stop of the PKC pro tour here. Commitments to the Michigan Hunting Dog Federation’s annual fund-raising banquet kept this reporter from covering the early rounds of competition on Friday. When I arrived at the club grounds of the Southern Michigan Coon Hunter’s Association on Saturday afternoon, a barrage of conversation greeted me about the phenomenal number of coons treed by the pro hounds on Friday. The early round had scored in excess of fifty and the two-round total was 87 raccoons scored by the sixteen casts! By the time round three was on the books, the figure had risen well past the 100 coons scored mark.

A familiar face to PKC hunters, in fact a former field representative for this organization and long-time English fancier Bob Hardison of Shepherdsville, KY emerged victorious in the Pro hunt with a five-year old female named Pepper, handled by David Bowling. In a conversation just after the final cast left the club grounds at around 2:30 AM, Hardison told me that he found this female at 4 years of age on a farm and she had never been hunted. A friend of his put a hard kill season on her and she treed over 130 coons and the rest is in the history books.

Here are the results of the Final Cast in the Blue Ribbon (Pro) hunt:

First – $4000
Pepper
Bob Hardison, owner
David Bowling, handler

Second – $1600
Hardwood Henry
Burgess or Burgess, Jr., owners
Jeff Ricklefs, handler

Third – $800
Millcreek Molly
Alan Wilson, owner
Chris Allen, handler

Fourth – $400
Singer
Jimmy Pierce, owner
Doug Jackson, handler

The club also hosted a $55 Open Event and a $55 Pup Derby, each featuring $250 in added purse. Here are those winners:

Open Event
29 Entries
Winners

1st – Stubby
Clyde Osborn, owner
Rick Osborn, handler

2nd – Madonna
Rick Finley, owner/handler

3rd – Joker
Jeremy Kollek, owner/handler

4th – Little Mack
Hobbs or Shaw, owners
John Hobbs,III, handler

Pup Derby
7 entries
Split Winners

2nd – Thunder
Matt Smith, owner/handler

2nd – Brandy
Roger Williamson, owner/handler

Once again the Southern Michigan Coon Hunter’s Association did a remarkable job of putting on the Blue Ribbon, Open, and Pup Derby events. The kitchen served up delicious food, including an awesome hot roast beef sandwich for the hunters to enjoy. This truly is one of the nicest clubs in the nation, under the leadership of president Mike Lennon of Jasper, Michigan who works with a group of the nicest people you will meet. If you get a chance to attend a hunt at Onsted, please do! The fact that the club sits in the midst of one of the strongest coon populations in the United States is just part of the reason you’ll have a great time.

Congratulations to all the winners at Onsted.
Photo caption: Handler David Bowling with Onsted Blue Ribbon Event winner Pepper, an English female owned by Bob Hardison of Shepherdsville, KY.

“PKC – On a brisk spring evening in southern Michigan, where on earth would you rather be?”