It is almost always done with specially bred dogs called coonhounds, of which there are six breeds, and is most commonly associated with rural life in the Southern United States.

Most coon hunts take place at night, with the dogs being turned loose, trailing and putting the raccoon up a tree without human assistance.

[9] Unlike some breeds of hunting dog that use sight to locate their prey, coonhounds use their sense of smell alone.

The hunter dismounts for this procedure, unlike traditional British fox hunting in which part of the sport involves jumping fences at speed.

[16] Regardless of how they choose to travel, hunters typically wear a headlight in order to allow free use of both hands, though years ago flashlights or lanterns were more common.

A .22 rifle is the preferred caliber of gun, and boots are highly recommended due to mud and rough terrain.

In competitive hunts, where the objective is to demonstrate the skill of the dog, killing or harming the raccoon will often result in disqualification.

[8] Raccoon fur car coats were a fashion trend in the 1920s, leading to high pelt prices and an increase in hunting and trapping.

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, when many rural families lived in poverty, raccoons were hunted extensively and became relatively rare.

In the 1940s and '50s conservation efforts were undertaken, including teaching hunters not to cut down den trees that raccoons used for raising offspring.

[4] In the 1970s, the price of raccoon pelts rose again to a high of 25 to 30 dollars each, and some people made their entire income from coon hunting.

The Indianapolis Star noted in a 2014 article that while some coon hunters are "overalls-clad people from the backwoods", some earn six-figure salaries, and a top coonhound can cost as much as $40,000.

[33] It was made into a 1959 film starring Fabian Forte and Stuart Whitman, but while the book was successful the movie was a flop.

[34] In 1961 Wilson Rawls published the novel Where the Red Fern Grows, the story of young coon hunter Billy Colman, who lives in the Oklahoma Ozark Mountains with his Redbone Coonhounds, Old Dan and Little Ann.

[4] A movie of the same name was made in 1974, starring Beverly Garland, Stewart Peterson and James Whitmore.

[40] Country and bluegrass musician Jimmy Martin coon hunted as a hobby and wrote and recorded several songs about his coonhounds.

[41] Dolly Parton's single, "Tennessee Homesick Blues," includes a line referencing coon hunting in her youth.

[42] In addition to fictional portrayals of coon hunting, there are several magazines specifically devoted to the sport, of which two are Coonhound Bloodlines and Full Cry.

[20] The Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard is a cemetery located in Colbert County, Alabama.