Shawnygirl

How is it beneficial to use a dog to deer hunt? Wouldn't the dog scare the deer in the opposite direction?

jrbsr

No you have hunters on one side of the land then the dogs and the handler gos on the other

Side and then the handler takes the dogs in the direction of the hunters.

It is real productive if done the right way.

Just have to remember where all the hunters are and that the hunters stay put.

You gotta have Saftey First.

I had some of my best hunts with dogs.

Its just like rabbit hunting with dogs almost.

Big Al C

Shawny, I do most of my deer hunting in the coastal region of South Carolina, where it is local tradition to hunt using packs of hound dogs to get the deer moving. We hunt large blocks of land, normally 40-50 acres or more at a time. To minimize risk we do not allow rifles or slugs to be used, only buckshot. We put hunters on all sides of the property, about 150-200 yards apart. Then we put 3 or more packs of dogs onto the property at different locations. Each pack of dogs has 1 or 2 hunters with them who are called "drivers". The drivers job is to lead the dogs into the thickets where the deer hide. When the dogs jump a deer out of his bed they will begin chasing it. Hopefully the deer will run close enough to one of the hunters to get off a good shot. But because the deer are quiet and fast, and because the cover is usually thick, most of them escape. If you enjoy hearing hounds or beagles running, this is a very fun way to hunt. However, if you only want to kill trophy bucks, this is not the way to do it. Generally the shots have to be taken so quickly that you worry about making the shot first, and then you can worry about how big the deer is. In our club though, we had a problem with some guys shooting any deer they saw. So we put in a rule where anyone who shoots a deer less than 75 pounds has to pay a $100 dollar fine to the club. This slows down the trigger happy guys, and gives the yearling deer a chance to grow one more year.
As to how effective a way of hunting this is, I will say that it is no more effective, and probably less effective than sitting in a tree stand. When I do sit in a stand I can most often kill a deer every day if I wanted to. However, I did not get my first deer this year dog hunting until Nov. 13. But some guys have already killed three or four. So it is a matter of luck as well as skill.
To answer your original question, the main benefit I find is that I very rarely have a boring day when dog hunting. Even if I don't see a deer I know that at any second one may come running past me, and I always get to listen to the dogs when they are trailing. What I really love most is the excitement of having a pack of dogs coming towards you baying their heads off, and knowing there is a deer in front of them. For a hunter and dog lover it doesn't get any better.

reswire1

Wish I could say something nice about dog hunting, but can't find the words. I live in essex county, va. and around here too many hunters use their dogs as an excuse to tresspass on private lands. They use the county blacktop roads as shooting lanes, lining them with pick-up trucks shooting willy-nilly all over the place. The game wardens around here never show up when you call, mainly because it's legal to stand in a roadway with a loaded shotgun. All one of these idiots have to do is step one foot off of the pavement and they can fire at will. I catch them on my farm all the time, but can't seem to get through to them. It's a real pity. Idiots like these will kill hunting for everyone oneday. If there is no dog-deer hunting in your area, keep it out!!! Too many jerks will abuse it, and like everything else, ruin the sport for all of us.
Yesterday I talked to one of the hunt club owners, bragged about a great day they had. Jumped 4 big bucks, shot buckshot at all of them, blood all over the place he said, but only found one. These jerks hunt beside my property and wound all the good deer. Last year I found starved dogs up and down the road like orphans. They turn loose dogs, and only take back the ones that run the way they want! Wouldn't an animal rights group love to burn this bunch of jack-asses!!