DANVILLE — The smell is unforgettable.
As dozens of Knox County’s citizens wait outside, hints of meat sneak through the doorways.
Regardless of race, creed, ethnicity or religion, everyone is there with the same mission in mind — eat raccoon.
Danville villagers celebrated the 82nd annual Danville Raccoon Dinner on Monday evening. The dinner served nearly 500 pounds of fried and roasted raccoon, mashed potatoes, dressing, vegetables, and cornbread, with a choice of water, milk, or coffee.
The Danville Lions Club hosts the meal, collecting donations for different causes or people in the decades-old tradition.
Carrying their gravy-topped raccoon, patrons sat at long brown foldable tables, chewing away at the annual supper.
The nearly 500 pounds of raccoon were placed in 22 roasters, Danville Lions Club treasurer Pat Crow said.
Groups of hunters collected approximately 179 raccoons for the feast, Crow said.
Fred Mickley, one of the organizers for the Danville Raccoon Dinner, said hunters collect raccoons through a mix of traps and live-hunting methods.
“We try to collect all the raccoons by Christmas,” Mickley said.
Ohio raccoon hunting season is from Nov. 10 to Jan. 31.
How the raccoon is prepared
The raccoon is prepared by pressing it in a breading, frying till brown then placing it in a roaster to cook for roughly three hours, Mickley said.
Hundreds of hours are put into the preparation of the raccoon, Crow said, including catching the raccoon, dressing it, freezing, transporting to the dinner, cooking and serving to the masses.
Clyde Banbury and Clyde Cornell started the first Raccoon Dinner. The meal was served in Banbury’s basement with 30 in attendance.
After a few years, the annual dinner was moved to the school cafeterias and then to St. Luke’s community center, with a dramatic increase in interest over time. With the gained notoriety, came more guests.
Guests have included Ohio State football coaches Woody Hayes and John Cooper, along with former Ohio Governor Jim Rhodes, among others.
Local auctioneer Jerry Scott has attended the dinner for 50 years, he said, never being afraid to take a bite of raccoon.
“It has the texture and flavor of roast beef,” he said after clearing his plate. “The first time I was here I really enjoyed it.”
