ORIGINAL: eng40sqd

Sounds like a bunch of elementary school kids bickering over whose turn it is to play with the G.I. Joe Dolls.... BOTH sides have good points and BOTH sides have bad apples, however I never knew that hunting was meant to have sides. I was brought up that everyone was equal and that you respected others wiches to do as they saw fit as long as they were within legal and moral limits. Now looking at todays society I can see the moral part of it is a big loophole because there are plenty of people from all walks of life that lack and sound moral judgement abilities. you would think as a group that hunters would want to remain united and present a stronger front that all this fighting amongst ourselves which makes us look like not only selfish crybabies to anyone looking on from the outside but also leaves a weakend front for the anti's (all hunting not specific type) to wedge in there, and they are already doing that. Dont worry someone whom you may think is an asset could be attacking your choosen form of hunting next, it will probably never happen right????

If someone is actually breaking the law then get their tag number, description whatever you can and notify CPO or local law enforcement. Like those of you that are hunting in counties that do not allow the pursuing of deer with dogs and you are saying people are doing it, get information and make complaints to LEO, if all your doing is getting online and complaining about it (while you are right to be upset about the poaching) and not pursuing it then how does that make you better than them. If you are making complaints, not just phone calls, but actually having an officer come out to the field and taking a complaint and nothing is getting done, then maybe pursue it with a supervisor for the LE agency.

I have no use for poachers in any style of hunting, however as long as they are hunting within the law then I will support anyone's method of hunting, for example hunting over bait. I know is some states it is legal for someone to pour tons of corn or apples out and then dump salt or molasses all over them, and then show up 30 minnutes before the deer come to feed and shoot one. To me I do not like this type of hunting but I will stand beside anyone and fully support them if they like ot hunt like this so long as it is legal.

I know one complaintI am hearing from the non dog hunters is the dogs are on their land, well if they are being turned out on your land on purpose on no a tract on one side with the intent of running through to a tract on another side then I agree that those type of actions are low on the moral and respectful scale and I have no use for such things, however if they are hunting on a tract lets say 800 acres and the dogs get off the tract onto your tract while they are chasing a deer then, they have done nothing wrong, they did not run your tract on purpose, and everyone says train your dogs to stop which might be great with vertain breeds while others, like any scent type hound will usually stay on track until the track ends. I do not believe that it ruins your entire day as far as seeing deer goes, while you may dislike this type of hunting and it may ruin your attitude for the day, but I have been still hunting and had a chase go past me and watched bedded deer just lay where they were at and never move, I have also killed deer that were sneaking around after a chase came through as well.

I do think the RTR law needs some work, I see it as a loophole that needs some adjusting as well as there needs to be a seperate training season for the deer dog guys since it seems every other type of hunting dog in VA has it's own training season.

Just my thoughts... sitting on here and yelling at each other and name calling and all that are not going to do anything but raise more tempers and nothing toward resolve