie also lookin for a couple of spots to hunt during deer season. I'll probably just drive to the club and put out feeders.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
I think I still have some if the 5 gallon dog food feeders I made back when I chased them things,,,,kept the pesky deer off my coon bait!!
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
The good thing is the club I joined feeds the heck out of deer, thus they will be feeding coons. I know I can find them somewhere in those areas. Personally unless I am messing with young dogs I don't like feeders because the likelihood of just popping one up is fairly high.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
You may want to check some of the ex Alcoa land, I can't remember who bought them out adjacent to the river/lakes down around TuckerTown on both sides and all the way down to the upper end of Badin. All up the lower lying areas of those creeks. If you aren't familiar get a map and figure out how to access it from the road, there is plenty of access.

I'll warn you, it won't be prime coon hunting as far as walking because most of it has been timbered in the past 15 years to recent but coons are thick along that river and lake. With hide prices being almost worthless not many hunters are going to extend the energy to hunt it if they have any place else and the same for trappers.
 

wildcat3

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
I know the area you're talking about pretty well. Not sure why but I've never hunted it. I've known some people that have hunted over here a few years ago and treed some coons. I guess one of the main reasons I've never hunted it was because I was reluctant to hunt pines. Like Ncat and others have said though pines will hold coons. With more time to hunt this fall than I've had the last couple of years I'm hoping to find out for myself
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
I don't have a coon dog, but my running buddy does. We have hunted about every where, in the pine plantations the problem we had the most was like nccatfisher had at one club. It would be so thick, you would not know if the coon was their or it had done tapped on us. GPS with aerials has saved us a many of walk through the thick stuff, too!
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
,,,,,,,,,,, GPS with aerials has saved us a many of walk through the thick stuff, too!


oh man, that got me thinking of technology,,,,,

imagine a good drone, with IR,,,,or better yet thermal,,,,and a .22 rimfire mounted and sighted with the center of the thermal (could even have a small X there),,,,,,fly to the tree,,,,inspect for raccoon,,,,shot it,,,falls out of tree,,,,,

need to train the cur/hound like my oldest beagle - to retrieve,,,,,,,

may have to take coonhunting back up!!


I know,,,probably unlawful or soon will be,,,,,,,dang,,,,,,,,
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
oh man, that got me thinking of technology,,,,,

imagine a good drone, with IR,,,,or better yet thermal,,,,and a .22 rimfire mounted and sighted with the center of the thermal (could even have a small X there),,,,,,fly to the tree,,,,inspect for raccoon,,,,shot it,,,falls out of tree,,,,,

need to train the cur/hound like my oldest beagle - to retrieve,,,,,,,

may have to take coonhunting back up!!


I know,,,probably unlawful or soon will be,,,,,,,dang,,,,,,,,

Minus the shooting, that could be an good idea.

Might have to get that thermal imaging unit just to see, if that ol' boy is telling the truth or not. Heck, half the fun is being in the woods any how. Listen to the hound, fellowship and a walk through the woods, who wants to tote all those coons out any how. LOL
 
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