I grew up in Southern Alabama and picked up deer hunting at an early age as most southern boys do. The most popular way of hunting deer as a boy was with dogs. You got together with friends, brought your shotgun along, and somebody throughout the day usually got a deer. In parts of the south, little has changed over time. The thick swamps and pine thickets of Lob Lolly pines make it hard to see through and the easiest way to get a deer is to send a dog in after it.
As I grew older however, I went more the way of stalking and still hunting. Hunting became less of a social interaction with men in a drive as in the days of old and more a solitary sport that I spend allot of time alone. I spend allot of time, money, and effort planting fields for deer and hanging/building stands to kill them out of. My form of hunting has led me into picking up muzzle loading and even archery. Both of these I become to enjoy about as much as shooting one of my deer rifles.
I don't claim that my form of hunting is better. Some would criticize me for planting and even baiting deer into shooting range at time. My form of deer hunting does allow for better observation of the deer and leads into trophy hunting of which some also dislike. My hunting lends more into me working with my property and my deer all year long. I mow food plots during the summer, feed the deer through the winter, and run cameras to see what is out there. That is what I love but that is not to say that form of hunting is any better than others.
In many areas laws have changes that bring about "The Silence of the Hounds". People who still hunt like myself complain that hounds do not know property lines. I have heard of battles ensuing over dog hunters verse non-dog hunting. As some property sizes also become smaller, as is my current residence in Rockingham county NC, deer hunting with dogs has been banned.
I shot my first real buck behind dogs near the corner of Wilcox and Marengo County in Alabama. I can remember it like yesterday. I was standing in the corner of large hay field. Marshal was working his way behind his dogs through a thicket. Marshal ,an older black man, could make the most noise I ever heard of as he hooped and hollered behind the dogs. A big 4 point jumped out in the field. For some reason, I had a 30/30 and shot the buck who was running across the field. I hit him in the spin and he went down. I cam remember how he kicked. I went up with my knife and cut his throat. We all brought the deer back to Marshals home and I gave his family most of the meat. I of course kept the small horns as they were my trophy.
I probably spent more time hunting dogs than I did killing deer however in Wilcox and Butler counties where I did most of my dog hunting as boy. Think that is why I went to still hunting but that doesn't make it right. I have fond memories of those dogs. Granted, I don't really want someone running their dogs across my property but I am not willing to go against other hunters. HUNTERS HAVE TO STAND UP FOR OTHER HUNTERS. The anti-hunters and anti-gun people are doing enough to hurt us and our way of life. Even if you don't participate in a form of hunting, boys and girls-------- it is still hunting. Let the Dogs run.
