VaSavage270

Tough conversation, so where do I begin? First and foremost I’m a hunter regardless of what means I decide to harvest. I sit on both sides of the spectrum, I hunt with hounds and I still hunt as well.

Now to the issue at hand, many comments have been made in regards to dogs being able to read boundary lines funny to say the least. I hunt in King George and most of the clubs lease several acres of land to utilize their methods of running hounds. In saying this many have taking the appropriate actions to speak with land owners of surrounding properties they do not have access to, but are allowed to retrieve the dogs after which protocol has been initially established.

It’s no secret that the dogs run the deer hard, in most cases they end up in another county etc. which is the purpose for tracking collars. I’ve also watched deer run circles around hounds or shall I say out wit them as well. There’s been numerous occasions where I’ve seen a deer being chased past by several hunters and the dogs still tracking 5-10 minutes behind, seen deer shot and the dogs have no idea but their still on that trail or soon pick up on another back tracking etc.

And yes I can see where it can make a still hunter very frustrated, been there done that! However thousands of deer are harvested over years in these counties where hound hunting is permitted. Last year alone the club I hunted with harvested 78 during general firearms season. I’ve hunted in Charles City the previous years with Tater Run it was uncommon to harvest less than 8 daily, even out in Hope Well where the club harvested 14 a day nearly throughout the season. So hound hunting is sufficient if done properly without disturbing other property owners.

As too Northern Va, there’s no pressure upon the herds, which is why in my county of Prince William it has been either sex full season for the past 5-6 years, however one must find a place to hunt first. Fairfax County has Urban archery do to no pressure and the herd needs to be controlled, and yes people have complained of the deer population which is why it initially started this program a few years back. In either case there’s good and bad, but we as hunters need to be on one accord!! Decrease hound hunting, herds will grow tremendously in those counties, and then the Authorities will allow sharp shooters to control the herd, at least in Fairfax with urban archery they are giving the hunter a fair chance to assist and most are in development areas of people’s homes.

I can go on forever here, so I’m done speaking on the issue at hand, and it’s really not a personal issue for me cause I hunt with bow, black powder, shotgun, and rifle.

What I like about hound hunting is the anticipation of hearing the hounds and trying to figure out where that deer may cross etc. so there’s no easy shots. Someone once spoke of fair chase and I have had many arguments with the anti’s, about bow hunting you sit and wait for an animal to walk in front of you then bang (many found that horrific) on the other spectrum some said try shooting them running (I smiled) so to us it’s the sport not how one harvest, to the anti’s it’s wrong either way we do! I’ll leave you with that thought. And I think Va is on the right track in addressing the issue, it has gotten out of hand in some areas.