[rickyford2]

How do you hunt most of your deer?

Do you Still Hunt?

Do you Hunt With Dogs?

Do you Stalk Your Deer?


Just wondering how many guys hunt with dogs and stalk I already know that still hunting won:D

Ricky

[legacy]

I'm pretty sure that hunting deer with dogs in Oregon is illegal.

[rickyford2]

Any other voters?

Ricky

[marksman13]

All three. This is probably gonna be moved to the hunting forum.

[The Deer Hunter]

I have never heard of deer hunting with dogs. Deer run away so fast I don't think I would have much time at all to shoot at them.

[marksman13]

Deer hunting with dogs is a tradition in many parts of the Southeast. It is espescially popular in my homestate of Mississippi. There are those who call it unethical and immoral but most of those types have never tried it. It is much like hunting rabbits with dogs. One group of hunters unleashes the dog while another group of hunters stake out the deer's escape routes and wait for the deer to run by and present a shot. Often times the deer is so far in front of the dogs that the hunter gets to shoot at a deer that has stopped to rest. It's not my favorite way to hunt and it is best kept on private land where other hunters will not be disturbed, but it certainly has it's merritts.

[Art Eatman]

Deer hunting with dogs was mostly traditional in the southeastern U.S. Ruark offers some descriptions of hunts in his, "The Old Man and the Boy". With many fewer large tracts of land suitable for the use of dogs, there is much less than in the past.

I once was hunting in the riverbottom jungle along the Appalachicola River below Blountstown, Florida. I watched a couple of dogs trail a doe, the other side of the river. She finally jumped in and swam the 200 yards to cross it. She landed near me, shook herself, and walked on up into the woods. The dogs never realized they'd been eluded...

I guess most of my own hunting has been of sitting at early morning or late evening, and walking/stalking during mid-day.

[learningman]

I'm more of a stalk kind of guy. I will wander for awhile then sit and do some glassing then get up and cover some more ground. The country I'm used to hunting is just to big to sit and wait, and until now I'd never heard of people using dogs to hunt deer with.

[Buzztail]

Art, I may have been down in that exact location myself at one point...
I have access to some land over in Notrhern Lafayette Co. right on the river. My favorite time is sitting just off the bank in a little slough with my back up against an old live oak facing away from the Suwanne and just taking it all in. Walking during the mid-day, and still hunting early and late is the norm
I have, and will again hunt hogs with dogs, but that's a whole nother story...

[rickyford2]

Yes dog hunting is big in south carlina where my uncle lives he owns a hunting club with 6000 acers and they pick a place and let the dogs go and make a circle around that spot and then let the dogs go about 20 and we shoot the deer as they come runing out.

Ricky

[rickyford2]

Any other votes ???

Ricky

[dogrunner]

As my post name implies I'm a dog hunter. Probably the LEAST productive method of deer hunting I know of, but sure a challenging hulluva lot of fun. Anyone who's never engaged in the practice simply cannot imagine just how difficult it can be and just how wily an experienced buck is.

I also still hunt yearly with family and friends in the appalachians and I've taken a few of them with me here in Fla........EVERY single one was left in the dust wondering what had happened!....They fail to realize just how far ahead of even very fast dogs a deer will be, where he's likely to run, much less the techniques a deer will use to lose those dogs including round abouts on sandy roads, running back thru a pack, stopping dead and letting them over run his position and hauling ass back where he came from......not to mention the trick of finding a wad of does and yearlings and running into their midst and screwing up the whole works !! Then there's the oldtimer that'l find a thousand acre windy clearcut, run to the center and lie down...........you might find him if you have a helicopter and tracking device on his neck! Those still/stand hunters that've tried it sure left with a lot of respect for the method, not one killed a deer even tho they're quite accomplished on their home turf.

The big issue with running dogs is landowner conflict. Most areas are simply not large enough. My best estimate of a minimal area for a small group would be in the neighborhood of five thousand acres......Less than that and you are gonna have problems. Then too, you need a usable road system if you are not hunting on horseback so as to head the deer off.

It is sporting, it is very difficult, and if you succeed in killing a good buck, fairly hunted with good dogs you have truly earned a trophy!

