By Jack M. Willis
Journal Correspondent

Another Deep South tradition, that of "deer-dogging"--the practice of turning loose a pack of hounds numbering as many as twenty-four and or as few as two--for the purpose of striking a whitetail deer's trail, and pushing it towards "standers" for the purpose of shooting it for the meat or sport or both, is under fire again in the Kisatchie National Forest in North Central Louisiana.

And it's not the fault of the US Forest Service, but rather because of objections raised by the "still hunters" who constitute 85 per cent of the deer hunters in the new Deep South portion that of which Louisiana is a part.

The Old South deer-dogging hunters' numbers have steadily diminished in the last 15 years or so, from 21% until today only 1% of deer hunting in Louisiana is done with dogs. In a poll taken of deer hunters in 1989, 75% of all hunters desired a change in hunting regulations to embrace more still hunting. Of those desiring changes in hunting regulations, 82% preferred regulations that allow for more days of still-hunting and less days with dogs.

While it is true that dog hunting for deer is a practice that is hundreds of years old in Louisiana, this old South tradition has been on a collision course with new South realities for a while. It's getting to the point that most modern day hunters feel that deer-dogging is a pastime that has run its race. (No pun intended) Louisiana's so-called free range--a corporate practice of allowing local residents to utilize thousands of acres of company land to support their cattle and swine herds has largely been done away with. Some of the old "mossy horn" settlers have cussed the big timber companies for years because of more and more restrictions on their so-called free privileges, but heavy lobbying of the legislature resulted in stock law legislation that for the most part, has dried up that company-furnished subsistence.

And for the corporate land-owners, it was nothing but a simple demonstration in practical economics, because there is money to be made by leasing out thousands of acres to private hunting clubs. With the formation of hunting clubs, poaching of all forms took a drastic downturn because overnight, hunting club members suddenly became zealously protective of the animals which were making their leased acres their breeding and feeding grounds.

On March 4, 2006 the Forest Service released a proposal to restrict free-ranging dogs on the Kisatchie National Forest. The intent of the proposal is to prohibit the unsupervised running of dogs on the Forest from March 1 to September 1 each year. This is when spring and summer nesting of upland game birds and deer fawning occurs. It would not affect dogs on leashes, or in voice control of the handlers of the dogs.

Also on February 2, 2006, the Forest Service in conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries proposed recommendations to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission on the National Forests.

Most seasons and hunting areas will remain the same as in previous years.

However a portion of the Catahoula Ranger District, located south of Louisiana Highway 8 in Grant and Rapides parishes is identified to exclude the hunting of deer with dogs. This area would be roughly bounded on the south by Camp Beauregard and on the north by Iatt Lake.

There are several reasons for these proposals by the US Forest Service in the Catahoula District. One is that in Louisiana over 75% of lands within the state's boundaries are owned by private owners, with this ratio being dramatically exceeded by the lands bounding the Catahoula Ranger District.

Another reason for banning dog hunting is that, according to surveys by game management biologists, lands with free ranging of hunting dogs had deer density of only four deer per 1,000 hunted acres, whereas plots protected from all forms of canine intrusion had 28 deer per 1,000 acre plot.

The worn-out adage that "dogs can't read posted signs" no longer justifies hunting dogs running on lands where they are unwelcome by the owners. This reason is why hunting deer with dogs is a tradition that is in the greatest danger of having legislation proposed against it, or bans proposed because of unethical activity by dog owners.

While only a small percent of hunters are involved in unethical behavior, there is the perception that all dog hunters have no regard for private property rights. All hunters lose support of their hunting privileges from the non-hunting public when dogs are released in areas where they will eventually cause problems on private property.

The US Forest Service also has liabilities that occur in relation to "deer-dogging" in that disgruntled land owners that have lands abutting a Wildlife Management Area hold the WMA responsible for deer hunting with dogs on WMA lands. Dog owners cannot control their dogs and their presence on private lands have caused conflicts, and dogs running loose while making so-called "drives" have also caused interference in other types of hunting such as squirrel, rabbit and upland game birds.

As for deer management of herds on the various WMAs, presently there are over 16,000 hunters on WMAs during specially managed deer hunts, with the biologists being able to obtain necessary harvests to keep down abnormally large populations through still-hunting.

Another negative factor to attempting to hunt the WMAs with dogs is that the road system on WMAs does not lend itself to hunting deer with dogs, and it is not permissible to hunt on off vehicle roads or trails.

There's a line from an old Bob Dylan 1960s protest song that ends with the line, "For the times they are a-changin'," and this is especially true of the hunter's heritage that fathers, wives, grandfathers, uncles, other relatives and friends that have enjoyed for generations; and it's been a great privilege to enjoy the hunt and its rewards.

And, times have changed. Animal protectionist groups such as P.A.W.S. and "tree huggers", those who literally wrap themselves around a tree in an effort to save it from the bulldozer, and "whale savers" who mount monumental expeditions to save beached or inland-trapped whales, have made their motives and desires known in the halls of Congress. The sight of groups of hunters gathered on the roadside admiring a kill, or the flagrant display of a bloody trophy have become offensive to the public. Most deer-doggers will readily admit that the kill at the end of a "jump" is but one facet of a successful dog-deer hunt, and that they garner a tremendous amount of satisfaction from just listening to a good race of the pack of dogs, even if they inadvertently jump a fox. There was a time when deer-doggers would save up vacation time for the three-week dog season or self-employed hunters would shut their respective businesses down to enjoy the traditional hunts. And one die-hard deer-dogger said he'd just as soon be marooned on a desert isle as try to still hunt. They can belly-ache and gripe all they want to but, "For the times, they are a-changin."

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