Coon Hunting Dogs
Before choosing which hound breed to use in your coon hunting sessions, please remember the basic qualities a good hound must meet. Your hound must have a high-developed sense of smell for raccoon, great desire to chase them, good mobility functions, increased resistance, has to be able to run through all types of terrain and most importantly, be loyal and obeying. Read on to find interesting fact about all the coon hound breeds.
Bluetick Coonhound - It is most probable that the Bluetick is mainly descended from the rapid England foxhounds with a few introductions of blood from various French hound breeds which were used for big game hunting. The French dogs were recognized as very cold nosed. Blueticks were first listed with U.K.C. as English. In 1946, at the demand of the Bluetick fans, U.K.C. started registering Blueticks as an independent breed.
Read more about the Bluetick Coonhound here
Plott Coonhound – Out of the 6 breeds of U.K.C. registered coonhounds, just the Plott Hound does not draw its lineage to the foxhound; and of all breeds, one can be most certain of the Plott’s legacy and the people accountable for its development. Ancestors of today’s Plott have been used for hunting boar in Germany some years ago. Jonathon Plott left his native German lands and came to the U.S. in 1750. He took a few boar hounds with him. These hounds had been bred for generations for their endurance, courage and gameness.
Read more about the Plott Coonhound here
Black and Tan Coonhound - The Black & Tan is a tracking breed that was broaden in the southern United States. This breed can mark out its direct ancestry in the American foxhound and the foxhound of Virginia of colonial times, with possibly the bringing in of a number of Bloodhounds. The last would not only clarify the Black and Tan’s coloration, but also its leaning towards being larger-boned than other hound breeds, the long ears, and its legendary cold nose. The American Black and Tan was the earliest breed of coonhounds acknowledged into registry with U.K.C. At the time when they were registered, in 1900 and for quite a few years after that, they were listed as American Black and Tan Fox Coonhounds.
Read more about the Black And Tan Coonhound here
English Coonhound - The English Coonhound was registered by U.K.C. in 1905, as English Fox and Coonhound. At that time the hounds were used much more on fox as compared with today’s situation. The name too reflects the resemblance between the American and the English Coonhound. In 1650, Robert Brooke brought his own pack of hounds from England. These dogs consisted in the foundation of the “Virginia Hounds”, from which English Coonhound of our present day developed. It was though, for the Americans to get these animals used to the rougher American terrain and type of weather. And it was the Americans that, using cautious breeding dogs, adapted the hounds to the American game, the coon, opossum, cougar and a diversity of genus of bear.
Redbone Coonhound – Some time ago, most coon hunters that had a red dog of unknown origins, but confirmed ability in tracking and treeing coons, called their dogs “Redbones”. Then a couple of dedicated breeders that were loyal both to the breed and the sport began a movement of choosy breeding to create a hound with the needed characteristics to make an improved coonhound and that would raise true to type in color and body conformation. As in the case of many other breeds, the ancestors of the Redbone were foxhounds. A certain Bloodhound cross is thought to have been done and it is also believed that blood of Irish hounds was brought in later. A natural treeing sense has been bred into the Redbone, which made them proficient in coon hunting. But they are as well skillful in sprawling and treeing bears, cougars and bobcats.
Read more about the Redbone Coonhound here
Treeing Walker Coonhound - The Treeing Walker was created from particular strains of English Walker Foxhounds. At least one key cross was done in the 19th century that would manipulate the breed forever. Walkers were initially registered with U.K.C. as a part of the English Coonhound breed. After that, in 1945, following the demand of Walker breeders, U.K.C. started registering them as a part breed - first as Walkers (Treeing) and later as Treeing Walkers.
Read more about the Walker Coonhound here