[alsaqr]

I'm a tree stand hunter most of the time. Works well for me.

[Eric F]

I shot a dog by accident here in va with a shotgun. I was in a tree stand the dog howeled I looked left and saw a doe and let er rip. Bang deer goes down instantly dog squeels deer gets up and runs. The dog was in some pines just past the deer could not see him at all. got hit with over shot.
End result the club made me pay for the dog(fair)
called me a lier about the incident(unfair)
would not let me keep the dog(unfair) dog had nose blown off
club found doe 2 days later about 150 yards from area would not apologize(unfair)

bottom line I will not hunt with dogs or shotgun ever again.

[gunsmithgirl]

I still hunt & stalk- depends on what kinda mood I'm in I guess.

I got really ruined on hunting deer with dogs. I have never tried it myself but have got a lot of hunts ruined by others hunting with them.

I do however enjoy rabbit & bird hunting with dogs.

[rickyford2]

It looks like stalking is wining over dogs.

Ricky

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

I still hunt and stalk when I see them.. Depends on the cover/terrain I'm in. That's real hunting. Not sitting in a tree stand waiting for one to walk by. Not sitting next to a feed station. Not with dogs, (both illegal here anyway). Not shooting from a half mile away. (although I appreciate a long shot's skill, especially if out on the open tundra). I don't use scent kill/spray. I wear wool. I do sometimes use a cover scent. I walk softly. I use the wind to my advantage when possible. I follow tracks and other sign. I tend to stay away from other hunters.

I HUNT PUBLIC LAND!

-Steve

[LeonCarr]

I tree stand/box stand hunt most of the time. Some folks out west refer to it as "deer waiting" instead of deer hunting :).

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

[B.D. Turner]

Many hunters here use dogs. I have always still hunted. I never saw anything wrong with dog hunting just never took up that kind of hunting. Dog hunting is far less than a shure way to get a deer so I believe it is ethical hunting. Where I live there are now two hunting clubs in my neighborhood. One on each side of the road. All of the land I hunt is surrounded by one or the other clubs. I am thinking about joining one club next year just to have more land to hunt.

[elrod]

I deer hunt both ways. Most people who condemn dog hunting have never tried it. As has been noted, it is illegal to run dogs in more states than those who allow it. It is a challenge to be ready for the split-second you usually have to identify the target and fire a lethal shot. I belong to a dog club that allows still and stalk hunting when dog drives are not in progress. Dog season ends 2-3 weeks before deer season does in Alabama,so if you don't still hunt, your season is over prematurely.

[Skoghund]

In August i hunt roe deer by stalking or high seat. From the 1st October i only hunt with the dog. I use a Taxen ( Dachshund). To me it one of the most fun forms of hunting.

[308win]

Dogs aren't an option in Ohio.

[mustanger98]

I was telling Daddy about this thread earlier today. We've always just set up where we figure/know the deer will be and waited and that works. But, Daddy said he's been in on drives and agreed that this isn't the easiest way to hunt deer. He said he's watched deer ahead of the dogs and the deer know full well what they're doing and how far back the dogs are. He said mostly, down in Alabama where they hunted, they'd run short-legged Beagles and they didn't push the deer as fast. On the other hand, some of 'em did run some long-legged hounds and the race was on. In the latter case, he said when the deer came through, it was fast and then it was over. He said it's mostly a social event with the dog work involved... the dog guys goin' at it with "my dog's better'n your's". He said, in the social aspect, that if you had 12 guys and they only got one deer, everybody'd go home with meat. Daddy also told about one time some other guys were having a drive on our cousins' place... these two deer cut out to Daddy's side and he heard 'em coming and set up on 'em. Those two deer weren't in any hurry either and Daddy got 'em. That brings me back around to how we set up and wait... I can recall several years ago, there were these two idiot dogs across the road and they'd run deer. I'd leaned on a tree as long as I felt like that evening, so I slung my rifle and started to head back to the house. Well, I looked up and across the field and there's this buck... I guess he was about 2 year old, five or six points... coming bouncing across there. Well, this buck came right up within 15yds of me, looked at me, looked back the way he came, and then took three jumps out of there and was gone. That's when I saw the neighbor's stupid dogs running wide open. That buck... he may have been young, but he wasn't stupid and he looked like he was having fun leading those dogs. He probably just circled back around and went back where he wanted to be to begin with.

