ORIGINAL: Bigg~BirddVA
ORIGINAL: eng40sqd
reswire...
If you read my other posts on this subject you will have an idea where I stand an my thoughts on what needs to be done. Saying that I will ask you a question.. why should everyone be punished for the acts of a few? why should access to land, which is not easy to come by for anyone these days unless you happen to own large tracts yourself, become even harder because of issues that revolve around a few? I completly am with yo uandknow yoru frustrations and I feel that there needs something to be done but why make it where the timber companies dont want to deal with anyone any more? Or they only lease to still hunting only groups, which there is nothing wrong with at all.. but have you ever tried to still hunt.. lets say a 1800 tract that was nothing but scrub and young pines that are still young enough that you can not see or walk through them? nt an easy thing to do... now lets say that the surrounding tracts were also cutover in various stages of growth... making still hunting hard, not impossible but difficult.. I know I had the pleasure of still hunting a place like I described for a few years.. yes we killed a few deer but not nearly what was needed to manage the heard or improve it in any way shape or form.. I am talking an average of 10 to 12 guys a day and a high of 3 deer killed in one day but on average 1 per saturday... not good odds.... that situation leads back to the herd becoming more than the land can handle...
I think that by fixing the loopholes and giving the conservation police something more to work with for enforcement reasons and giving the deer doggers a training season like the other dog hunters so that they might start to ease up"fox" hunting might be a good meet in the middle idea
First ask most doggers and they'll tell you chasing doesn't affect a thing. I and many others disagree. The state disagrees hence the no deer chasing out of season laws. They say they need to train right before season. What's right before dog season? Other non-dog hunting seasons. They run and could care less as they feel they're doing no harm. The law allows them to say "fox" and get away with it. It's a combo that's been getting worse each year and it's finally come to a breaking point. They're not capable of control either through ignorance or lack of compassion for other hunting methods. I've been in about 6-7 dog clubs. All but 1 to date have broken laws on a regular basis. The it's just a few is BS IMHO. Last season on just about every Sat I had 3+ packs of dogs running on our land during the course of a day. Gee, glad it's just a few huh?
The laws need to be changed and unfortunately there is going to be fallout for other dog groups. They can thank the deer doggers when it's over. The bottom line is it's not going to change until different laws exist to stop it by force. I love all this talk of education and can't we all get along but it's too little too late. The deer dogger has pushed and pushed and they've reached the end. All I can say is it's about time.
I'm also going to disagree on dogs are the only method to control deer in pine forests. Our club took 6 during ML and 22 during dog season. 6 in less than 2 weeks by way less hunters vs 22 in 8+ week by a full group doesn't impress me. Last club took 18 shooters last year. 9 during all of dog season and 9 during ML. State issued over 1800 damage permits for east of the Blue Ridge this year. If they're doing such a good job how come the dog hunting part of VA requires 50% more permits per square mile than the non dog hunting part of the state? Also non dog hunting takes 5 deer per sq mile for a 2 week gun season and the dog hunting part takes 6 deer per square mile for an 8+ week gun season? Sorry but facts and figures do not support the dogs are necessary story.
You can't reason with this person as he likes to inhale his own fumes.