10-4, good buddy! Well said!

Have gun......Will travel!!

Here is a couple of my good hunting partners below.

http://i12.tinypic.com/344a17c.jpg

No fun or excitement, you definitely have never been involved in dog hunting or well organized, planned man drives (not that there is anything wrong with that, I'm just saying)

Luckily others approval is not necessary (except for the VDGIF)in the great state of VA to dog hunt or man drive.

Not well said. For one I am not asking for a ban on either. I stated I don't do it. I also said if you do it that is your choice. They do serve the same purpose. A dog runs a deer to a stander, he shoots. A driver drives a deer to a stander, he shoots. What's the difference? Neither is fair. Go one on one with your quarry. I don't dislike anyone for using dogs or driving, I just don't do it. Using a dog to retrieve your ducks is not even close to the same thing. I don't care if they outlaw it or not. I was just stating that running dogs is becoming a thing of the past. By the way, I don't quail, pheasant, or rabbit hunt, and I am my own duck retriever.

"One on one with your quarry".....well isn't that noble. Again with thetalk of fairness. Hunting is not fair!! We are far more intelligent than deer and that aloneblows the whole "fairness" issue out of the water.I'll insert my original fairness rebuttal here:

"Hunting is not fair. For hunting to be fair deer would have to have larger brains capable of much more complex thought. They would also have to be armed and capable of shooting back. Now that would be fair!! How many would be lining up to buy licenses then? Fair, let's be realistic. "

Dogs are just a tool some use. Do you use anything to aid you in your "one on one" pursuit? Like deer urine, scent eliminator,high tech camo suits, stands, trail cams, aerial photos, topo maps, food plots (there is a good one, that's "fair")the list goes on and on and on. Now let's talk about fair.

Not trying to be a jerk just speaking from the other side on this one, no offense meant to anyone.

Actually I don't use any of that. I don't even use a gun or a bow. I just hide behind a tree a grab em.Now that's fair. I'm not taking any offense from you as I hope you are not from me. I'm not belittling you for the methods you use to hunt. I just prefer not to hunt with dogs or drives. They probably can be exciting, but it's just not for me.

No offense taken either my friend, to each their own. I have had some close encounters on the ground bowhunting that sound like the method you described. I don't know who was more scared, me or the deer.

I think if it is legal, then it is fair. I get just the same excitement listening to the dogs getting closer, as i do taking a deer that is ran by dogs. There are days when i don't see a single deer, but the dogs have been tearing through the woods(close to me), and i am exhausted by days end from adrenaline bursts. Also, i love the teamwork of the guys involved(truly involved) in the hunt.

"Find em!......Find em!"

Have Gun: I am in Va. also, in Northumberland County. We still run dogs here, and I am like you, I have been bowhunting, muzzleloader, and shotgun hunting(dog hunting)this year. I love all three but to tell you the truth I would be far more upset if they outlawed bowhunting than if they outlawed dog hunting. I can tell you right now that with alot of large land tracts being bought by those from northern Va and other places. I can see about 5-10 more years of being able to dog hunt around here. Not because of it being outlawed but simply because there will be no unposted property, right now we personaly know every landowner whos land we hunt, and we take care of them with Turkeys and oysters for Thanksgiving and Hams for Christmas and things like that(we dont have to rent any land). Each year our hunting land gets decreased just a little form people selling land off and the new owners (from the city) dont want hunting on their country paradise (even though they may step foot on it once every 2 years). Its a shame to because I would really like my children (have none yet)to exprience that kind of hunting, but I guess I will just have to tell them about how it was back in the old days.

What county are you in? do you guys use slugs or buckshot?