[oklahoma caveman]

maybe im wrongbut isnt the definition of still hunting actually something about stalking?

iv done all 3 and enjoyed them

[308win]

Around here hunters take still hunting to mean a tree or ground stand of some kind and you wait. We have lengthy archery seasons and while I am not a bow hunter I think almost all of that is still hunting. Our shotgun season this year was 9 days and regular muzzle loader season is 4 days; archery season runs from 9/29/2007-2/3/2008.

[wheelgunslinger]

I enjoy stalking.
I've never enjoyed being around hunting dogs. Too much noise with all the barking and what not. Too much chest thumping with the "my dog is better than your dog." conversations. I also think that making the deer run that long makes the meat taste not as good.
So, I don't hunt with dogs.

[Art Eatman]

"I also think that making the deer run that long makes the meat taste not as good."

I plead ignorance about that. However, folks shoot birds on the fly, and certainly speak highly of the taste.

[30-06 lover]

I make a ground blind and wait. My dog waits with me. After I shoot, the dog waits for the command, then goes first and hold the deer for me if it isn't dead. If it is dead, the dog lays on the deer happy as a puppy with two peters thinking it just conquered the world.

[CajunBass]

I've pretty much always hunted with dogs. I've never seen a deer being pushed hard by the dogs, unless it was a "Jumped as soon as the tailgate dropped" deal, and even then the deer leave the dogs in the dust quickly. Mostly they just sort of lope along in front of the dogs. It seems the deer enjoy it as much as the dogs at times. I hunted for years before I killed my first deer, althought the very first time I ever went, I got a shot and missed. The second time was a long time coming.

Art, you're right about the meat. I killed a doe once that the dogs jumped and carried on out of hearing. One beagle stayed on her and went clear out of my hearing. A couple hours later, I saw a big doe trying sneak past me, and I killed her. A few minutes later I heard one lone dog running. I got ready, then realized the dog was running the same line the doe had run. He ran right up to where she had fallen. That was the worst tasting venison I ever ate. Even that deer wasn't running hard, and she was WAY ahead of the dog. I think she was taking a tour of the area, and the dog was just following her.

I watched a doe shake the dogs once. It was really cold, and had been for a while and the beaver swamp in front of me was frozen over. The toe tiptoed out onto the ice, and climbed up on top of a beaver hut and lay down. The dogs ran out onto the ice, slipping and sliding everywhere. They ran right past the beaver hut and never so much as barked. A few minutes later the doe climbed down, and slipped out the opposite direction.

It's not easy, but it sure is fun. I love to hear a good chase. Where I live now, they run deer dogs across the river. I love to stand on the deck and just listen. Music to my ears.

It really is a social thing. We'd meet at the club house, a couple of guys would be fixing breakfast, lies would be told, football games rehashed, (Washington always got robbed) trucks fixed, guns argued about, dogs praised and cussed, and so on. You did not want to miss a shot. You'd be rewarded with a cut shirt-tail and a lot of good natured ribbing. The "shirt-tail board" was prominently displayed, with name and date for each and what was missed on a tag, and saved for years. When you killed a deer there were a lot of hands ready and wiling to help gut it, and drag it out. There were always a couple of guys who did most of the skinning and butchering (I was a skinner) and everybody took home meat if anyone killed one. Not enough to go around, then blank tags went in the hat. Those who had enough meat would just say "Don't put me in." Everyone pitched in to help catch dogs and round them up at the end of the day, and sometimes late into the night.

Kinda long and rambling, but just as I remembered things.

[CoRoMo]

I've tried to still hunt, but it just makes me have to go pee, and I get very impatient. Better for me to go find them rather than for them to happen by.
After I've gotten to know my favorite hunting area better, I've had good success just going straight to where the deer and elk are.

