millerhunter13

well down here in florida, there is so much land, that i dont really think that is a problem plus state land has certain places for dog hunting, but most of the clubs down here run dogs and some do both, but i havnt heard of the dogs being run on other peoples property, sorry for the people who feel that running dogs aint hunting cause it is acutlly harder then it looks.

rick64

I've seen 4 in the past month, the only thing the owners picked up is the collars.

dogger69

I'm a dedicated dog hunter, and I believe there is room for everyone. Let's let the still hunters have Sunday, doghunters Saturdays. Let's see who breaks the law then? We can't keep chewing each other up while the anti's laugh their asses off! I'll give a little to keep a little. Can't we all go the meetings and act like we have some sense. Too much anger is going to backfire in a big way. Maybe not this year, but definitely in the near future. Keep the doggies in the field, they ain't so bad.

bryant1

I personally think it is more of the loophole in Virginia's laws that is causing the problems. If it isn't illegal, then you really dont have any unlawful ground to stand on. Ethically, of course its wrong, but i assure you there are as many unethical stillhunters that would use a loophole in the laws to hunt someone elses land also.

Vulture6

Just some clarification - you may release your dogs on a roadway that adjoins a public right of way if your club property (or the property that you have permission to hunt) adjoins the right of way. If there is posted/private land between the public right of way and the land that you have permission to hunt then you may not release your dogs with the intent of having them run across the posted/private land. The purpose here is that you don't have to build a road running around the boundaries of your property - you may use the public roads if they adjoinyour hunting property - even if there is a powerline, gasline, drainage or other public right of way between the road and your land.

The intent of the "no trespass" law is when the dogs stray from their intended course -- which will happen and I think the VDGIF and most land owners understand. The hot issue is when the dogs are intentionally run over other people's land - as in the case that rafsob described.



On a side note, it's good to see a thread like this where most folks are willing to discuss and not start threatening to shoot dogs or accusing still hunters of screwing up dog hunts. There is room for rational discussion and a workable solution.

reswire

Lawsuits against the timber companies will be part of the downfall of dog hunting.No room for compromise will be the other. Landowners andstill hunterswho are sick of trespassing will be dropping poison bait, trapping dogs, etc., to get themselves some relief. It's a sick thing to do,,, almost as sick as not being able to compromise on any hunting issue. When the mud gets thick, everyone gets a little on them. Just a damn shame ain't it?

Bigg~BirddVA

I'm personally tired of having dogs chasing deer run around me during bow season. I hunted near another clubs dog pens. Almost every Sat. you could hear the person arrive. The dogs started barking a lot and then a few minutes later here they come. They run all around the cutover I'm hunting by and then by me and that's the morning hunt. I got in there one Sat and they didn't run. Had 2 bucks go by and dropped 1 of them. Some saturdays I had multiple packs running at the same time from different directions. The out of season loophole needs to be fixed. The dogs on another's lands - at anytime - needs to be fixed and the right to tresspass needs to be fixed. They can do what they want as long as it's on their own land and their activity doesn't spill over to affect me in any way shape, form or fashion. I mean that's basic property rights not to be affected by others on your own land isn't it? Why are dog chasers exempt?

reswire

All you can do is sue the timber companies. Let them apply the pressure. You as the honest hunter have no other recourse! It worked in N.C.. It will work here.

eng40sqd

reswire...

If you read my other posts on this subject you will have an idea where I stand an my thoughts on what needs to be done. Saying that I will ask you a question.. why should everyone be punished for the acts of a few? why should access to land, which is not easy to come by for anyone these days unless you happen to own large tracts yourself, become even harder because of issues that revolve around a few? I completly am with yo uandknow yoru frustrations and I feel that there needs something to be done but why make it where the timber companies dont want to deal with anyone any more? Or they only lease to still hunting only groups, which there is nothing wrong with at all.. but have you ever tried to still hunt.. lets say a 1800 tract that was nothing but scrub and young pines that are still young enough that you can not see or walk through them? nt an easy thing to do... now lets say that the surrounding tracts were also cutover in various stages of growth... making still hunting hard, not impossible but difficult.. I know I had the pleasure of still hunting a place like I described for a few years.. yes we killed a few deer but not nearly what was needed to manage the heard or improve it in any way shape or form.. I am talking an average of 10 to 12 guys a day and a high of 3 deer killed in one day but on average 1 per saturday... not good odds.... that situation leads back to the herd becoming more than the land can handle...

I think that by fixing the loopholes and giving the conservation police something more to work with for enforcement reasons and giving the deer doggers a training season like the other dog hunters so that they might start to ease up"fox" hunting might be a good meet in the middle idea

Bigg~BirddVA

Explain that one will you? There's a trespassing loophole that allows you to go on another's lands and not get a ticket?


I pay a lot of $$$ and put lots of time and effort to bowhunt on some land. Why should I have to put up with every Sat morning at 8AM or so the adjoining club drives to their pens and lets out a pack of deer hounds. They have maybe 25 acres, we have over 800. Where do you think they go? Every Sat gets old real quick. I'm bow hunting not dog hunting. I shouldn't have to set up on the deer dog chase excape route to fling an arrow at a running deer getting the heck out of Dogde. Angry? No I'm just tired of others that don't care so i'm going to return the favor. I no longer care.