<P> In addition to meat or fur hunts, there are also competition hunts to demonstrate the speed and skill of the dog . In these the raccoons are not killed, but are treed and released . Some of the largest competition hunts are the Grand American, Autumn Oaks, and Leafy Oaks . Coon hunting has been recorded in such books as Where the Red Fern Grows and popularized in stories and songs recorded by Jerry Clower, Jimmy Martin and others . In Alabama, there is a cemetery specifically for the burial of coonhounds . </P> <P> Coonhound puppies typically start their hunting training at less than six months of age . The dog's owner or trainer will begin by teaching it to follow the scent of a raccoon's pelt or commercial scent stick dragged across the ground . </P> <P> After the young dog has mastered this, it is taken hunting, either by itself or with other dogs . Many dog trainers prefer hunting older dogs alongside a younger one, with the reasoning that they will set an example for the inexperienced dog . Experienced dog trainers note that the most difficult part is often not teaching the dog to hunt raccoons but teaching it to ignore other animals such as opossums, whitetail deer and rabbits, which are colloquially called "trash". </P> <P> Inadvertent hunting or running of deer by coonhounds is particularly problematic for hunters, as hunting deer with dogs is illegal in most states . </P>

What do you need to go coon hunting