Originally published in The Sylva Herald, Sept. 13 edition
The hills abound with folks “trying to keep the old mountain traditions alive.” The Jackson County Coon Hunters Association is joining the effort with Youth Day from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7.
The event, at 44 Oak Hill Drive, Sylva, will include field contests, a trade show, hall of fame inductions and more, according to Association President Matthew Bryson.
“We love the sport of coon hunting, and want to preserve the tradition that we’ve passed down for years,” Bryson said.
Everyone is welcome to join for lunch at noon. Homemade barbecue will be served for $10 a plate, he said.
“It’s a great way to teach young sportsmen about their history,” Bryson said. “We get to bring the youth together with some of the old-timers that were running the club in years past. They get to learn something from the older generations.”
Field events start at 9 a.m. and include water and drag races, bay and roll contests, and a treeing contest. The bay and roll tests the dog’s ability to identify and roll a circular cage. The treeing contest is judged by the number of barks from the competing dog. Bryson recalls one dog barking 65 times.
“It’s a lot of barks, and it’s a lot of counting too,” he said.
The trade show will feature a number of different items from local families and vendors.
Depending on the attendance, there might be clothing, coolers, rifles, dog food, and more.
Bryson says it’s all about the dogs.
“Kids ought to have a dog growing up,” he said. “Doesn’t matter what type of dog – any dog – just to have around the house.”
The Coon Hunters Association will name inductees to the hall of fame at the event.
“We’re not forgetting about them and what they have done to help the Coon Club out,” Bryson said.
The association consists of about 40 members, all dedicated to serving the sport of coon hunting.
The association hopes to give back to the community through funds raised during the year
“At the beginning of the year I wanted to do something for the community. I wanted to give back,” Bryson said. “So we voted and agreed to raise enough money to pay for a family’s Thanksgiving and Christmas. I know it’s hard for some families around Christmas to have enough to eat, or buy kids stuff for Christmas, so I’m really proud about what we’re doing.”
Bryson loves what he does for the association.
“People don’t see what’s going on behind the scenes,” he said. “It takes a lot of time to run a coon club, doing this and that. Even when I’m gone, I hope this thing keeps going. I want to say that I’ve got a great staff who have taken on many challenges, and they have achieved so much in such a short amount of time. Without them, I couldn’t have done this. I want to thank them for the work they’ve done not just for the Jackson County Coon Club but the community as well.”
A raffle will take place for the giveaway of hunting equipment. One dollar buys one ticket, and $5 buys six tickets.
Field event registration is at 8 a.m.; events start at 9 a.m.
