My take on running deer with dogs...
 

The other thread has gotten so big that I wanted to make a separate post so that briarhead would be sure to see this. First some background, I am 36, been hunting, trapping and fishing almost since i could walk. I live and was raised in north central Louisiana. First of all, I have no problem personally with dog hunting, Our deer rut from just before thanksgiving into the first week of December, our dog season doesn't open until after the first week of December. I know this isn't the case everywhere, but around here dogs or no dogs a still hunter is very and I mean very hard pressed to see anything decent after the first week or so of december. And, actually I feel that this has a lot to do with the changing land use by the timber industry. Now days In most of central and north louisiana you would be very hard pressed to find a hunting lease that isn't 75 to 90 percent cutover/thicket/pine plantation. Things just aren't the same as they were 20 years ago, and I honestly believe it makes patterning deer harder, and this to me is magnified late season wich is when dog season is going on. Another very big problem for dog hunters is the fact that rural areas just aren't as rural as they used to be, I'd be willing to bet that it's the same in other states, nowdays if you live within 25 to 40 minutes of any decent sized city you are seeing more and more people moving out of town, it's like that here big time. Another problem for doghunters is hunters themselves, this a real pet peeve to me,we haveglamorized deer hunting so much with "management for big bucks" and put deer in general on such a pedestal, it's no wonder that most still hunters are so opposed to dogs. Back in the day when doghunting was an accepted part of the season folks just viewed a deer as meat, heck I can remember when neighbors would stop their cars on abackroad so as not mess up a guy that was waiting on dogs, was it legal back then, heck no but everyone knew each other and everyone was safe and it was accepted,back in those days there wasn't any traffic on the backroads, and ifit was you knew about in plenty of time to be safe, people just used plain ole common sense. This is scenario is definitely not the case today, and no I ain't condoning breaking the law. Back to our "glamorization of deer" , the bible clearly states that we have dominion over the animals, yet so many in our own ranks want to whine and moan about someone elses chosen method of hunting, I know that not everyone believes the bible, but this is my opinion on the matter, I am entitled to it! So, what do I think about dog hunting, well sadly I believe it's on its way out due to a combination of all these factors. I guess you could say I'm kinda neutral about it, because like I said already, where I hunt they could outlaw it today and it wouldn't make my late season hunting anybetter, been here all my life and I know that for fact.

RE: My take on running deer with dogs...
 

I think your opinion is right on the money unfortunately that is the way it is in SC. I am honestly trying to make a difference though. My biggest problem I have in dealing with it is the fact that it is not the non hunting public trying to do away with it as much as it is the "other hunters" who are trying to run it in to the ground by hook or by crook method. I am not going to sit here and tell you all dog hunters are good ethical hunters, cause their are some whom I classify as slobs and the dont have my respect enough to use the word,hunter, in the same breath. However if we can get some new laws in my home state and more money to enforce them, maybe we as the hunting community can co-exsist. We are a divided faction and that is not a good thing to be in the grand scheme of things. Who knows what isto come later down the road when all hunting may come under the scrutinty that dog drives have come under in the past 10 years. Will I be able to stand next to a man who helped put my favorite method of hunting to rest? and help him save his method? These are some of the question I pose? If dog hunting for deer is eliminated, that will be the first domino in a huge pile to fall. How do we as hunters plan for the next wave? Will all dog related hunting activites be under fire then? How will bowhunters justify their sport, if the same happens? We need to think about our childrens rights to hunt 30-40 years from now when we are dead and gone. All of these things now will at some point have a effect onthe future of this sport!