I know I don't have a dog in this fight since I hunt in Northern Virgina...But,I have hunted with dogs when I was in college in Tennesse and man was it fun! It is exhiliterating too hear the dogs start to holler and know they are coming your way. Thats the only time I had the pleasure to hunt with dogs and I must say I did enjoy it. Just my two cents worth!

I don't really care anymore if they totally do away with dog hunting because I know that will never happen. but make it start later, saythe first saturday in december- season close

To those of you that have a problem with prople running dogs on your property/hunting your leased or owned property make the calls and letters to your head of game commission, your local county commisioners, your news papers, your representatives and don't stop with just a once in two or three year call/letter. Post your land, get names, tag numbers and keep a recorded diary of noted illegal activities. Up till a few years ago there were numerous dog hunting clubs in my area of North Florida and South Bama. Now I don't know of but 2 clubs remaining outside of Eglin AFB. It doesn't take but a few bad apples of dog hunters to ruin it for everybody else. It isn't right, but it is the truth. I use to love dog hunting, but I can see the problems dog hunting have and I can see and admit that the dog hunters brought it on themselves with illegal methods and the common site of a drunk hunter. Again it is a small percentage of dog hunters that fall in this category, but it is the truth.

DOES ANYBOBY KNOW WHEN THE STATE IS GOING TO POST THE DOG HUNTING SURVEY?

Trolls are cool.

BEhunting 14, i am really impressed with the name-calling. What are you like 12 year old? You could learn to state you opinion and leave it at that.

As i stated before, it isn't about the harvesting of deer, it's about hearing and watching the dogs work.

This is off-topic, not trying to jack the thread-
TIMBERCRUISER- i think the dog hunting clubs in that area have dwindled more because of new development than complaints from citizens. Land that was once worth nothing more than the planted pines on it is now becoming strip malls from urban sprawl. I actually plan and designalot of the new highways and additions to highways in this area, so i speak from experience. Along with 'certain unnamed large landholder' in the area of northwest florida that transformed from a paper/pulp company to a land development company they tried to develop the whole panhandle to turn a enormous profit. I for one am glad the bottom fell out of the market and you should too as a timbercruiser(we as hunters ALL need the timber commpany's land to hunt). I for one want to be able to run my hounds and stillhunt on vast continous acreage leased from these forestry companies.

bryant1 If you like to hear the dogs so much, get you some rabbit dogs. My opinion is that most deer dog hunters are criminals. I know a lot of people that hunt with deer dogs. Most all of them that I know do not care if it is a doe day or not. They shoot what ever they see because their dogs are running them. One day that I hunt with a friend of mine,1 button buck were killed and 2 does. It was not even a doe day. Sure it is easy to say call a game warden about this. However the fact is that this happens all over the state.

you are right, some people I know do the same thing, it doesn't matter to them, they want whatever is infront of the dogs killed

Bryant, I would bet that old Ed Ball has turned over in his grave with the results of what happened to his St. Joe Timber Company after he died. He thought the will was set up so that what happened would never happen. The dog hunters that have the luxury of hunting places like Eglin AFB, the vast timber land holdings around Perry and other places in the south will probably be able to dog hunt for a few more years. The days of timber companies holding vast tracts of timberland is quickly coming to an end inmany areas. It is too expensive to pay land taxes, plant, and manage timberland for 30 or so years for a crop of pine timber to be harvested. One fire, hurricane, disease, insectinfestation or other loss and you lose everything for a long time. Most pine stands do well to average a $70 per year return over the 30 or so year harvest life of a stand. Rayonier is one of the last ones in our area, and they have started selling off their south Bama land. Plum Creek doesn't allow dog hunting on their property.

SORRY-ITS OFF TOPIC

Timbercruiser- you got that right, it is a sad site to see old St. Joe companysale off or develop all their prime hunting land.They actually own about 3,500 acres of our hunting club and own the land bordering our hunting club in Jefferson County. It is all posted withfor sale signs.
My grandfather actually bought 400 acres inMadison Countyfrom Rayonier in 1997 for 400 dollars an acre, and the most of the rest of Rayonier holdings in the area was sold off to other timberland companies in our area.I hate to say it but the future is grim for the vast timber acreage in ALL of FLorida. The only way it can be saved if the land cannot be cost-feasible to develop (floodzones,location, etc), that and the location of the pulp mill will be the only ways to save the doghunting tracts of land around Perry.

But a company is in business to make the most profit possible, even if it means transforming in from one business to another. They could care less about thetiny $ amount they get fromhunting leases, developed land is the hot commodity.The timber is near worthlesscomparedto the land, when before the 'land boom' it was the opposite.