I have a lease in a county that allows dog hunting.
To state my position on this sensitive matter and to make clear I do not wish to stir the pot I will say this - I completely support the rights of hunters to practice all traditional methods of hunting our various quarry. I will stand beside any hunter and fight any attempt to restrict traditional hunting methods, including deer dogging.
That being said I am having an issue with a long established club that runs dogs. I started leasing my property a couple of years ago and posted the entrance. I quickly received a call from a club member who informed me that they had hunted the property for many years but did not wish to intrude. He would do his best to keep the dogs from running the property and even invited me to join in on a hunt if I wished. No problems for 2 years, the dogs crossed the lines very infrequently and were always retrieved if they did. This year has been ridiculous.
To understand the issue,let me explain. My property is nothing but a pine thicket, it is bordered on the south by residential homes, to the east by homes and small farms with no trees, to the north a road with hardwoods on the other side, and to the west by a farm. The farm has a pasture 2/3 the length of the property line and hardwoods on the southern 1/3. This is the funnel. The club releases the dogs a mile and a half away and they push every deer around into the funnel between the residential area and the pasture. Pretty slick I might add but there is little opportunity to shoot in the open as it is still too thick. So they wait, the deer take refuge in my thicket until the dogs show up. Then for the next 3- 4 hours I have dogs running circles on my property with hunters lined up in the pasture to the west and across the road to the north. I have had to chase one guy off the corner of the property, they have lined shooters on the opposite side of the road to be on their property but run the dogs on my side.
I understand completely that it can be difficult to keep the dogs from crossing the property lines but having shooters placed in positions that show intent of harvesting animals run intentionally from my land is disrespectful at least and I wonder if not illegal in some way. I can hunt every legal hour of every legal day as a still hunter and not interfere with anybody's ability to enjoy their hunt or have an effect on their success, but one dog trespassing through my little spot can destroy mine. There has to be some respect between us if we are going to hold on to our traditions as we have them now.
Can any dog hunters enlighten me on how to approach this club and get them to curtail their activities so we all can enjoy this sport?
What county?
Matador, giving the county would narrow down the number of clubs it could be. My rant while it may be harsh is not intended to shine a negative light on the club, possibly only a few members. I am aware of the fact that it is a long standing club that has great community support and is charitable in it's activities. My intention is not to slight the club or create friction between hunters in any way. I just want to hear some ideas on how we might come to an arrangement that will allow us to get along and not infringe on each others activities.
Most of the older, big clubs have huge leases and shouldn't be dropping so close to an area with non leased land especially if there is a history with adjacent land owhere. I stopped club hunting with dogs years ago bc of things like this and club politics. I would let the club know there is a problem for sure. Some clubs are so hard headed that I have seen landowners start shooting dogs. There is plenty the club can attempt to do to curtail this issuer if they want to. Call the club president. If that doesn't work, call the law. If those don't work and you don't actively hunt the property and would like to join the club then it sounds like a free membership. I would be surprised if they don't want to work something out bc dog hunters are more sensitive than ever about landowners having problems with dog hunters. If there is too much stir then dog hunting usually bites the dust and they know it.
Print your professional concern/statement that you have posted here and take them. There should be someone among them with as much tack as you. If that don't do it, it's a sure sign of disrespect for you and yours. Time to play hard ball. Inform the authorities and begin locking up dogs,and charge a legal $100.00 per dog released.
I to own some property that has a large dog hunting club completely surrounding it. I don't know if you can really get them to stop turning out dogs next to your land, because if they ever kill one nice deer pushing dogs across your tract its on after that. we still hunt in the mornings and evenings and during the middle of the day we have a 3 way intersection that we sit at and wait for the dogs to move deer across the paths it breaks the down time from sitting there. I know this does not help your situation but I have learned you just have to get along with them, we pick up their dogs and take them to our gate and leash them and give them a call and their more than happy to come and get them so they are out of the way for our evening sit. You just have to make the best of a bad situation.
You are very reasonable and you are taking a good approach. I think you need to write a letter to the club. Present it to the club president. And perhaps work it out. This season is winding down. But perhaps all of the club members will be aware before next year. I have a club next to my property also. I know dogs are going to cross my place. All the members I have got to meet are real gentlemen. A lost dog ends up at my place once in a while. If end of day I towel dry them give water and food. And call owners. They are sleeping on screend porch when owners arrive. Holding dogs hostage not a good idea at all.
I feel your frustration. Deal with a similar situation at my place. Hats off to handling the situation respectfully and professional. Good luck!!
Thanks for the replies and advice. I spoke with a couple of the officers of the club and got the same we're sorry and won't do it again story. Come to find out their last hunt was planned with full intent of the dogs ending up on my lease. My friend who leases the property with me called them again and the conversation did not end well. The landowner has now gotten involved and the authorities have been alerted to the situation. The neighbors have been contacted and it has gone much further than I intended. I no longer control where this goes.
Why can't people just have a little respect for each other.
They will eventually lose the ability to hunt with dogs and they do it to themselves for not being respectful of other hunters and landowners.