Most people that hunt coonhounds have, at one time or another, been to a competition. There are three main types of competitions nite hunts, bench shows, and field trials. In this entry I will discuss nite hunts. There are numerous rules that must be followed to determine which hound is superior on any particular night. Before I get into the general rules, I would like to point out the two main rules that must be followed. Absolutely no drugs/alcohol or firearms are allowed on the property the hunt is being held or on personal property while attending any sanctioned event for that matter. All coonhound events are geared toward a family atmosphere; therefore, drugs, alcohol, and guns have no place there. The winner of the hunt is determined by a point scale. Contestants are awarded or deducted points depending how they “call” their dog. All registries are basically the same, with only minor differences. All are awarded points based on the position they “strike” their dog in. Striking a dog in is essentially telling the judge when your dog first barks in pursuit of the coon. Each position is awarded a specific point value, ie. 1st 100, 2nd 75, 3rd 50, and 4th 25. Each group or “cast” has a maximum of four dogs competiting. After a dog is struck in members of the cast wait for the dogs to “tree” their quarry. Once treed they “tree” their dog, telling the judge their dog has finished the track. Members are awarded “tree” points the same way as “strike” points. If a coon is seen the points assessed are plussed. If an animal other than coon is seen the points will be minussed. If no animal is found the tree is circled. The dog with the most points at the end of hunt time (usually 2hrs) is the cast winner. In UKC the cast winners are then compared to other cast winners in each division to determine the “night” winner. UKC gives plaques, dog food, and performance points to the winners, while PKC gives away cash. The performance points earned in UKC are calculated at the end of the year and a check is sent to the owner of the dog. This is a basic idea of what happens at a nite hunt. More information is available on the links provided in my blogroll.
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