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im just getting into coon hunting and im only 15. do any of yall get scared hunting alone?

Welcome to the sport buddy!

You bet I have got scared plenty of times out there coonhunting by myself. I think the worst was a very cold late November night about 30 years ago. I was hunting coon by myself on a remote section of the Green River in Wyoming. My old black and tan cooner had swum the river which was about 100 feet wide in that section and gone into the cottonwoods on the other side and struck a trail. It wasn't long and I heard him locate and set down at the tree and start telling the world he has Mr. Coon. Well there was no way around so the only thing I could do was wade the river becasue he would not come off the tree. Well I found a ripple which is a shallower spot with bigger rocks on the bottom and usually shallower and I made it across only getting wet just below my waist. I packed my 22 rifle because it was fur season and I was skinning and selling fur to help pay the bills. Well when I got to the tree my wrangler jeans were already freezing and I was pretty cold. I guess the excitment of the hunt kept me going but when I got to the tree old Gunsmoke had two big coons up there. Well I didn't waste too much time popping them out, and I gathered them up and was getting ready to head back to re-cross the river and get to my truck where I could get warm. Well I didn't leash him and that was a mistake and directly he strikes another trail and soon he is treed again. Well I placed those two large coon on the river bank and went back to him in the trees and once again he had a pair up the cottonwood. Good prime coon hides were bringing $25-35 at that time so down they came too. Well I lugged them over to where I had the others stacked on the river bank and then tried to figure out what I was going to do. I decided well I only got wet to my waist last time so I will tie these coons with some light rope I had to my rifle and then put it across my shoulders and just wade across. Sounded like a good plan but I would guess those 4 coon together weighed 60-70 pounds which was a load. I was in really good shape and walked all the time and so I figured I could make it. Well I started across and everything was going good I had my Nite Light on my bump cap and I was just taking it a step at a time. Well I got pretty close to the other shore and I must have drifted down off course a bit and I stepped in a big hole and went down over my head. Choking and struggling I bounced off the bottom and the current of the Green is pretty stong and it tried to sweep me over. I hung onto the gun and somehow the coons stayed tied to it . I kicked for all I was worth and thought I was a goner when my feet found the bottom again and I struggled to shore. I was soaked inside and out, my hat and light were hanging off my side and only the light cord kept them from floating away. Old Gunsmoke swam across and got out and shook like it was another day but I couldn't shake that water off and I started to freeze. I knew I had to get moving and fast so away I went. Lucky for me the truck was only about half a mile away and I made it but I was numb from cold when I got there. I threw the coons in the back and jumped in the cab and fired it up to get the heater going. My jeans were froze so stiff I could hardly bend my legs to set down in the cab. Finally the thing warmed up and I started to that out, and that is when I got really scared. The could have really been bad and not a soul knew where I was and I was many many miles from town or the nearest place. But thanks to the Man Upstairs I made it thru and I always remembered that and always remembered after that God was with me so even when it seemed like I was alone I really wasn't cuz HE was there all the time.


Be safe but have fun!!!

Mike

Mr. Leonard,

I have thought often on throughout the day, what would be a good answer for this young man. Well, after reading your post not only have I quit thinking. I believe the young man needs to look no further than your post. So young man when you read Mike's post, if at first you do not see your answer. Reread it, as you will find you have no reason to fear anything. And good luck to you with your hounds and Coon hunting. Good job Mike.

Young man be careful and have fun, Willy

AMEN to Mr. Mike and Slow & Easy!

Young fellow you are never Truley Alone in the Woods, generally an Ole Fisherman or his Dad will be keeping an eye on you!

JMO

Well put Mike. Young man those are words to live by.

I'm pretty much only get scared when I piss my wife off!

Great post Mike.
There was a time when I got really scared. I was in high school, so it was only a couple of years ago...It was deer season some of the ranchers did not want us hunting our hounds when the "paying" hunters were around.
A couple of buddys and I decided to go to "Heath's Thicket" where they claimed there was an old gray fox that if we could strike him would entertain us for a couple of hours. It seemed that lots of hunters had messed with the fox and no one had been able to catch him.
I loaded a couple of my running walker bluetick dogs that had caught lots of coons and a number of cats and away we went. I was used to roading and not sure how my dogs would cast as we led the hounds into the thicket along a big creek.
I don't remember which dog struck but I do remember that the dogs had not been trailing long when someone said that it must the gray fox as it was running the same trail that it had always done in the past.
I don't remember how long they ran the critter but I do remember the dogs fell treed where one of my buddies said they had treed before and we started to the dogs. My buddies said that there would not be anything in the tree when we got there as the fox would climb, catch his breath and sneak out.
When we got with 200 yards of the tree, I heard my Fido dog leaving there, running as if he was looking at something and he did not go 300-400 yards before I heard him catch. Sure 'nuff, it was the gray fox. I guess the fox had been sneaking out of the tree just as my buddys said, Fido just got lucky and saw him go.
We had walked a long way into the hounds and decided to leash the hounds and walk out to a nearby farm road where we hoped someone would stop and give one of us a ride back to our pickup.
About the time we climbed the fence putting us in the Farm to Markey Road right of way, someone fired a high caliber rifle in our direction. All three of us hit the deck and started yelling to let the shooter know there were folks out there. We saw someone walking around a house about 100 yards away and started in his direction hollering and shining our flashlights.
When confronted, the guy claimed that he was shooting at a stray dog that had been coming around his house and chickens. To this day I don't know if there was a stray dog or if the guy was shooting in our direction, trying to spook us away. No matter, it was a little unnerving for three teen age boys.
When news that Fido had put an end to the "Heat Thicket Fox" many of the "Old Timers" were mad. I was somewhat shocked by their behavior, they whined to me that I had ruined their "deer season" hunting spot. One of the hunters did not talk to me for several weeks. This was my last hunt in "Heath's Thicket" for several reasons.
Adios,
Gary