•July 10, 2024•

Coon hunting traditions go way back to the 1800’s. During the 1950s, night competition hunts were created. In the 1970s, hunters would sell the raccoon pelts around 25 to 30 dollars each. For some hunters this was their only income.

For the Hayse Family, coonhunting has been a family tradition through four generations. Even though the raccoon pelt sale market largely died out by the late 1980s, today the Hayse Family has used coonhunting as a recreational hobby. Nine year old Lydia Hayse of Sullivan, the daughter  of Brock and Ashley Hayse, was introduced to  coonhunting at a very early age. Lydia grew up listening to her grandfathers stories about coonhunting and seeing her father’s joy when working with the coon dogs and performing in competition.      Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.