[elrod]

Skoghund
In August i hunt roe deer by stalking or high seat. From the 1st October i hunt only with the dog. I use a Taxen (Dachshund). To me it one of the most fun form of hunting.

A Dachshund? On deer? :confused: You're sh*ttin' us, right???

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

From Oklahoma Caveman-

"maybe im wrongbut isnt the definition of still hunting actually something about stalking? "

Still hunting is a technique in which you move slowly and deliberately through prime game territory, stopping often to watch and listen.

Some would say that if you take three steps and stop for 30 seconds, that you're hunting/moving too fast.

You stalk when you've seen game but can't get a good shot, moving in closer for a better angle past brush or other obsticle.

-Steve

[Skoghund]

No elrod i kid you not. Hunting roe deer a taxen is a very popular sport here in Sweden, They are not the dum lapdogs that old ladies have. They are also used for underground work on fox and badger. They will hunt hares and fox as well. Some will even hunt moose but that is not a wise thing as the moose have a habit of trampelling the dog.
The thing with roe deer is that they run in circles round the forest so if you know where they tend to run there's a good chance at getting a shot.
We do often shoot the roe with a shotgun but i use a combi weapon so that i can shoot them close up or at longer range with the rifle barrel.
we do have dogs for hunting every thing from moose to birds here.
Dog hunting is also a social thing. Vert impotant to build a fire,sit round grill sausages,drink coffe and tell lies:)
Next year i will buy one of those new digital cameras and post some pics

[mustanger98]

I remember when Grandmama got a dachsund (sp?) and I found out the Germans used 'em for hunting badgers... Grandpa's reaction was "can you imagine sending something like that in on a badger?" They had two of those dogs among others... they also had chihuauhuas inside and some sort of heinz57's outside...

Tell you what... if it comes down to using a dog just to get the deer moving, why not use a smaller dog? A dachsund or even a chihuahua either one's probably enough to get 'em moving but hopefully not big enough to run 'em real hard. OTOH, I've seen some little stupid yappy dogs come through and bust up a field full of does... they didn't hang around long enough to find out what kind of dog it was. So I probably just shot down my own hypothesis. I guess it could go either way.

[Art Eatman]

Hunting styles derive from culture, terrain and vegetation. The use of dogs has been common for thousands of years. The main reason it has become less common--from a practical-standpoint--is the decrease in the numbers of large tracts of privately-owned land.

As far as sitting, stalking or just walking-hunting across open lands, that's a function of land-form and vegetation.

In thick-brush country with little geographical relief, you only succeed by being able to look down into the brush from above--which means a tree stand or artifical tower. (Or hunt along a bulld-dozed trail (sendero) which itself is artificial.)

Forested country? I like sneaky-snaking. It's fun.

In my wide-open country, most success is from walking from point to point, going to where Bambi's likely to lay up during the day. Kick him out of bed, and if he looks good, shoot him. I guess a fella could use a dog, but there'd be a helluva thorn-pulling session at the end of the day. Dogs don't wear high-top boots...

[Matthew Temkin]

I have hunted deer with dogs in Sweden and it is a lot of fun..and very productive.
Since it is not legal in NY I will sometimes sit, slow stalk or work small drives with one or two other hunters.

[MCgunner]

None of the above. Still hunting is not productive in the thick cover down here, done it elsewhere. I've spot and stalked out west and it's my preferred way, but here, it's stand hunting and a feeder. Works for me, though I've not gotten a deer this season. Have gotten three hogs, though, and I got some venison in the freezer from my buddy's kid's spike.

Dogs aren't legal in Texas, not sure why, just aren't. It's not a style of hunting that was ever popular here except in east Texas in the piney woods. However, it's never been legal in my lifetime.

Texas has a LOT of deer, but the piney woods counties are all one buck counties, permit required for a doe. I doubt we'll ever see deer hunting with dogs here. I don't really care as I wouldn't get into it. If I get a dog, it'll be a lab for duck hunting. If I wanted dogs to chase game, I'd get 'em for hogs or perhaps a beagle pack for rabbits, but keeping dogs in town is a pain and not something I wanna do at this point.

