Coon hunting in the civil war

[-Zach-]

I my self am the owner of a walker coon hound.I would like to start taking it to events when I take on the role of a civilian.I have seen pictures of some coon dogs in the civil war but I would like a little more information.If anyone has any information on coon hounds or coon hunting in the civil war it would be greatly appreciated if you would share.Whether it be what kind of collar they wore or leash they used or what so if anybody has any information on not only coon dogs but regular dogs in general in the civil war please share with me.

[reddcorp]

Re: Coon hunting in the civil war

Just make sure that the folks that you will be around are ok with a canine friend about. I've seen horses shy when yipped at by a dog, had dogs crap in camp and other annoyances. Now don't get me wrong, I am a confirmed dog lover, but as well-behaved as you may believe your hound to be, it may not be so when around lots of folks, horses and loud noises and may not be appreciated by one and all.

Andy Redd

[Tyler Underwood]

Re: Coon hunting in the civil war

Mr. Wiles, let me do some checking I might have some information.

[Tyler Underwood]

Re: Coon hunting in the civil war

The book Outdoor Recreation & Leisure in 19th Century America has alot about hunting and hounds. Not much on coon hunting but plenty of great info. http://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Recrea...entury+america

[MissMia]

Re: Coon hunting in the civil war

At wagon camp during the 150th Shiloh, there was a dog (period correct breed) in camp and it was great...animals add so much to events.

[Hank Trent]

Re: Coon hunting in the civil war

Search google books for raccoon hunting, coon hunting, raccoon hunt, etc., especially if you include just post-war accounts, up to 1880, say. There are several stories. The usual method involved listening to the dogs, following to where they had treed the coon, then cutting down the tree. Possum hunting will also give some similar stories, though possums weren't considered as challenging to hunt as coons.

I agree with Mia--dogs and other animals add a lot to events.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Hank Trent]

Re: Coon hunting in the civil war

I'm bumping this old thread to see if Zach or anyone has pro or con advice about coonhounds specifically, at events. A few weeks ago, we adopted an abandoned brindle coonhound. We didn't get her to necessarily take to events, but I'm just curious if it would be possible or useful.

At home, she lives under the porch, goes off hunting on her own a few times a day, then sleeps in the front yard, but we're working on basic stuff like come to a whistle, walk on a leash in town, etc.

Problem is, for the first few events, I'd want to take her close to home so I could leave easily if she got too stressed. That means I'd need a stand-alone impression (don't know anyone around here to cooperate with on a scenario), and the situation would be one-on-one civilian living history interpretation in town talking to the public, with her on leash or chain, rather than letting her tag along loose in the woods.

So, how have folks fit a coonhound into civilian living history, where there are no actual coons/deer/slaves to hunt or no home/commissary/wagon to guard? What's your premise for being there? What do you do all day? Any suggestions?

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Spinster]

Re: Coon hunting in the civil war

Hank, if this is a spectator event, you'll get an lot of 'pet the doggy' interaction, which has its drawbacks if the dog isn't into that and doesn't give room for much other conversation, unless you drum conversation about his hunting prowess and take a side trip to the Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Cemetery for back ground research http://www.coondogcemetery.com/index.html I promise, there's grist for the mill to be found there.

Working dogs with a purpose are a delight, but those without one are unhappy and bored. Likely the best example I've seen was Mrs. Simpson's bloodhound who, to quote her 'just laid around Perryville and stunk'. This was true until the dog went into the Kisatchie and became A Dog With a Job. She established a perimeter around the camp-three of them, an inner one, where she touched every tent/person in a 50 yard circle, a middle one, where she could be seen, and a long perimeter in which we knew she was 'out there' several hundred yards, circling through the woods. She herded cattle and chickens and children, and encouraged hog to move along, nothing to see here.

How one gives a working dog any sort of freedom in a LH setting when there is no work is a difficult task. Now, if the dog just sleeps in the sun, then you can tell lies about him all day long.

[ButtermilkRanger]

Re: Coon hunting in the civil war

As a lifelong coonhunter and houndsman, I've studied the history of tree hounds in America pretty extensively and I take the historical bloodlines of my hounds very seriously. Your Treeing Walker, as a UKC registered breed didn't exist in America until the 1950s. However, the Walker coonhound (which is historically closely related to the Bluetick and English breeds) in America predates the settlement of the colonies. Many of the founding fathers, including George Washington and Patrick Henry, were houndsmen.

Coon hunting during the time of the civil war would have probably been extremely well known by practically every rural civilian in America. It was quality entertainment as well as a means of income and sustenance. Most rural families had hounds around, so I personally think you bringing a Walker to an event would be a great touch and extremely under represented in a civilian impression.

As for gear, most early houndsmen had their pack trained to the horn (read cow horn here) and a well handled pack of hounds didn't need collars or leashes. However, I have seen pictures of Ben Lilly and several of his hounds and they sometimes had collars. Most of the accounts I've seen of collars (which are extremely rare) mention a simple strip of leather held together on each end with wire. Leashes, when used, were likely just a leather strap or piece of hemp rope passed through the collar and looped back into an eye splice or slip knot. I guess if you want to be safe, a plain leather collar, hand stitched with period correct buckles and a simple ring or dee would be fine. The leash would be a simple leather strap with a period correct snap on the end. I think a cavalry link strap hook would work extremely well.

