Here's how we did it ---- I was introduced to hunting deer with dogs when I was about 12-13. That'd be about 1960! We hunted thousands of acres of swamp land in Louisiana, not far north of N.O. It was tough hunting for sure. We'd stand pipe line and high voltage power line ROW's, or woods roads ... and hope we'd have a chance to get a shot as the deer crossed the lane. Standing in the swamp was more or less useless because the underbrush was just so thick. In Alabama, where I moved to in 1973, we dog hunted deer near Rockford on gobs of acres of timber company land. Back then all it took was getting a free or very low cost "permits" from the timber companies. Usually 12-20 guys hunted together. Three or so would bring their hounds (4-6 each). Several others would use their 4x4 trucks, jeeps, Bronco's, K-5 's, etc. to put out standers. Standers would be set out about good daylight, encircling a hollow, usually on timber roads. Then one or two guys would walk into the bottom, pushing ahead of them 4-6 hounds. I do not know of a single time deer were not jumped. The dogs would drive them out of the bottom, running a few hard ahead. Some of the deer would often peal off and ease out along the way, and every now and then deer would lay tight then once the dogs ran past running other deer, they'd slip out the back ... more or less.

Usually 3-4 drives like this could be made in one day, moving to a new hollow each time. A good day was 3-5 deer. Not many "doe days" back then as I recall. If it was a buck, it was going to be shot at !! The meat would be split up among the hunters, with the shooter usually getting a ham or back strap.

I had several beagles back then, and 4-red ticked "English Coon Hounds" that had taken to running deer. Those English hounds were beautiful, deep chested and could (and would) go fast forever. One cold Saturday morning my dad, brother and I showed up about late. Dad was a HS football coach and he was too pooped to get going at 4:30 a.m. and drive the hour it took us to get to the gathering place. The group was already gone on the first drive. We decided to just head out into the woods and find a good place to sit until the bunch came in for lunch. I set up over looking a creek bottom, on a ledge overlooking the creek. About 7:15 I heard what turned out to be 3-8 point bucks walking in that creek. They passed directly in front of me. I shot at the biggest one. He dropped. The other 2 broke and ran straight towards where my brother was supposed to be set up. I kid you not, within a 1 minute, he shot twice. He killed one of the other 2 - 8 pointers. So, here we 3 were with 2 good bucks down to drag out .... no dogs to round up .... no meat sharing ..... and headed home by 10:00 a.m. DUH ! That week, I called one of my buds and offered dogs. He was excited to have them. I kept the lone beagle to run rabbits with ... and never hunted deer with dogs again. I must say I enjoyed hearing the puppies run, and the social aspects of "dog hunting". But I much prefer how I hunt now and don't expect to ever go back to hunting deer with dogs.