RE: Question.
No, you do not have to have hounds or curs for that matter. Any dog that will tree sufficently and bark enough to let you know he is treed will do. That said many of us prefer a certain style of dog. Hounds generally are loud open trailers that allow the hunter to know that his hound has struck and is following the coon. Curs tend to be silent on track (as are most non hound or mixed breeds). A silent dog can in theory tree more coon. (the coon doesn't hear it coming and has to grab the nearest tree for shorter tracks). If all you want is a dog that will tree a few coon for pleasure hunting go for and have fun. If you should ever decide to enter the competition hunts you will need a dog recognized by the registry sponsoring the hunt. I myself love hounds and competition hunt so I hunt Walkers. Good luck.