Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Grandpa's last coon

Posted this down in trapping, but it is pretty interesting. My Grandpa was a commercial fisherman and trapper in Fairview, Pa. (Ralph Fisheries, mouth of Walnut creek)He trapped all his life, and though he died young, at 62, he started early. I can't begin to imagine how many coons he caught in that time, but the last one was remarkable. Almost got out of the trap, and I was with him when he caught it. He died about one month later, pulling his beaver traps. Seemed like a sign....

NEAT, never seen one like that!

That is cool. I have never seen one like that either.

That one's fat as a hawg! My uncle bought two cars from his coonhuntin' money, for my cousins to drive in college. He was a coon killin' sonuvagun.

He shot an albino coon and took it to the taxidermist to have it mounted, but "the taxi's freezer went out" and the hide was ruined, or so my uncle was told. I suspect that the taxidermist took it for himself and sold it.

Back in '56, Gilbert and a few of his friends went out one night and spent the whole night hunting, and got 56 coons. In one night. Probably a record of some sort. It didn't seem to hurt the coon populations any, Missouri still has more coons than it needs..............

Likewise, I have never seen one like it. Man what a great photo that is!

That's pretty cool. What did he do with it?

We got it tanned. One of my cousins has it. The fisheries (my Great Grandfather) owned 1100 acres in Crossingville, Pa, that is now a state game land. Over the years, my Great Uncle trapped a bunch of blond beavers out of it. He was going to have a coat made for his wife, but never had quite enough. Those pelts were tanned as well, and though we still have them, I have not seen them in a while. Probably trash by now. I think that coon was around 23 pounds - a big 'un!

The coon was not a albino, but blonde. He had brown eyes. Really a pretty animal!

Super cool. This fall I intend to go on my first coon hunt with dogs. Pard of mine in DU does it with Walkers. Says it's a blast, I suspect it will be regardless of numbers...

Super cool!