Autumn Oaks Brings Wealth, Dogs To Area In Need

The 50th annual Autumn Oaks, one of the country’s oldest organized coon hunts hosted by the United Kennel Club, kicked off Thursday at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Indiana.

Thousands of people ate at local eateries, stayed at local hotels and brought business to a community that is lacking in jobs and has many needs.

Doug Bradford drove to the fairgrounds from Alabama and said he has 45 Coon Hounds at his house and it is his 17th visit to Autumn Oaks, and he usually spends close to $1,000 while he is in town.

United Kennel Club Spokeswoman Tanya Raab said last year, they had roughly 21,000 people show up to the event and this year they have surpassed that amount. The event could generate over $3 million this year.

Saturday, as soon as the sun goes down, the hunt will start and Raab said they use the term “hunt” loosely, because no firearms are used and no animals are killed. The event is hosted to test the Coon Hounds instincts.

Sunday the event will wrap up with an awards ceremony.