Originally Posted By: Tim NeitzkeOriginally Posted By: killa_rootgonna go with hunting deer with my beagles as #1 nothing is more exiting than the sound of a pack of beagles chasin tail and a real close second is whatever will come running in to my distress calls and I guess third would be the ones that sneak in to the call u got to love those hard chargers though
We can't do it here,but I would love to try it. I had beagles when I youger and chased bunnies all the time.
I grew up in the western half of the state where a dog running a deer was not only illegal, but a dead dog in most circles. I joined a few hunt clubs east of the Blue Ridge mountains where it is not only legal to chase, but expected. The territory is different there and most of the areas are shotgun only, flat and scrubby areas. I actually get a thrill out of hearing beagles run deer in late season after I'm burned out on hunting the bigger mountains from a stand all day. Beagles are great as they only bust the deer out of the thickets, they never really catch up to anything. Most of the ones I've hunted around will chase the scent while the deer circles them and looks at them from 50yds away. It comical sometimes. The thing I never got use to was the less sporting dogmen that used long legged hounds on the lease I use to belong to. They would bring deer down and some of the guys would just keep throwing dogs on them until the deer couldn't run any more. Some shot whatever ran out and if it was an illegal doe, so be it. Some would have a youth hunter check it in, some would leave it lay, some sneak them home. I didn't care much for that kind of chase, but that is what they do, so I just dropped my membership and moved on. It's about time for my neighboring leases to start running their beagles, my current lease doesn't allow dogs, but I will sit on our lease and listen to them and hopefully they stir the pot in my favor this year.