My favorite hobby

        Coon hunting is one of my favorite things to do, besides spending time with my family. My kids are old enough now that they come with along with my wife.  There is nothing like being out in the quiet peaceful woods, listening to my dog bark on a coon track. It is such a rush when my dog chases a coon up a tree, and then I can shoot it.   I have been coon hunting since I was 3 or 4 years old. I went with my dad as a young kid, and when he didn’t take me, I would scream and cry until he came home.  The first time I went by myself, I think I was about 11 years old. My dad told me I could go out behind our house, I was so excited, I got everything ready, my light,  22 rifle, my knife, and got all dressed , grabbed my dog, her name was Fly. She was a Blue tick coonhound, she had a beautiful voice.  Fly and I walked into the neighbor’s corn field and I unleashed her and she took off into the woods. I was trying to be tough, but to tell you the truth, I was scared to death. I couldn’t wait to run as fast as I could home. But, I knew if I ran home scared, my parents would never let me go again by myself, and I would never hear the end of me being a “scardy pants” from my sisters. So I stayed out listening to Fly on a coon track, she would howl up the coon track. While I was waiting for her to put the coon up a tree, I was trying not to think of all the scary movies I have watched in the past. I was terrified. Before I knew it, Fly had located on a tree and started treeing. I started walking up the hill towards my dog, still scared, but now I had adrenaline running through me, excited to see if she had the coon up the tree. I got to the top of the hill, and there she was, barking with her front paws up on the tree. I then took my light and shined it in the tree, and way at the tippy top of a huge oak tree, was a coon lying on a branch. I remember my heart about beating out of my chest; I loaded my 22 rifle, and aimed at the coon. I shot and completely missed because I was so nervous. I aimed again and shot and the coon flopped out of the tree to the ground. Fly went after it and rolled it halfway down the hill. I was so excited; I grabbed the coon, and put the leash back on Fly and walked home. I was so proud I actually stayed out myself, and I was addicted. I think my parents were also surprised that I didn’t come running home scared.  I have been coon hunting ever since. A few years later, Fly ended up getting ran over by a car. I was devastated. Since then, I have had my fair share of dogs, but I am now a proud owner of a Treeing Walker out of the bloodlines of Houses Lipper, she is our family pet, her name is Meg, but we call her princess because that’s what she is. She is almost 9 years old now and, I have had some great times hunting her, we have won many competition hunts; she has won the Governor’s cup, 10,000 Lakes Event, and the Minnesota State Championship. She has been my favorite dog I have ever owned. In fact, one time I was offered a brand new four wheeler to trade her for. Yes, someone was going to pay literally ten thousand dollars for my dog. I turned it down; I can’t imagine my life without her. She is now old and grey, but I still hunt her every fall, she still loves it. I just recently bought another Treeing Walker that came from the same bloodlines as Meg, and we named him Mouse.  I hope he turns out to be just like Meg, so far he is showing great progress.  He has also become our family house pet. There is nothing like a hound dog, I sure do love mine!