Just wondering if any of you out there have ever had a hunt spoiled by a hound or hunter that was participating in Virginia's Raccoon or Fox Chase Season.
I have.
4 years ago I had a gobbler 60 yards away and strutting into my decoys when a loud voice pierces the silence. A man calling for his hound. He said he was out for the last day of Chase Season and he was looking for his dog. Needless to say the turkey escaped.
This was on my own property during the last week of spring gobbler season.
Did you know that VA's Raccoon chase season lasts until May 31?
Did you know that VA's Fox chase season is all year long?
Did you know that these seasons are used as an avenue to chase bear year 'round which is illegal.
What kind of mortality do these hounds inflict on Natures young including bear, deer and turkey?
If you are like me and would like to shorten or, at least, do away with chase season during the spring gobbler season get in touch with the Virginia Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries and voice your opinion.

barry

I have never ran into a coon hunter during the spring gobbler season until this year. Ran into one looking for his hound on Thrusday on Brush Mountain. He was driving out while I was driving in. We spoke for a minute.

I grew up in a very large bear and coon hunting area. Particpated alot with the coon hunting. Most of the people I knew and hunted with were not chasing this time of year. Too hot!

I went to my lease in Buckingham the day before I was scheduled to hunt there and there's this big sign pointing down our driveway that says "Oak Ridge Fox Hunt". I'm glad I decided to go try and roost a bird or I would have had quite a surprise the next morning.

I've been fortunate this year b/c I have had a couple more places to hunt, but my normal hunting holes usually get hit by deer dogs. The place I park my car is at our hunting cabin, right where about 50 dogs are all in pens. However, they see me and get all fired up, and I guess at some point in time in the morning, sometimes there's a jail break. And of course, they'll be running deer all around me messing up my hunt.

I work with alot of bear hunters and they have a lot of complaints also. do you know that we can kill there bear during archery @ gun season before they even get a chance to hunt them with dogs. i two have seen hounds in the woods during turkey season. seen a man escorting two out of the woods tuesday. he was very sorry and said he hoped he did'nt mess me up, what more can you ask for. one time in four years dont seem that bad. as for running bear during coon chase season, there are a few of them around here also, it's a shame that a few can give so many a bad rep.

borntohunt,
I agree, there are only a few "bad apples" in the bunch, it's that way with most groups.

BUT since when did the bear become property of the bear hunters as you referred to them as "their bear"?
Does the hunting license you paid for have a bear tag on it?
Do bear hunters kill "your turkeys"?

barry

there not their bear, but how would you like it if bear season opened up two weeks before turkey season and they let them kill them while you had to wait. i'm a firm believer that you should have to purchase a tag for whatever your going to hunt, you should not be able to be deer hunting and shoot a turkey or bear just because it wanders by.

I think VA's tag system is great the way it is. And I agree with Barry that dog hunter's don't own the bear. Candidly, I find the whole chase season for bears suspect.....stirring them up, running them all over creation and not even going to shoot them.

I must reply to your post. I am a hound hunter and a turkey hunter. I do not believe the hounds are hurting your chances to work or bag a turkey, but I do understand there may be an instance when someone may be retrieving a hound during the morning. Remember they are just trying to get their dogs up before it gets shot, run over or lost. Not trying to ruin your hunt. If you know someone hunts your area speak with them and ask if they would refrain from hunting that spot during spring gobbler. Believe me if they had a choice they would not be gatherering hounds at daylight. Lets all work together and support each other. I have heard the same thing my____________ was killed by someone else. Thats just the way it goes. Everyone has a passion, some are different from yours.

Jason Guilliams

It seems that I have stirred a bees nest with this post.
The incident that I had with the hound hunter was one of few I'm sure.
But this man drove onto my property WITHOUT PERMISSION to retrieve his dog and in doing so spoiled my last hunt of that spring. You can see why I was upset.
I'm not against hound hunters, my Grandfather was the most well known bear hunter in this area and I took my first bear in front of hounds.
Some of my best friends are hound hunters, and they agree that hounds should not be in the woods when natures young is at it's most vulnerable stage in life.
I do respect the bear hunters' "passion" for their sport, I just hope they respect mine.

barry

not trying to steal post or change subject, but I think (am not sure) the law does allow people to cross over land to pick up an animal. Maybe not drive onto the property. We use dogs for deer hunting, and it happens with all the time. The dogs cross the river, and we end up on someone elses land trying to catch our dogs before they get to a major highway. So far, we only have 2 people in the area that don't allow us on their land. One is an avid deer hunter who firmly believes dogs shouldn't be used to hunt any animal, the other just likes being mean to people. Funny, he lets his two kids ride their ATV's all over carnation, tearing up other peoples lands, and then curses you out when you call about his kid on your land. He denies it. Breathe across the boundary of his land, and he's calling cops and what not. He seems to think we're trying to steal something from him.

BT - sounds like that guy has something to hide - ever think of it that way?
He might be one of those "farmers" we see on TV every once in a while (in cuffs).

band teacher,

Yes, hound owners can legally WALK onto private land to retrieve their dogs. The man I'm talking about DROVE his truck 3/4 of a mile onto our property passing 2 houses on the way without stopping to ask for permission.

I did not report his trespassing to the Game Dept. because I wanted to talk with him (I knew the mans name but I did not actually know him). When I finally spoke with him he never even apologized for his actions.

Put yourself in my place, would you condone behavior such as this?

barry

I agree, they shouldn't drive on your land at all without permission. I don't even think a game warden should be able to drive on your land without talking with owner first, but they seem to do it all the time claiming they are "investigating" or something like that.

Is there a acreage requirement before you turn your dogs out in virginia, ga has a few counties that allow deer to be run but there is a acreage requirement before you can do so. This is off topic i was just wondering? Another unrelated question, any rabbits in va? i have a couple beagles and thought about bringing em up after deer season next year for a couple months.