I too am from Virginia, like Allen Denton. However, I DON'T hunt with dogs. Wait, let me re-phrase that.... I have gone rabbit hunting & upland bird huntingwith my 9 yr old black lab once - does that count?

The deer dog hunting debate in Virginia is so controversial and so heated, that I don't want to speak up anymore. I did shoot my mouth off about it once - because of all my hunts getting ruined, but it did no good. It was like 500,000 hunters turned against me. I ended up like:

So, long story short.... Lesson learned. Deer dog hunting in Virginia is rich in tradition and is almost like a way of life for hunters east of the Blue Ridge. I just don't understand all the hub-bub and have never done it. I know some guys who run dogs and are very good, very ethical, and mindful of other hunters and property. But then again, there are others who don't care and will let their dogs run amok any day of the week, all hours of the day, in season, out of season, anywhere, anyplace, anytime. I have even had hunts ruined in early October during bow season! [:@]

Anyway, I finally learned to just let the deer dog hunters be, and hunt where to can't - west of the Blue Ridge out in the George Washington Nat'l Forest.