Posted by GeorgiaDave
on February 26, 2009, 3:09 pm, in reply to "Part 2 Hunting for a hitter"
Greetings,
As a life long deer hunter, now approaching 40 years, I would like to share my thoughts on dog hunting deer. I have been around working dogs my whole life. We have hunted pigs with dogs but have never been attracted to using them for deer. While I would never find fault with those who choose to drive deer with dogs, to me it seems unneccesary. The dogs will never "bay up a deer" and the meat of a deer that has been run by dogs is not the quality of meat I prefer. There is a definate difference in taste than a deer that has been shot while not running for its' life. There is also the idea that folks who run deer dogs are lazy, or just to impatient to still hunt them. I can see bith sides of this view. I am fully aware of the long time tradition of deer dogs and the only thing I have against it is when the dogs cross over to private land and disturb those who choose to quietly hunt deer. This will happen sooner or later unless the dogs are on a property large enough to absorb this type of hunting. Hey, it's not the dogs fault they trespass, as I have never known a dog who could read a sign.
As a pig hunter, I have heard this same type of arguement. The only difference here is the fact that this is usually more close range hunting and we do not kill the pigs, we catch them. There are usually fewer dogs working, but they do still have the chance to cross onto private property. This is an area we can not debate. The property owner has exclusive rights to privacy, and wandering dogs are regarded the same as people, they do not belong there.
I can see all sides of this situation. I also know that as wide open land is being shrunk by development, that conflicts will continue to occour. Most people are not against chasing Bambi with dogs as they are against trespassing, in any form. The dog hunters would do best to regulate themselves and do everything in their power to avoid conflicts with landowners who do not participate in the sport of dog hunting.
As a side note, the largest deer drive on planet Earth takes place at the Savannah River Site each year. More than 1000 dogs are loosed on this Federal facility to regulate deer populations. Hunters are assigned stands and told to shoot any and every deer they see. The total deer killed on this two day drive are staggering, proving that although at times contriversial, it is very effective.
These views are mine, and are given with an open mind and humble heart. Best wishes and God Bless You.
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