[spiroxlii]

Hunting deer with dogs is illegal here, I believe.

[elkhuntingfool]

Stalking is the only way for me.

[mustanger98]

Check the GA hunting regs. Deer dogs require a $5 license fee per dog. There are certain counties where it's legal... Rabun County comes to mind as one of the last places I previously understood.

[Kimber1911_06238]

treestand/still hunt

[DZL HOG]

Dog hunting is very popular around here for deer, fox, rabbit, birds and even squirrel. Not to forget waterfowl retrieval.
There are several groups trying to get laws passed here to ban ALL dog hunting. As has happened in several other states.
I didnt join the club this year, due to the fact the cost of dues is way to expensive for the time I get to hunt b/c of work. Even tho the boss told me I needed to take some time off this year. Im off until Jan2nd, and cant hunt with the club. I do get 3 guest days, but Ive got the cold thats been goin around, so I dont even feel like it. It rained all day today and I didnt even go out the house.

I prefer dog hunting. I like hearing a good chase, playing in the mud with the trucks, joking around with fellow hunters, if I get cold the trucks not faraway. lol.
Im too impatient to sit and wait. If I dont fall asleep while sitting on the stand, I get very edgie, and usually jump at any slight movement or sound in the woods, esp the closer it gets to dark. Thats when I typically head for the house.
I do enjoy just walking around the woods when its nothing goin on. I like to look for deer trails, buck rubs and scrapes. I did jump a nice buck one day at work while trying to find the hole in the fence where the cow escaped. Of course I wasnt armed. But that was pretty cool. Ive never jumped out a deer when I was actually hunting. Stomping around the woods like Clydesdale prolly doesnt help either. LOL
I did find a nice 8pt skull Monday while I was out walking around. It was only a few yards from the house, I guess a car hit it one nite a few months ago, or he was spotlighted. The dogs went the other way and I was bored just walking around. Decided to take a different route back to the house, I had seen a bone up a tree where a buzzard had left. That was pretty strange. 100yds later I found the backbone then I could see the rack. Too me that was better than killing one, no trouble dragging it out the woods. LOL

I didnt realize how much I enjoyed hunting with the club till I didnt join this year. But the money and time is better spent elsewhere.

Matt

[rickyford2]

Thanks for all the posts.

Ricky

[ImARugerFan]

You should add a tree stand option. I still hunt later in the season.

[mustanger98]

While I don't use a treestand, I know plenty of guys who do. Some places around here, about the only way to get visibility is to get above the brush. I like to hunt the edges of fields... intermediate cover... and let the does draw the bucks out. It don't always work though depending on timing and wind direction. My Daddy likes to use a ladder stand. So does my BIL. My sister surprised me a few days ago... she's hunting this week, but I don't know if she's up a tree or on the ground overlooking a hillside like I would be where they are.

[H&Hhunter]

I primarily like to hunt with the deer jump method. Very similar to the old buffalo jump method. We get the whole tribe together herd them up then run them off a cliff.

I prefer at least a 300 foot cliff as I find 243 foot cliffs to be a little light in the energy department. Of course if I am "jump" hunting bigger game like mammoth or mastodon or giant cave sloth I prefer an even bigger cliff wanting at least a 375' drop preferably a 400' drop and I like the bottom to be a solid material. I find that soft pointed material has poor penetration especially on the mastodons.

No.. Seriously..

[mnw42]

Just remember: bumbles bounce!

[scout26]

Using dogs to hunt is illegal in Illinois (you can use them to track wounded deer however.)

I'll spend some of my time in a stand or blind and some "going for a walk a woods". Not so much stalking or even still hunting, but kinda let's walk down this trail and see what we bump into. About half the deer I've taken have been shot or arrowed from tree stands/ground blinds and the other half from walking down a trail and having it cross, be standing on/near, or heading toward me. Yep, with both shotgun and bow.

[rickyford2]

I prefer at least a 300 foot cliff as I find 243 foot cliffs to be a little light in the energy department. Of course if I am "jump" hunting bigger game like mammoth or mastodon or giant cave sloth I prefer an even bigger cliff wanting at least a 375' drop preferably a 400' drop and I like the bottom to be a solid material. I find that soft pointed material has poor penetration especially on the mastodons.

