Hunting Deer with Dogs

in Oh, Va, WVa, Ar, and Al. during deer season roaming dogs got shot, no questions asked. hog hunting was done only after deer season was over, that's when dogs were used for hunting.
 
I'm not a fan of dog hunting. Nothing ruins a nice still hunt like a pack of dam dogs running deer, they always spook the deer even on your property. Like it was mentioned, the dumb dog does not know where their property stops but to make things worse the guys will "go looking" on private property for their dam dogs, gun in hand.
 
I detest dawg hunters. Huge problem here in MS. They will turn their dogs loose on a 100 acre tract that they have access too knowing full well that their dogs will soon range outside of their tract. They try to justify it by saying "dog's can't read boundry signs". Top it off by the fact that they'll line up along a country road on the pretense of "trying to catch the dogs" but all the time they are holding loaded shotguns waiting for the deer to come by them.

Add to that the fact that dog hunting gives you zero opportunity to assess the deer itself. If it's brown, it's down. No chance to judge whether or not it is a mature deer so you can practice any kind of managed "harvest".
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Legal here in Florida and I agree with your assessment. Besides, getting that deer's adrenaline running through its veins means the meat is not going to be the tastiest it could be. I understand the principle - sending dogs into thickets so dense a human would have a hard time getting through; but after learning to hunt out West where you actually had to go after the deer, using dogs is not my thing.
 
That is interesting I have heard of guys claiming their dogs would drive game back to them but I never understood how they did it I would think a deer would be gone out of a area and not be able to be turned by a dog
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Yeah I have heard some crazy stories about German hunting dogs
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I've owned what are called "Versatile" hunting dogs for over 40 years. "Continental" breeds, bred to hunt fur and feather. Many have the drive to hunt deer just as deep as their drive to point Pheasants. Easily trained out of them in most cases. Things with the "continentals", is that they are not a exceptionally fast dog, and that works to their advantage. Like rabbits, deer will circle back to where they were first kicked up. One Drahthaar I had was exceptional at running deer until he was trained out of it. He could scent a bedded deer from a distance I never believed, and could not be called back once he took off. The secret was to go to where he had flushed the deer. Sometimes took ten minutes or so, but eventually the deer would come back running slowly, to the exact spot it was flushed, occasionally stopping to see if the dog was still following,(would have been an easy shot) with the dog hundreds of yards behind trailing by scent....not sight. When the dog got close, once called, he would come back wondering what he had done wrong. Eventually the dog was broken off deer and never paid no mind to them again, but how well that dog could do that with deer made me realize how folks with good deer hounds enjoyed the hunt....and how effective a good deer dog could be.
 
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I dont have a problem with those whom hunt with a dog/s. As told it takes allot of training to get a dog to preform the task. And those fellows who do typically ask for permission to run a neighbors woods. No doubt when a dog flushes big game other similar game close-by runs off. But that scared game not being harassed personally usually returns to the same area in 3 -5 days. (typical deer behavior with grey wolf drives)
 
Back in the 50s, our neighbor had a place on Ontario. They always hunted w/ dogs. Put hunters on n island and then take the dogs to the other end and let em push deer to the hunters. Much of that area would have been difficult to hunt w/o dogs.

Today??
 
We deal with this every year when it comes to hunting bear with dogs. Among the 32 states that permit bear hunting, Wisconsin is one of just 18 that permits the use of dogs to chase bears and hold them in place until the hunter can shoot. Our good neighbors to the west, Minnesota, has never allowed it. But, other than the other popular method of taking bear, by baiting, there is no real effective way to hunt bear. They are not a "spot and stalk" animal here in Wisconsin and we have quite a few of them. I have been along with Houndsmen when hunting bear and the hunt is very sporting, ethical and humane. I have been with Houndsmen while they chase coyotes and I have seen the whole Gambit from one end of the spectrum to the other, including watching a tired and spent coyote being torn to pieces under a truck as the group of Houndsmen urged their pack of "kill" dogs on. Made me sick to my stomach and never went with that group again. Can't blame the dogs if they have scumbags for owners.
 
Just sitting in a tree waiting for a deer?

No tnx

Hunting with dogs is magical

Sneaking up on a big moose bayed by your dog (spitz type dogs)

Some People Chase deer with Long legged dogs but that is not okey by law/ethics or traditions here.
You can use some as "blasters" they run in and bark abit but shouldnt follow that Long, People in stands around the area shoot the game that comes out. Blasters can be hounds, vorsteh, spaniels, labs etc

With Short legged dogs like dachs, bassets and others they chase for longer time but in a slower pace,
This is more involved for all in your party, you can position shooters as it develops
 
I guess we all have our own code of ethics. To me, the important things are to live by your own code, but not to condemn those with a different code.

I would never consider using a guide, dogs, bait, feeders, etc to hunt anything. But I do not condemn those who do.
 
Not a opinion but a fact !!!

I guess we all have our own code of ethics.
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That is a fact and a good foundation is to adhere to each state's hunting laws which are publish and updated, on a yearly basis. Now then, if your state's laws state that it is legal then I have no problem with those who hunt with dogs. The DNR states the rules but you set your own hunting code. …… ;)

Be Safe !!
 
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