You guys don't know how good you have it! You should all see a "drive" N.W, Florida--South Alabama style!!
A "hunting club" consisting of anywhere from 10 to 50 people will cruise dirt roads at first light, or just before, using bumper mounted lights, looking for a fresh track crossing the road.

When a track is found, c.b. and frs radios are used to pass the word. Then all but 2 or 3 of these trucks haul butt to the next road and post at likely crossing places. Each man has a shotgun w/buckshot and a scoped rifle.

The two or three guys who stayed on the track then turn out the dogs. Anywhere from 5 or 6 up to 15 or 20. I have seen a couple of times there were as many as 50 dogs out at once!!

The "hunters" attempt to shoot the deer as it crosses the road, using the noise of the barking dogs to try to predict the exact crossing spot. Think about this. The centerfire rifle is relatively a new thing to these people, having been in general use for deer for only @ 20 years. So, they still space out at shotgun/buckshot range distances. I don't know of anyone being killed yet, but I personally know 3 people who have been shot and survived, and several vehicles that have been ventilated.

If the deer makes it through the gauntlet, they crank up and literally RACE to the supposed "best" crossings on the next road. I have seen several wrecks and injuries at this stage.

If the dogs are too far behind the deer when it crosses the road, they "put a fresh charge on him"-- release more dogs that are not tired. This may go on for several miles and/or several hours. I have seen deer literally staggering from exhaustion, with their toungues actually hanging out!

If one of these yahoos actually kills a deer, it gets flung on top of the dog box and hauled around in the sun the rest of the day. This is the only time the beer cooler is removed from the place of honor.

Sometimes they stop hunting deer in the mid-afternoon to start rounding up dogs, sometimes they wait until dark. If the moon is up and bright, they may go longer.

When they finally get around to cleaning the deer, the tradition is the one who kills it gets the head, the hide and a hindquarter; the rest is evenly divided among all other participants. Most times the meat is left to just a very few, the rest say they don't want any, they don't eat deer meat!! Talk about wild taste!! Just think of the lactic acid and adrenalin buildup in the muscles after running 2-3-4-5 miles, then the added "ripening" of the sun for several hours. I wouldn't eat it either!!

Of course you know that people with this much respect for the game, have just as much for adjoining landowners and the driving public on the roads! And every one of them has personally taught his dogs to read and obey "POSTED" signs!

Yes, it is legal in these areas to hunt deer with dogs. No, it is not legal to do it in this manner. No, not all hunters in these areas use these tactics. But the ones who do are the ones visible to the public. They don't see the legal hunters who stay off the roads.

Every time someone approaches the Fish and Game Comm. about doing something about it they cry the usual crocodile tears--They have done it this way all their lives; even if we do ticket them, they won't stop; we have to actually SEE them break the law to do anything about it, but we can't spare a man to hide and watch;etc., etc. I heard of one warden who pushed it and got fired for rocking the boat.

I was never so glad to leave a place in my life!! If i didn't have family there, I would NEVER go back between Halloween and St. Valentine's day!


Just remember, I'm not saying all who hunt using the "drive" method, with or without dogs, are bad people. I have done both in the past, and probably will again in the future. I am telling you what I have actually seen with my own eyes! Any suggestions I could pass on to my friends and family back there to try to get this stopped?

I originally posted this on the BB at another site, copied and edited here.