I'm originially from Pa where there is no such thing as hunting deer with dogs, so when I moved to Florida about 15 years ago I was floored. At first I had the whole "I'm a better hunter because I don't need a dog to get a deer" thing going, but then when I got to know some of these guys I realized that they had been brought up hunting like this and that it was just different. I don't hunt with dogs but I feel that it should be allowed in certain areas. In Fl, public hunting is usually divided up into still hunting and dog hunting zones. Yes some of the dog runners end up in the still hunting but as was said before, dogs can't read. For the most part, in the 15 or so years i have been hunting in FL, I have not had a problem with any dog runners. As for the stuff going on in Ga, I don't think that the state should be able to tell anyone, hunter or non-hunter, what they can do with their land. If they hae 2 acres and want to run it then they should be able to, as long as their dogs don't encroach on someone else's property. If they have the right to dog hunt on their property their neighbor has the right to not allow dog hunting on thiers.

By the way this is my first post on here and I would just like to say Hi from Tallahassee Florida and that I hope to learn and contribute alot of good info.

Welcome aboard pghskeeter.
I am not too far from you here in Panama City.
I have to agree with you on the property rights. I think the Government shouldn't have that much control over what someone does with their property.
Of course there are some things that need controling such as putting a hazardous waste dump on your place but not something as piddley as wheather or not you can run dogs after deer.
Folks need to start using their common sense more. Its when we stop using common sense that some lawyer gets involved and the next thing you know there's another silly law to abide by. I have said it before and I'll say it again and again, ENFORCE the laws we already have and ENFORCE the punishments for people breaking those laws and not punish those that abide by the laws with new laws.

Wow Bitmasher !!!
Expatriate and yourself have opened my eyes on the nature and motives behind many a strange Deer activity that I have witnessed.
I feel so stupid now for not catching on earlier.
Where do I join the Army to take on these furry fiends before one plows into my truck from above?
Two words to Castro.....Damn you !!!!

[ This Message was edited by: JTapia on 2004-01-16 19:38 ]

Bitmasher/Expedriate: That has to be some of the funniest stuff I have ever heard. Do you guys have plans for a internet radio show or what?

I was literally crying and my chest hurt. I don't know if it was from laughing or due to the fact that I terrified that you may be right.

Glad you all got a kick out of that...

I can't speak for Ex, but there are no plans for a radio show for me.

In my opinion, deer hunting with dogs should be banned on public land. I have witnessed what the dogs do. They jump deer out of there beds and run them until they drop, The so called hunters position themselves a distance from where they think the deer will run to. More often than not the dogs exhaust and sometimes injure the deer. To me its like using a bazooka to kill a mouse. Part of hunting is veiwing the natural behavior of animals, and selecting one for harvest, not running them down and killing anything. Nor do I think it is necessary to use dogs to take a whitetail. Whitetail are easy to pattern and hunt with just a little scouting and planning Using dogs takes none.