MY FIRST COON HUNT

Although it has been almost a half century,  I can well remember my first coon hunt.  It was Christmas day.  I was just a boy of six and had  received a Daisy B B gun for Christmas. I was now fully armed and ready to hunt  any and all wild creatures residing in Harmans Branch in Eastern Kentucky.

There had been a dusting of snow over night, I  had 250 B Bs, and a dog named Skip, so I figured conditions were just about perfect for the big hunt.

"What are you going to hunt today?" asked Mom with a chuckle. I replied " I'm going Coon Hunting."  "People coon hunt at night she replied."  "Well I'm going coon hunting today" I said "but I may get a squiral or a rabbit while I'm out."   I kissed Mom bye, then started out with my trusty hunting dog Skip.  Mom knew no six year old with a new B B gun could possibly wait over 10 minutes before going hunting.

Skip who was always ready to accompany me on any great adventure was certainly no petigree but he was a faithful and devoted family pet. He would run rabbits and other wild game which  to me qualified him as a hunting dog.  Mom liked the Skip for two reasons. First, he wouldn't bother the chickens and second, he was the best snake dog she had ever seen.

Skip and I started up the hill behind the house. I thought I had better check my gun before I see that coon so I fired at a leaf in the snow.  The B B hit six inches left of the leaf so I fired again. On the sixth shot I finally hit the leaf.  Skip watched me probably wondering when we would finally go on. Confident that   I could now shoot a coon, I told Skip to go get em, and the hunt continued.

Where is that coon? I wondered, having spent three whole minutes following Skip up the hill and not seeing one yet.  Up ahead was a knot on a tree so I figured I should check my gun again and after 10 shots, I hit the knot.  Well I needed to be ready when I see the coon so I picked out targets all around and took   practice shots at every one of them.

The great coon hunt had only been going on about 15 minutes and I had shot up about 50 B Bs and had not seen a coon yet.

Skip jumped a rabbit and chased it around the side of the hill.   It happened so fast I didn't even get a shot at it so I shot at a few more knots on trees and other targets.

After about an hour Skip and I went back home. "Did you get the coon?" asked Mom.  "No.  Skip Jumped a rabbit but I didn't see a coon" I said.  "Well why are you back so soon." she asked    My reply was simple, "I'm out of B Bs "

David Aiken