Youth coon hunts sponsored by the S.C. Coon Hunters Association (SCCHA) and participating regional clubs and chapters will begin in October and continue throughout the fall and winter, culminating with the South Carolina Youth Raccoon Hunting Championship, hosted by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). The championship hunt is scheduled for March 2, 2019 and will be held at the SCDNR’s Webb Wildlife Center in Hampton County.
The regional club-sponsored hunts are all qualifying events for the state championship and are designed to teach the participants ethics and sportsmanship through participation in low-intensity competitive events. The top two hunters in each age bracket (Juniors: 12 and under, and Seniors: 13-17) and the Sportsmanship Award winners in each age group will qualify for the state championship hunt. Two $500 scholarships will be awarded at the South Carolina Youth Championship hunt, for the first-place finisher in each age group. Two additional $500 scholarships will be awarded based on participation in the qualifying youth hunts listed above. Proceeds from the sale of SCCHA personalized license plates fund the organization’s scholarship program. For additional information about the scholarships or other programs of the SCCHA, visit the group’s website at: www.sccoonhunters.com.
Competitors in the series are allowed to hunt in as many regional youth hunts as they choose, and all events are free of charge. In accordance with competition hunt rules, no raccoons are killed during the competition and guns are not allowed on the hunt. Interested youth hunters and their parents or guardians should contact the sponsoring clubs (see below) for information regarding specific hunts. Each hunter is responsible for bringing a dog to the hunts, and need to be able, with minimal assistance from an adult, to acknowledge when his or her dog “strikes” and “trees.” Points are