The student news site of Atlantic High School

AHSneedle

The student news site of Atlantic High School

AHSneedle

The student news site of Atlantic High School

AHSneedle

Polls

What's your least favorite ISASPs test?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
Scores and Schedules
AHS JOURNALISM GOLD SPONSOR
Choice Printing

Coon Season Takes Off

Rex+the+coon+hound
Rex the coon hound

By Sam Renaud

Nov. 2 was the start of raccoon hunting season.  Hunters prepare for the season weeks in advance by getting their traps ready and running their coon dogs.  Hunters can place their traps in the spots they intend to set them in the days leading up to official start day, at which point they can finally set and bait the traps.

Hunters are allowed to set out as many traps as they can as long as they get each trap checked every day.  Some of the traps set out are snares, conibear, water sets, and leg holds.  Trappers are allowed to set these traps in the ditches as long as the trap isn’t set too close to the fence, which is illegal.  Trappers also ask permission from farmers to trap on their land.  There is an Atlantic resident who runs more than 30 miles of trap line.

Coon hunting starts when the sun goes down on Saturday night.  Hunters are required to have a dog if they’re hunting at night for it to be legal.  If the hunter does not have a dog and uses only a spotlight, that is against the law and hunters can be fined thousands of dollars for this infraction.  The hunter’s dog is required to have a coon treed before he/she can use a spotlight to look for animal.  Atlantic High School student Brody Peterson said coon hunting is different than other types of hunting. “How many shots it took to get the coon because of all the leaves in the way was different.  It was a lot of fun and we got some nice coon.”

This year’s season for hunting and trapping of furbearing animals runs from Nov. 2 to Jan. 31, 2104. There are no possession limits on raccoon, opossum, fox, coyote, or groundhog. However there is a daily and possession limit of one on bobcats, according to the Iowa DNR. Trappers must buy a hunting license, a habitat stamp, and a fur harvester license.  If you choose to hunt, make sure you do it safely and legally.  For more information on raccoon hunting and trapping in Iowa, you can visit www.iowadnr.gov.

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

All AHSneedle Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *