Hmm sounds bad with not feeding the dogs. Thats the bad side of traditions I Think. It takes energy to run and to think and a hunting dog does both. No mystery there but running with a full stomach isnt to good either. In general if I hunt a full day he still does get a normal feed but thats because I have 1,5 hour drive to the hunting grounds. Then during the dayhe gets some of my sandwich (but dont tell anyone). The whole preseason I gradually change to more energycontaining food than for the rest of the year.

And for the fair part... thedeer probably doesnt think any way we hunt is fair. With forresting being more of agriculture than wilderness there are often large areas of thickets that is impossible to drive deer out of. They just circle within and do not come out even with dogs involved.