Registered: Oct 2015
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 51

Haven't seen a real live coon since February. Lots of running/hunting, hardly any good tracks, occasional den trees. Went last night and didn't even get a bark. Is anybody else having issues getting one stirred up? The dogs can and do tree coons, but for some reason March sucks for me...really bad. Young dog just came back from being hunted for a month and was cranking, treeing coons every night. Now he can't seem to find a track. Want to keep hunting him, but don't want to set him up for failure. He won't tree any in the kennel, so I guess I'm at the mercy of Mother Nature.

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Jon Durbin
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Registered: Dec 2003
Location: Sheridan, WY
Posts: 1157

I think I've hurt young dogs pushing them too much when conditions weren't good. But it is a fine line to get it right.... of course finishing out young dogs was never my specialty.

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Registered: Nov 2021
Location: MO
Posts: 176

We're still treeing coons here. Some dens, some on the outside. From the looks of the trail camera they are stirring early though. Try taking the young dog out just before dark, see if he picks up a hot track. And I agree with houndsound don't push too hard.

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Registered: Jun 2014
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 3433

My dog treed two last night. He went a mile to strike the first one and 1000 yards to strike the second one. Both cold tracks.

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Donald Bergeron

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Registered: Nov 2014
Location:
Posts: 100

Been seeing lots of coon in Illinois this past week.

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brandon smith

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Registered: Sep 2007
Location: Glenmont,Ohio
Posts: 1179

Not sure about the area you are in , but in scarce coon areas (not so much in Ohio) I’ve found them to move around to food source making them in “pockets” . Can get after one in one area , then a couple miles away you may see/tree a couple in short order. Just a thought

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Registered: Oct 2015
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 51

Central KY is where I am. Not much by way of food sources right now around here. Water is the best place with crawdads, frogs, fish, etc., just hard to find a place that hasn't been dogged to death since Oct 1. Ol coons get smart if they don't get killed around here. Rumor has it the sows are already denned up with kits, part of me is starting to believe it. I think something happened to our coon population this past year, too. Not seeing as many hit on the road, fewer being treed than normal. At least that's the case where I hunt. Could also be a lack of dog power on my part!

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Jon Durbin
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Registered: Jul 2021
Location: Tenn.
Posts: 262

Coons arent thick where i live and march and late feb have been slower than normal. But its always been that way here for whatever the reason.Im treeing a coon alot of the times but sometimes i dont.May sound dumb but when i have a bad night and my hound hunts hard and dont say a word or walk me to a slick tree i still go home kinda satisfied .Thats the kind of bad night you want to have instead of making slick trees and running deer,fox,coyote etc.ha.Here in Tn TWRA and turkey hunters are at war with coons.Coons seem to be the only reason the turkey population is down to them.Ive heard of contest similar to meat hunts where who brings in the most dead coons wins no matter how you kill them.Theyve raised the kill limits and made the seasons longer.I hope coonhunters arent dumb enuff to fall for their plan to kill the coons out.Sadly alot are.All the other predators that kill turkeys dont seem to enter there minds.Im sure hawks ,owls,bobcats,foxes,and others kill more turkeys than coons.

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Registered: Sep 2015
Location:
Posts: 201

I live in the same region you do and march is always tough. Breeding season is done so coons aren’t traveling and yes females are staying close to food since they are pregnant. Good exercise for the dogs though.

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Registered: Jul 2021
Location: Tenn.
Posts: 262

Coons sure were fat and healthy in my part of TN this year.And had the best squirrel population ive seen in 4 yrs.Thats what a good acorn crop will do for you.More acorns this year than ive ever seen.Now if the squirrels would stay out of the road there should be some to tree next year.Cant figure out why they like the road.Had a fun winter this year.Hate to see it end.

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Registered: Mar 2006
Location: southern mich
Posts: 64

it was up and down for me in michigan for the month of february. alot of tough tracks through out the month. ended up with 31 coons seen, 27 dens, and 12 misses. they seem to be out and about more the last couple weeks

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Hillsboro,ohio
Posts: 929

I don't have very many coons around here, too many killing them right now when they are haveing their young, after a while there ain't much, left, to run, dead coons don't leave any tracks. And food is hard to come by for coons, this time of the year, i would put out feeder buckets, with dog feed in them, it makes more coons, to train a young dog with.

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Last edited by JOE H BROOKS on 03-24-2024 at 09:16 AM

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Registered: Mar 2006
Location: SW Nebraska
Posts: 165

Coons didn't seem to be moving at my location in SW Nebraska up until the first week of March. I have a young dog that is 10 months old I am hunting. I kept hauling him for exercise through the tough times, worked on the basics and routine of getting out there. Fast forward to the third week of March he is treeing and finding coons with a intensity he had yet to show me. Cut him loose now and expect him to get treed or have one caught in short order. Time and patience paid off for this one.

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