No.. Seriously..



Is this guy ok Seriously..

I dont get it if its a joke.
If it is can some one explane it to me please.

Ricky

[mustanger98]

rickyford2, The heights of the cliffs corelate to different rifle calibers... 243' for .243Winchester, 375' for .375H&H. He took it back to the old method of running buffalo over cliffs to kill them. The higher the cliff, the better just as in caliber arguements in other threads and added it to "my method's better'n your's".

[rickyford2]

ANy more voters?


Ricky

[sethjewell]

Don't call me a tree hugger but I just don't much like the idea of hunting deer with dogs. It just doesn't set right with me I've seen it done. Most of the people have no respect for the animals.

[mustanger98]

It just doesn't set right with me I've seen it done. Most of the people have no respect for the animals.

As with any other animal-oriented activity, I'd say that probably varies one group to the next.

[JWarren]

Voted...I am a still hunter, but I know some dog hunters.

I don't really care for dog hunting, but it is within the law.

Now I won't deny that I do tend to have a problem with how some dog hunters apply their craft. I've seen one group throw dogs out at the start of a woods, and then have others at the exit point. Never mind that the dogs will have to traverse 3 other people's property to get to the exit point.

There is nothing quite like sitting in your deer stand deep in your own property and watch a pack of dogs run through your food plot. That happened to me at the end of last season-- and has happened before that as well.

I found out that one of the landowners in this woods gave some of his friends permission to do a "dog run" at the end of the season last year. I'll be informing him this week that he needs clearly define where they can go and where they cannot go this year.


-- John

[Jeffreii]

voted for stalking option, though I guess I don't really stalk a whole lot. Most of the deer I shoot happen when I am out offroading along a primitive trails out west in the mountains and deserts and a spot a deer. Range is usually not too bad, and the deer are then sent into the freezer, usually being converted into bratwurst along the way:p

I do drives a lot if I am in the mid west

[paintballdude902]

i mostly still hunt but i have been hunting with beagles and it is a lot of fun

cant wait till next season to do it again

[rickyford2]

Thanks for all the votes I got a lot more then I thought I would get thanks.



Ricky

[351 WINCHESTER]

Being from the south I used to hunt deer with dogs. Spent more time and gas trying to catch up all the dogs. It was very exciting especially for a kid and there were a bunch of us. I woun't even consider it today. It's too expensive (heck I've got 3 inside dogs that eat me out of house and home.)

[Navy joe]

I know good dog hunters, the deer dog fellas where I grew up were not among the good. Their hunts involved a cordon op of a 6 mile by 4 mile area bounded by state roads. 15 some trucks, 30-40 hunters, all with radios and guns. No respect for property owners whatsoever. Also common in that area is wounding the deer because it makes the dogs run better. If that is not bad enough the way the dogs are treated the other 50 weeks of the year is often criminal.

I still hunt, too cheap and bored to sit in a tree stand.

Public land, still hunting goes out of the window. I want to get to where I'm going either 11pm or 4am. I want no shooting light and nobody in the woods when I'm moving. I get where I'm going and sit. I walk out in the early afternoon, trying to look and sound as unlike a deer as possible.

[TrapperReady]

I use a variety of methods. It usually goes like this...

1) An hour or more before first light, I run my climber up a tree.
2) I sit in said tree not seeing deer until can't feel my hands and toes any longer.
3) I stay up in the tree a while longer.
4) I run the climber down the tree.
5) Then I wander around "stalking" until I'm warmed up. I still don't see deer.
6) After a few hours of this, I decide to get back up in either the original tree or another one for the last couple hours of legal shooting time.
7) Run climber up tree.
8) Slowly freeze (although not normally as bad as in the morning), while still not seeing deer.
9) When I can no longer see the base of the neighboring trees, I run the climber down, pack everything up by feel and head back to the car.
10) ... while not seeing deer.

Yeah, that's a typical deer hunting day. Then, every once in a while, a deer shows up within range and messes up the plan. ;):D

[Firepower!]

.243 Winchester