Releasing the Hounds
One of the outdoor writers I read pretty regularly is Bill Cochran of the Roanoke Times out of Virginia. Today’s column he undertakes a very hot topic here in the South, Deer Hunting with Dogs.
Hunting deer with dogs is about as southern as Sweet Tea and Stock Car Racing and the hunting style in and of itself is not one that I oppose. I’ll admit that my experience afield with dog hunters thus far have by far been all negative. When I first moved here and I looked at some of the terrain and habitat I saw why the use of dogs would be necessary or beneficial to pursue deer. As I do with many new situations I try to keep an open mind and observer before I make up my mind. I’ve never hunted this style and surprisingly I get a wide variety of hunting invites every year but very few, only one that I remember that involved this style of deer hunting. I was unable to fit that hunt into my schedule but I’m sure at some time in the future I’ll get one of these hunts in. The problem with this style many of us have is exactly what is Bill has laid out in his article;
Standing before the board of the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Lytle, who lives in Zuni, told about fulfilling his dream when he purchased 160 acres of his own for bowhunting, bird watching and wildlife photography.
“I have done a lot for the habitat,” said Lytle, who is a professional bass fishermen sponsored by Ranger and Yamaha. The efforts include a nice chunk of quail cover and a bunch of bluebird boxes.
But his dream has been spoiled by hunting clubs that send their hounds across his property to chase deer. Never mind that they are uninvited and unwanted, and violate the tranquility that Lytle believes should be his. They just come.
And what can you do? Under Virginia law, not much. It can seem to Lytle and other landowners who have been abused by hound hunters that dogs have more rights than landowners.
“I feel like my hands are tied,” Lytle told board members. “If you don’t protect the landowners and the landowner’s rights, I don’t know what the future of deer hunting is going to be.”
That is the crux of the problem landowners are expected to tolerate dogs running across their land and dog owners often state “dogs can’t read” thus they have no responsibility for their dogs once they release them. Dog hunters often state that if hunters who oppose their hunting style are playing into the antis hands. That is one way of looking at it but we have to be mindful of the overall image hunters have and there is no room for slobs no matter the method or style they utilize.
A lot of these problems can be reduced when dog hunting is practiced on large enough tracts of land that they don’t over run them. I suspect that is easier said then done but releasing a pack of dogs on the property line is only inviting a conflict in my view. I don’t want to see anyone’s style of hunting taken away from them but I’m also unwilling to sit by and let one style of hunting negatively impact the over all opinion the general public has of the hunting community.
This may be the #1 problem with hunting that we have in the south. The idea of bugling dogs and the excitement as the hounds move through the woods pushing deer is an old idea that has practically disapperared.
Today the so-called hunters fly up and down the roads cutting off the deer as they cross roads while they communicate by CB radio. They will know a deer is heading to a crossing and line up. God help us if a deer crosses a field or road in front of them. They also monitor the game wardens and will have their rifle bolts open and no bullets when he checks them. If a deer passes they can throw a bullet or two in and blast in the blink of an eye. If you see them lined up and ask what they are doing. They ALWAYS reply, “trying to catch our dogs”.
Take the CBs’ away, fine them for trepassing or hunting public roads and it will be a start to ending this problem.
Comment by Rex — June 8, 2007 @ 11:29 am
Good one, Moose.
This was always a hot topic back in NC, and probably still is. While we have to be careful not to lump all dog hunters in with the bad ones, it’s pretty tough to separate the crowd sometimes.
One of the most common and abused aspects of hunting with hounds is exactly that described above… the houndsmen appear to have no respect for private property rights, and often use the “range laws” as a subterfuge for tresspassing. By law, the houndsmen can (and do) pursue their dogs onto private property. The law, however, is only intended to allow them to recover their animals…not to allow them to kill game.
The houndsmen’s tradition is pretty old, and in general it’s a great and storied thing. Reading William Faulkner, Robert Ruark, and other great Southern writers, it’s easy to see how steeped in tradition this sport can be. It’s how I was introduced to deer hunting, and I participated in this method for many years.
Unfortunately, the tradition came from a time when huge properties were the norm, and neighbors often joined together in the hunt as it crossed from one farm to the next. The southern landscape isn’t like that any longer. With suburbs and sprawl, it’s not unusual at all to see the hounds chase deer right into people’s backyards and driveways. As a result, not only dog hunting, but all hunting is getting a huge black eye.
I hate to even contemplate curtailing the houndsmen’s sport, but it’s time to start taking a long, hard look at how it is to be managed for the future.
Comment by Phillip — June 10, 2007 @ 1:16 pm