Youth coon hunt scheduled for Saturday in Heath Springs

Nine hunts will be held to qualify for state championship hunt in February

A youth coon hunt will be held in Heath Springs on Saturday, Dec. 13, sponsored by the Lancaster County Coon Hunters Association. It’s part of a series of nine youth coon hunts being held around South Carolina through February 2015, sponsored by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources and the S.C. Coon Hunters Association.

For more information on the Heath Springs youth coon hunt, contact Ross Mullis at 704-207-6319.

These youth coon hunts will serve as regional qualifying events for the State Youth Hunt Championship. The youth hunts are designed to teach ethics and sportsmanship through low-intensity competitive events. The top two hunters in each age bracket (6-12 and 13-17) and Sportsmanship winners will qualify for the annual South Carolina Youth Raccoon Hunting Championship at the Webb Wildlife Center in Hampton County in February 2015.

Youth can hunt in as many youth coon hunts as they want, and all events are free of charge.

These are non-harvest events, and guns will not be allowed. Each potential participant should contact the sponsoring club for information regarding specific hunts. Each applicant is also responsible for bringing a coon dog to the hunt and should be able to tell when his or her dog strikes and trees with minimal help from the adult.

Other upcoming youth coon hunt locations, dates and contacts are:

* Jan. 10, 2015 – Bowman, sponsored by Orangeburg County Coon Hunters Association. Contact: Elliott Shuler at 803-759-0089. AKC Youth Hunt.

* Jan. 24, 2015 – Norway, sponsored by Norway Coon Hunters Association. Contact: Mark Whetstone at 803-682-3011.

* Jan. 31, 2015 – Ridgeville, sponsored by Summerville Coon Hunters Association. Contact: Ed Kimmons at 843-619-5265. Limited to 24 entries.

* Feb. 7, 2015 – Newberry, sponsored by Whitmire Coon Hunters Association. Contact: Roger Enlow at 864-923-5431.

* February 2014 – State Championship Hunt, Webb Wildlife Center, Hampton County, S.C. Department of Natural Resources. Date to be announced. Contact: Jay Butfiloski or Patty Castine at 803-734-3609. Hunters must qualify at one of the regional hunts to participate.

For more information on the youth coon hunting series, call 803-734-3609.