Coon hunting smaller tracts

wildcat3

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Most of my spots are smaller tracts say 30-50 acres each. With deer season going out so I'll be getting cranked up. In a perfect world I'd cast the dogs and follow them wherever they went. However that won't work where I hunt without everyone around me and adjoining neighbor getting pissed off and likely loosing what few spots I have left to hunt. I know the opinion of feeders by most on here but I don't have much choice but to use them to keep my dogs on half decent tracks in the woods I have to hunt. Just curious what some of y'all do who don't have 1,000s of acres to hunt. do you run multiple feeders ? just looking for ideas on some things to do to save some headaches and keep my dogs as safe as I can.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
50 acres is about as small as I will turn out on. Any smaller is just asking for trouble. And you have to be of the mindset that you have to be willing to turn your dog off the quarry at the line then. The hunters that aren't willing to do that don't need to hunt small tracts.

I have my dogs trained that a short tone means turn a long tone means come back. Of course if one gets belligerent I can provide extra reinforcement but my mature dogs don't usually ever need that. My younger female has tried me a couple times but she is a quick study.
 
Last edited:

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I was wondering about that the other day nccatfisher - about what the minimum property size is you turn out on. Are there any other property requirements? Mature timber, water, highways, etc.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I was wondering about that the other day nccatfisher - about what the minimum property size is you turn out on. Are there any other property requirements? Mature timber, water, highways, etc.
I prefer it to have water on it and interstates or big highways give me the creeps. I have one place that is right beside 85 and is 150 acres and of course there is several hundred acres of Alcoa adjacent to it. Of course they have the field fencing on the interstate side and I can control my dogs as I have stated but I absolutely hate hunting this tract, for numerous reasons. One, the obvious is the traffic hazard, and two you can't hardly hear the dogs for the noise.

It is loaded with coons but quite frankly one of my last choices that I will go to.

My favorite is big woods with creeks running through them. But of course in this day and time I don't get to be choosy often. Clearcuts are my absolute nightmare.
 
Last edited:
Top