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Old 10-08-2008, 07:29 PM
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SwampCollie
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Default RE: Landon, Brett, Joey, Corey...all VA bowhunters check out update

ORIGINAL: Hoyt_Viper

Andy,

Im not sure if the previous regulations were written in this detail of hunting with dogs. I know much debate has been pressuring game officials to do something, but I believe that the noose is tightening. Like I have said before, its a blast to let the dogs stir up the woods when gun season is in and you are much more mobile during these hunts. But like archery and muzzleloader season, it offers a different type of hunting.

Archery and muzzy give you a single opportunity at an ethical shot compared to a shotgun that sprays 9-15 pellets at a moving target. There is nothing, absolutely nothing that should ever do away with dog hunting, but rules and regulations need to be followed.As I said above, I dont have any previous years VDGIF reulation books, but I was told that this was recently revised due to the much debated topic of dog hunting and look for the future years to stress the training and running of deer dogs for the purpose of hunting.

I know dogs dont know boundaries, but if they are not let into the woods in the off season it wouldnt need to be an isssue. Anyway, I hope it helps with the hard work I have done all pre-season preparing my leased land for Spring Gobbler, Archery, and muzzleloader.

I have three days coming on Thursday that I will be in various stands throughout this particular parcel, and will soon see if the dogs will return. The contact I have with Hanover Animal Control is actually a bowhunter and I have invited him for a few hunts, which he accepted. I wonder how much he will take a second stab at them if his hunt is spoiled at sunrise or sunset after sitting still in a stand.
The laws have not changed at all. Not one bit. Running deer outside of gun season has always been illegal. Infact, I think in the not to distant past the right to retrieve law actually got more liberal rather than more restrictive, and that might be the cause of a lot of issues. I never really paid much attention to it before two years ago.

What has changed, however, is the number of folks who are getting increasingly tired of it. I'm pretty much indifferent to dog hunting in general....I don't really like folks standing on the hard surface road... and I abhor the condition that a lot of clubs keep their dogs in..... but otherwise, I could care less about running deer with dogs during the season.... because frankly I'm duck hunting anyway (going in the morning to boot!).

But I have had far and away too many bow hunts and WAY WAY too many turkey hunts messed up by deer dogs running out of season.... and its the out of season running that I absolutely hate... and frankly if it takes banning the use of hounds in VA to stop the out of season running..... then bring it on.
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