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Hunting and Fishing Days draws 30,000

BY LES WINKELER, THE SOUTHERN

Sunday, September 28, 2008 10:40 PM CDT

CARTERVILLE - About 30,000 people and hundreds of dogs attended the Southern Illinois Celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Days at John A. Logan College in Carterville this weekend.

"It's all about ducks and dogs," said Ron Allen, one of the organizers of the event.

Some dogs strolled John A. Logan College campus leisurely as guests of their owners. Other dogs were called upon to perform either at the Dockdogs tank, the Shawnee Hounds fox hunting exhibition or the Southern Illinois Hunting Retriever Club demonstration.

"Those Dockdogs, from 9 a.m. until we close it is just constant action all day," Allen said. "Our vendors next to them said if we can't afford to bring them back next year, they'll help out."

The Dockdogs featured "professional" dogs jumping for distance. During off times, visitors to the event could have their dogs try jumping on for size.

The Shawnee Hounds fox hunting demonstration included 24 hounds working in a more structured environment.

Noticeably perspiring in his formal fox hunting regalia, Dr. Mark Smith of Herrin explained the sport to the crowd. He listed the predictable, frequently asked questions whenever he puts on a demonstration.

"Do you release the fox?" he said. "Do you kill the fox? How can you?"

The reality is that in most instances, the club hunts coyotes because of the low density of fox.

"We like to hunt coyote because they're very fast and very sneaky," Smith said. "The fun of the sport is running, chasing and watching the wild game and what they do."

The club hunts twice a week from the end of September through March. Smith said occasionally a coyote is killed but not as part of the hunt. Several times a year, Smith said the group will find ill or injured coyotes.

Smith told the group about the practicality of traditional fox hunting garb - the bright red coat makes it possible for hunters to keep tabs on one another from great distances, and the high, leather boots protect legs from branches and brambles.

He also spoke about the training and breeding of dogs. And when he blew his horn to signify the start of the demonstration, all 24 dogs responded in unison, drawing oohs and aahs from the crowd.

With that, Smith sent the dogs off running on a brief, simulated hunt. After the short exhibition, he returned to take questions.

"One year, we actually jumped a red fox in there," Smith said, pointing at the adjacent field. "That was kind of exciting. I'd rather not have that happen again."

The fox hunting demonstration was just part of the two-day event that is still going strong after 21 years.

"We estimated about 18,000 people Saturday," Allen said. "I think we hit 30,000 for the weekend. That would be excellent, 21 years and still drawing 30,000. That's a pretty good feat.

"That just shows you how important the outdoors is to Southern Illinois."

les.winkeler@thesouthern.com / 351-5088