SALEM, Ill. — Raccoon hunters from across the United States and Canada are converging upon Salem, Ill., this week for the World Championship Raccoon Hunt.
This is the third year that the Marion County community has hosted the event. As of this week, 1,100 dogs had already been signed up for the event with another 900 registered for the Super Stakes.
"For over 25 years, the event was held in Aurora, Ky.," said Tracey McDaneld, economic development director for the city of Salem. "A few years ago, ice storms damaged all of their trees, making for a very dangerous situation for both the dogs and the hunters."
David Dial, a longtime Salem coon hunter, contacted Professional Kennel Club officials about moving the event to Salem since the city had previously hosted the World Championship Raccoon Hunt.
"The top prize will be $27,000," Dial said. "Over the course of the entire event, over $250,000 in prize money will be given away."
A youth hunt is scheduled for Friday with the top prize a $4,000 college scholarship. The event is for hunters 18 and under. Over 100 youth hunters have registered for the competition.
Dial says the coon dogs participating in the event cost anywhere from $2,000 to $50,000.
"It just depends on who's selling and who's buying. There are coon hunters who are doctors, lawyers, businessmen and even poor folks like me," Dial said.
City officials say the two-week event will bring $2.5 million into the community.
The actual coon hunting will take place near six Southern Illinois communities: Bingham, Brownstown, Dale, Flora, Hillsboro and Sesser.
Each night of the event, the hunters gather at the Marion County fairgrounds in Salem. Groups of four hunters and their dogs are then assigned a different hunting area. The dogs are scored on their ability to alert if a raccoon is in the hunting area, with more points awarded when an actual raccoon is sighted.
Points are deducted if the dog fails to alert on a raccoon. No raccoons are harmed during the hunts. The dog with the highest points at the end of the two-hour hunt advances to the next level of competition.
"The Outsider," a dog owned by four Centralia, Ill.-area, men won the World Championship last year.
Winners in past years have had names like Piney Creek Booger, Old Duke, Deep South Pack Rat and Hillbilly Mac.
The public is invited to visit the event. An auction to benefit the youth scholarship fund will be held at 8 p.m. Friday night. Ten exhibitors are also selling coon hunting equipment on site.
