Hundreds of coonhounds flock to Albany for annual hunt

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Posted 4:20PM on Friday, January 25, 2002

ALBANY - It's dog days at the Albany Exchange Club Fairgrounds with the arrival of hundreds of howling, barking hounds and their masters who will take part in the United Kennel Club's 15th Winter Classic raccoon hunt. Wayne Cavanaugh is president of the Kalamazoo, Michigan-based United Kennel Club, the nation's second largest all-breed dog registry. Cavanaugh says, ``These guys are the salt of the earth. They love these dogs. They've got their dogs' names on their hats, their coats. They like the camaraderie of coon hunting.'' He said a good stud dog can cost as much as $35,000. Raccoon hunting -- popularly shortened to coon hunting -- is often thought of as a Southern sport, but Cavanaugh said it's a favorite almost all over the country. Many of the Winter Classic participants hail from places like Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Mississippi. Some of the hunters took their dogs to the woods last night, trying to get a leg up on competitors. The official hunts are set for Friday night and Saturday night at farms and plantations within a 100-mile radius of Albany, a southwest Georgia city about 200 miles south of Atlanta. About 800 dogs will take part each night. At the fairgrounds Friday, dog owners browsed through displays of dog foods, electronic tracking devices that allow them to quickly locate wayward mutts, hard hats with powerful electric lights and dog collars in colors ranging from blaze orange to camouflage. The howls and barks of coonhounds, a gentle breed with floppy ears, sad eyes and lots of energy, resounded through the fairgrounds as hunters greeted old friends and prepared to go after the prizes and trophies. After an awards ceremony Sunday, winners will return home with something to howl about.