I've been on deer/dog hunts in my younger days and have to admit it's pretty exciting. But that was in the days when we hunted several thousand acres of free and open paper company land with no other hunters around. Everyone would pile into the back or one or two pick-ups and be dropped off at strategic standing spots and the dogs would be turned loose a quarter mile away at a predetermined time. Your blood can get pumping pretty good when a dozen hounds in full bawl are pushing toward the line of hunters.

But things aren't like that around here any more. All of the timber company land is now leased to clubs, and in much smaller plots. There are lots of roads through and between them. Naturally, the dogs don't know the boundaries of their clubs lease. The hunters are no longer satisfied with taking a stand and turning the dogs loose. It's more like a commando operation with everyone flying about in trucks with walke-talkes trying to get ahead of the drive. It's caused a lot of animosity between the few remaining dog hunting groups and other hunters. Fortunately, there are no dog hunting clubs within twenty-five miles of my club's lease.