[QUOTE=Duck Butter;402360]Guys this is NOT a good thing. This decision just gave the anti hunters a win. You can hate dog hunting all you want, but some of our hunting heritage was just lost. People in this state have used dogs for hunting for many years and now that is falling to the wayside. When does it stop? You give them an inch and they will take a yard, these antis are very passionate and will stop at nothing. This is not good for Louisiana
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I have to agree to a point. Any wedge that they can drive between groups of hunters is a win for the anti's.
The ban was going to take place in the 2010 - 2011 season but the powers that be gave those that dog hunt a chance to figure out a way to hunt w/ dogs that wouldn't generate so many complaints. (the complaints about a dog spoiling a still hunt was not really figured in here).
The hunting from roads ,the dogs being turned loose to close to private property and the trespassing ( both dog and owner) complaints were what got this shut down.
i used to dog hunt w/ a group up around Salty's place 35 years ago. it was timber company land. The group that ran the hunt would line all 4 roads around a section w/ hunters and turn the dogs loose. Only time a hunter left the road was to retrieve a dog or a deer. Was it legal back then? I really don't know. But i know that it's not legal now and the same folks kids and grand kids still want to hunt the same way.
Yes it's a tradition, and a fine one . But there are very few places left where a pack of hounds can be turned loose to run and not cross a boundry line or someone else property. leasing land has gotten so high in price that no one can afford to lease 20,000 acres so that they can run dogs every day and not have them cross a line.
It's a damn shame but this is what it has come to.
If the dog hunters don't start policing themselves ,there will be no dog hunting allowed for deer at all.