Bear hunting with dogs..

[russd]

bears don't stay in the tree just because the dogs are on the ground below it. if it takes you a half an hour to even get to the tree well guess what. that bear has been resting for a half hour and he is ready to run again and probably will.

[Flatlander]

I have not hunted bears with dogs. Some day, when I have the resources I would like to hire someone to take me on one of these hunts for the following reasons:

 

1. It is physically challenging.

2. It will be exciting.

3. It will provide an opportunity to be successful.

4. It will allow me to be selective.

5. I am open minded and like to try new things.

6. I do not have the resources or desire to raise and train my own animals, but would like to try hunting with them.

 

Why is it that we as hunters engage in so much in-fighting over who is more honorable? Why wouldn't hunting with hounds be respectable/sportsmanlike? This sounds like the long range debate rehashed. We are all hunters, we should simply respect the fact that others choose to invest their time and money into our sport.

[jackshoe]

If you have never hunted bears with dogs-why in the heck would you even question that it is a sporting way to hunt? Does it require more skill to sit a mile away with good optics and glass a pear patch then "sneak within" rifle range-500 yards-and shoot a bear than it does to run one up a tree with hounds that have been trained and have many generations of genetics and selective breeding in their favor-and then get your self to the same tree before the bear decides to leave? I don't think so. If their is a good crop of prickly pear fruit just about anyone with the slighest clue can go out and glass up a legally shootable bear- take fido out of the backyard and turn the odds all in your favor and let me know how well you do. In this case it's all about the hounds and the hound handler-the shooter is a bit player in the whole scenario-if you happen to be the shooter and can appreciate the physical effort and the time and work that the hounds and the houndsman have put into the hunt-then congratulations-you are part of the equation. If not I hope you don't condem an ancient way of hunting because you don't consider it sporting.

[Arizona Griz]

Tough crowd.

 

For gosh sakes, make sure you don't get out of the mainstream.

[Coach]

I think there are several reasons you're seeing a "tough crowd" on this issue. First off, the original post was formed as a question, but purposely angled at attacking a legal, ethical hunting approach. Secondly, the initial question, and all follow-up questions have been answered clearly and convincingly, yet it still rolls on.

 

Youngbuck, back on page 1 had an excellent response. Just because some people like hunting a different way than you do, that's no reason to become devisive.

 

I think it's been clarified that hunting bears with hounds isn't an unfair advantage and can be even more challenging than spot-and-stalk or calling.

 

You're just seeing a community come together to support the legal hunting methods availble against one guy who feels that just because he likes to do it another way, that should be the ONLY way. In my experience that attitude usually invokes the type of passionate responses seen here.

 

To echo Amanda's comments, there's no need to degrade the discussion by name calling, etc. Be passionate, be informed and be respectful of other hunters. Pretty simple, really.

 

For what it's worth, I've never hunted bear with dogs, but I can see the appeal. I personally want to take a bear spot and stalk with archery equipment. That's my choice, and I don't want someone telling me I have to do it a different way, just because they think their way is the only way.

 

On the other hand, I can only imagine the rush of riding mules behind baying hounds on a hot track. That sounds fun too - so why should be one way or the other, when you can experience both and decide for yourself which way is better - for you and leave it up to each hunter to decide which way is best for them?

[.270]

Sounds like we have 4 votes against dogs now. Lark.