Chasing Tails -- Chasing Fun

COURTESY PHOTO Three McDonald County youth desperately hang on to their “adopted” coon dog during the “Barking Battle” segment of the daylong of activities at the Young Outdoorsmen United youth rabbit and coon hunt held Jan. 17 near Southwest City.
COURTESY PHOTO Three McDonald County youth desperately hang on to their “adopted” coon dog during the “Barking Battle” segment of the daylong of activities at the Young Outdoorsmen United youth rabbit and coon hunt held Jan. 17 near Southwest City.

Nearly 75 area youth ages five through 18 gathered Jan. 17 under perfect weather conditions near Southwest City to participate in "Cottontails, Coons, and Chili."

The get-together was hosted by the Young Outdoorsmen United organization of McDonald County. Kids experienced chasing cottontails, tracking raccoons and learning the different barking communications of coon hounds through various hands on seminars. The bash concluded with a guided live coon hunt.

The afternoon kicked off at 2:30 p.m. with a demonstration of pursuing rabbits with a brace of champion beagles provided by Martin McNeely, of Choteau Okla., a member of the Sooner State Beagle Club. The energetic kids were introduced to the breed of dogs, their traits and their capabilities. Within a few short minutes, hounds could be heard wailing and kids whooping and hollering, as they all were running through the wooded thicket in pursue of their game. After spying a couple of cottontails and an hour of tracking and trailing rabbits, the guides, kids and dogs all had an admired appreciation of each other.

The next phase of the day's activities was the "Barking Battle." This segment gave all the youngsters the opportunity to "adopt" a hound and compete against other dogs to determine which ones barked the most in one minute timed intervals. A 15 foot circle was painted on the ground around a single tree and a live raccoon in a wire cage was hoisted to the top. Individually, the kids held their adopted dog at bay until a judge with a stopwatch signaled them to release their dog. As soon as the dog crossed into the circle, the time began while two judges counted the number of barks. Dogs that left the inside of the circle were eliminated.

"My dog couldn't wait to get inside the circle," shouted 10-year-old Braxton Bishop, of Pineville. "He pulled so hard, he drug us to the ground, but we didn't let go."

Top honor went to the dog named Check who barked 126 time in the allotted time frame.

After the "Barking Battle," the kids were given a demonstration how the dogs track raccoons by using their sense of smell. A 250-yard scent trail was laid down on the ground by using a cotton rag drenched with raccoon urine and drug to the barking tree circle. Teams of dogs were placed at the starting line, turned loose, to establish which ones were the fastest at following the scent and entering the circle first. Multiple races were conducted with all the kids cheering for their adopted hounds.

"Our dog did good today," said Ember Killion, of Southwest City. "He barked a lot and was super fast. Me and my sisters (River and Sydney) really like coming to all the events."

All the fun and games worked up a big appetite for the kids, parents, instructors and volunteers. A crowd of over 125 gathered around a huge cast iron kettle of ham and beans prepared on an open fire, while 15 gallons of chili were waiting to be consumed, alone with 25 pounds of potatoes that were peeled and fried for everyone to enjoy.

Andrew Moritz, 8, from Rocky Comfort, said, "I missed out on the fried potatoes...when will the next batch be done?" He then parked himself next to the chef and waited patiently for his plateful. When he noticed the dutch oven skillet was nearly done he gasped, "finally."

The crisp evening air prompted a great big bonfire where families, friends and coon hunting guides gathered to satisfy their hunger and prepare for the last event of the day, a live coon hunt with dogs and guides. Others assembled inside the heated building to enjoy their meal, snacks and drinks.

As the moon and stars shined in the clear winter night, sounds of dogs being loaded into the back of pickup trucks and kids squealing who was going to find the most coons could be heard echoing through the air. Beams of light from flashlights and headlamps were bopping up and down, back and forth as the casts of kids, adults, coon dogs, plus hunting guides set off into the dark shadows of the woods. Then things quieted down, but not for long. Within the hour the first teams of hunters began to return. Each bringing in their valiant stories of dogs, coons and other critters observed tromping through the obscurity of the nighttime woodlands. Parents, relatives, and other adults all listened with anxious ears as each youth unfolded their tale to all who would listen. With the last team exhaustingly arriving, more chili, more beans and more of everything was munched on as the night wound down for all involved.

"What a great night I had," said 10-year-old Tyler Sprenkle. "I got some good grub, got to see my friends and got to chase after some coons. How can you do any better than that?"

"Cottontails, Coon, and Chili" featured over 25 different coon dogs with the bulk being provided by Jason O'Brien, of Team Elk-O-Zar, in Lanagan. Team Elk-O-Zar is home of multiple state and national champion dogs. Food was donated by many volunteers and served by Mindy O'Brien and her team of recruited helpers. The majority of the funding for the event was aided by Cornerstone Bank and McDonald County Telephone Company. Both are official sponsors of Young Outdoorsmen United. To learn more about the non-profit organization visit their Facebook page or call 417-439-8594.

Community on 01/29/2015