I do some hunting horseback and I've hunted mountain lion out west with hounds. I carry a leash to tie a particular dog at the tree if they're young and not likely to stick while the older dogs are treed, but I seldom use a leash when I'm mounted. The dogs will normally just follow my horse or mule out when I call them. When I hunt on foot, I find that I need to leash the best dogs and lead them out to keep them from striking another track and making me hunt all night. Younger dogs will just follow behind. Almost none of the big game hunters I know out west use leashes at all. Collars are used more to carry a name plate and give you something to grab under the tree than anything else.

Sorry this was so long and I just rambled.

[ButtermilkRanger]

Re: Coon hunting in the civil war

By the way, if your hound is a pet and behaves like a pet, you shouldn't have anymore trouble at an event as anyone else who brings a dog to an event. Of course he's going to have a sense of smell better than the average dog and that may be problematic at dinner time if he decides to go investigate what the other camps have on the cook fire. His natural instinct to slay cats may kick in should one happen in camp, but if he doesn't give you a problem with cats at home, then he probably won't do it in camp.

My hounds aren't pets, but I wouldn't hesitate to bring them to an event in certain situations. They aren't aggressive toward people or other animals (excepting the occasional house cat and wild game), have been around horses and mules since birth and are extremely loyal and would mostly just lounge around my camp all day. However, I wouldn't bring mine because of the fear of losing them. When it gets dark, they're going to go hunting with our without me and that hunt may take them several miles from camp and across a multitude of modern hazards, namely highways. They are also extremely curious and will go nosing around (literally) anywhere in camp their sense of smell takes them.

[Hank Trent]

Re: Coon hunting in the civil war

Hank, if this is a spectator event, you'll get an lot of 'pet the doggy' interaction, which has its drawbacks if the dog isn't into that and doesn't give room for much other conversation, unless you drum conversation about his hunting prowess and take a side trip to the Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Cemetery for back ground research http://www.coondogcemetery.com/index.html I promise, there's grist for the mill to be found there.

Working dogs with a purpose are a delight, but those without one are unhappy and bored.

That's my concern. For me as well as her, LOL! I don't know what specific event I'd take her to yet, but I think she'd be okay with lots of petting and kids. She seems to like kids and is friendly to anybody we're friendly to. After a quiet life loose in the country, though, not sure if all the people and excitement would be fun or eventually wear her down, not to mention the strange noises and smells, so need to test it.

But even aside from that, I'm stumped at a historic premise. Why are I and my hounddog just hanging out all day near an army camp in 186x?

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Hank Trent]

Re: Coon hunting in the civil war

However, I wouldn't bring mine because of the fear of losing them. When it gets dark, they're going to go hunting with our without me and that hunt may take them several miles from camp and across a multitude of modern hazards, namely highways. They are also extremely curious and will go nosing around (literally) anywhere in camp their sense of smell takes them.

That's also my concern, and why I was curious about the special issues with taking a coonhound, and why I'd want to keep her on leash or tied. Right now she only roams about a quarter mile away, which keeps her on our property and only crossing one lightly-used gravel road, but I don't know what she'll consider "her property" when away from home, besides all the potential traffic, etc. So I'd need a historic premise to keep her tied/leashed.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[lukegilly13]

Re: Coon hunting in the civil war

Hank
This may be a little farbish, however....have you considered an invisible fence? You would have to find a creative way to disguise the collar but they make units where you can set the roam distance. If you hid the central unit in the right place no one would know it was there except your dog if it ventured too far. Obviously an invisible fence is not period, but neither are the cars you are going to have to protect her from.
If you decided to tie her up, I saw pictures on Facebook of Nick Duvall dog tack. They were not specifically period, but the tools are there, the creativity and talent are there... He might be willing.
Maybe you could modify cavalry tack to use as a lead and harness.
Just some thoughts.

[ButtermilkRanger]

Re: Coon hunting in the civil war

I've seen antebellum and even 18th Century paintings of hounds in France with collars on that are very close to our current configurations. I can even make you one here if you're interested. They were just a simple heavy leather collar with brass hardware and a brass d-ring to tie or snap to. A period leash would be a length of hemp rope with an eye splice braided in one end or a solid leather leash with a cavalry snap sewn to one end and probably a hand loop on the other.

If you're going to tie her in camp, especially at night or for any length of time, I'd recommend a length of period correct chain (good luck finding any) or hemp rope if she's not prone to chewing her way free. I normally use about 20' of chain here at the farm, but in camp, 10' or so would do. I don't have any documentation for tying a hound out, but I know it's been done in my family at least as far back as my great grandparents at the end of the 19th century and I hardly think they invented the practice.

[faabala]

Re: Coon hunting in the civil war

A possible premise to be near camp could be searching for the lost hound. Of course that might set you up for suspicion of spying. Soldiers were know for picking up stray dogs.