The sound of hounds on a hot trail at night is one that many South Carolina hunters enjoy.
What is the oldest sporting tradition related to using hounds to pursue wild game? Likely that would be fox hunting, which has at least a few centuries of history in Europe.
Somehow, after the Revolutionary War and “that late unpleasantness” it has become popular in the woods of South Carolina to turn loose hounds to “strike” and tree raccoons. Whether the coons are actually harvested or simply “counted,” the late night call of the hounds has no equal among its supporters.
Since coon hunting only takes place at night, it makes sense that its devoted followers have to come up with something to do during downtime — also known as the workday. No dog-tired working man will pass on the opportunity to turn loose his hounds on a night when the conditions are right. And once turned loose, there is no guarantee when the hounds will be recovered or how deep in the swamp they might be found. Coon hunters joke that they end up in the darkest part of the woods, after fighting through the thickest briars and navigating thigh-deep waters. But it’s all good.Click here to read more on Coons by Nite Lite
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