cooning

At this time, cooning in the remote interior is a famous pastime. As this animal is entirely nocturnal in its habits it is hunted only at night.

1876, John Burroughs, Winter Sunshine, part 1, Hurd and Houghton, page 76

But if he [the dog] strikes a trail, you presently hear...loud and repeated barking as he reaches the foot of the tree in which the coon has taken refuge. Then follows a pellmell rush of the cooning party up the hill, into the woods, through the brush and the darkness

1875, John Burroughs, Winter Sunshine, part 2, Kessinger Publishing (2004), pages 72–73

These are the kind of men who have served their time and taken all the six degrees necessary to a scout's full education, “foxing, snaking, moling, cooning, possuming, and, if need be, wolfing ;” who riding at a canter through the woods, will stop their horse...

1932, The Atlantic Monthly, volume information kept strictly confidential by Google Books, page 635

I met Colonel Davy a-going out a-cooning, Says I, “Davy Crockett, how do you hunt without a gun?” “Oh,” says he, “Pompey Smash, if you’ll follow along with Davy, I’ll soon show you how for to grin a coon crazy.”

1950, William A. Owens, compiler, Texas Folk Songs, page 245