on ▁hunting ▁compet itions . ▁▁ ▁While ▁killing ▁racc o ons ▁is ▁legal ▁during ▁the ▁hunting ▁season , ▁typically ▁September ▁to ▁February , ▁some ▁hun ters ▁merely ▁tree ▁the ▁racc oon ▁and ▁then ▁leave ▁it ▁un har med . ▁In ▁compet itive ▁hun ts , ▁where ▁the ▁objective ▁is ▁to ▁demonstrate ▁the ▁skill ▁of ▁the ▁dog , ▁killing ▁or ▁harm ing ▁the ▁racc oon ▁will ▁often ▁result ▁in ▁dis qual ification . ▁Hun ting ▁for ▁the ▁sport ▁without ▁killing ▁the ▁racc oon , ▁which ▁is ▁equ ated ▁to ▁catch ▁and ▁release ▁fish ing , ▁or ▁ch asing ▁racc o ons ▁from ▁c rop ▁fields ▁is ▁legal ▁year - round . ▁ ▁Reg ulations ▁ ▁As ▁with ▁all ▁game ▁animals ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁the ▁hunting ▁of ▁racc o ons ▁is ▁reg ulated ▁by ▁wild life ▁conservation ▁officials ▁in ▁each ▁state ▁and ▁seasons ▁and ▁bag ▁limits ▁will ▁therefore ▁vary . ▁In ▁Tennessee , ▁for ▁example , ▁co on ▁hunting ▁season ▁begins ▁in ▁mid - Se ptember ▁and ▁ends ▁in ▁February , ▁with ▁a ▁bag ▁limit ▁of ▁one ▁racc oon ▁per ▁h unter ▁per ▁day , ▁ ▁while ▁in ▁Kentucky , ▁it ▁begins ▁in ▁October ▁and ▁ends ▁on ▁the ▁last ▁day ▁of ▁February , ▁with ▁no ▁bag ▁limit . ▁Some ▁states , ▁including ▁Iowa , ▁require ▁a ▁valid ▁tra pping ▁or ▁hunting ▁license ▁to ▁train ▁a ▁co on h ound ▁to ▁h unt . ▁In ad vert ent ▁hunting ▁or ▁running ▁of ▁de er ▁by ▁co on h ounds ▁is ▁particularly ▁problem atic ▁for