Best state to be a hound hunter in?

[Dads dogboy]

Pops,

I bet he would not like the Big Lizards either?

CJC

[jbc67]

minus 2 for Washington. Although it has the game potential to be a Mecca, and the wolves are not overrunning the place yet, the bunnie-huggers and hound haters have really restricted the rights of hound hunters. You can't chase bobcats or bears with hounds at all, and you can only hunt mountain lions with hounds if you are lucky enough to draw against incredible odds--lion hunting with hounds is only allowed in a few select areas, and it is quite difficult to draw. I moved to Washington from Utah about three years ago for school, and I couldn't wait to start hunting longtails in areas where there are less hunters than drainages. I am still waiting to hunt those areas--as it is impossible to draw. I'm about to graduate, and I have yet to chase a Washington cat (it's made for a long school career). Personally, I'd rather share my lions with other hunters than have no hunting rights at all.

[Hounder-]

Really no bobcats or bears in WA at all?


I thought you could at least chase bobcats there....

[rooster]

fortunately for me the bloodline i hunt cant read. you know you dont have to kill everything. if you were caught with a cat treed and left it sit i cant see too much of a problem, maybe harassing wildlife or targeting a closed species, but if you dont kill them i cant see getting your rights pulled, maybe im wrong and im just wishful thinking. the only people that have been caught here have been caught killing and i think that is what they are looking for.

[jbc67]

Nope, no bobcat hunting allowed with hounds in WA.

As far as just pursuing goes:
The Wash. Fish and Wildlife actually defines "hunting" to include "chasing, harassing, pursuing, treeing," etc. And then poaching is defined as any illegal hunting. It is prohibited to hunt with hounds any bears, bobcats, or lions (except there is an exception for those few limited draw units for lions). Technically, they can nail you without the cat--so long as they can prove it.
Pursuing is prohibited. No other pursuit season exists for lions, other than for those few individuals that draw the few limited entry kill tags (they can pursue once they fill their tags). I know of two hound hunters from the spokane area that got nailed for hound hunting lions, and they didn't shoot the cat. They were caught in the woods, listening to the hounds run, while standing over a lion track.
I've looked into all these rules thoroughly, looking for any type of loop-hole, and all I've got to say is that Washington has some [i][b]cruel and unusual [i][b] anti-houndsmen laws. I'm as upset about them as anyone. Some say that you can play the risks of getting caught. . . but I dunno . . . I'd rather not be looking over my shoulder. Add another minus 1 for Washington. Gorgeous state, lots of game, ridiculous regulations.

[rooster]

it is sad but you cant outvote all the crum crunchers in seattle.

[westernwahounds]

I agree, WA is probably the worst place in the nation to have hounds. I hunt in Cali and Idaho in order to get the dogs out, and cannot wait for the day I move out of this state. You can bend and twist the laws here coonhunting, but I have spent enough money and time of mine with ridiculous BS tickets. Anyone who thinks they are doing everything legal in WA, I will guarantee you you are not! You can only hunt coons, but you cannot hunt at night on 99% of the land that has unlocked gates. The only way to stay out of trouble is to hunt in the early mornings.

[three rivers catahoulas]

I just moved to NV from CA, oh and NV aint a houndsmens dream LOL, I love CA for its huntin but like said before, they just try to get ya on every and anything they can. But what gets me about NV is every thing but lion is a draw and like said about washington it dang near impossible to draw a tag, I have met a few guys here that have been puttin in for elk tags for well there whole life and 1 guy just got his tag this year he started at age 14 and is now 37, I mean come on, thats pretty bad hah.

[perk]

I kinda like VA. Im not a biggame hunter, but there are bears in Va, and there are Bobs in Va, like anywhere more in some places than other. They just opened bear season in my part of Va, I have probably seen 20 or so while fox hunting over the last few years, and several more just crossing the road. The easter part of Va allows deer hunting with hounds, a full 7-8 week season. IMO the only way to deer hunt, screw sitting still to kill anything, I love the chase not the final result of killing. That being said I dont own deer dogs either. A 24/7/365 fox chase season, which I love being an avid fox hunter. Plenty of that type of game in different areas. Tons of houndsmen, A great 'right to retrieve' law for houndsmen. I can go on any ones property to retrieve my hounds, permission or not as long as I am unarmed. Rarely have to go on someone who doesnt want me there to get my foxdogs though. A law protecting agianst hunter harrassment from other people, and you can convince some of the game wardens to uphold this law too. Maybe NO Lions, but also NO wolves.

Perk

[Dads dogboy]

Amen Perk!

We are truly blessed with a Hound Culture that is alive and well here in the South and Southeast.

We have some of the BEST Hound retrieval laws, most common sense pursuit seasons. mostly year round, and great opportunities to access large tracks of Forest Land for small or reasonable prices.

We have a variety of Game to chose even if we have to dodge an occansional snake, gator, or bunny hugger!

Merry Christmas, and Good Running to All! Don't forget the REASON fo the Season!

C. John Clay
Dads Dogboy

[WVBEARCHASER]

here in west virginia, we can run bear,bobcat,fox,coyote,rabbit 6 days a week all year long. there is always something to run here, tons of government land, mostly good access ..and a ton of game

[Liz ODell]

Well California can be good if you live in the right area...whats the right area? Somewhere not in the dog control zone (where you can't have a dog off leash in the woods 6 months out of the year) and somewhere that is not getting over run by other hunters. Unfortunately for me I'm two strikes out on both accounts. I can travel elsewhere during the control zone but I swear before next bear season I'm going to buy one of those portable kiosk thingys and sell entry tickets. Hopefully I'll always draw an early number! (I hate to be the s%@t stick but bears in some areas of this state are being taken at an un-sustainable level, bears are Californias little cash cow and for now they don't want to talk about it but trust me, eventually the overkill in some areas is going to come back and bite us hard on the ass someday, how does the idea of bear zones and kill quotas in zones sound too you? It sounds pretty crappy to me!! But I have heard it mentioned in conversation with some of the powers that be. I think we need to think of some other solutions and you probably know what I'm talking about).

I have been to Virginia hunting, it was QUITE different than bear hunting here! (every bear treed in a hardwood less than 50 feet tall) But I can see how it could be a good spot, although I hear that the timber companies are selling out and open space is being lost quickly to houses and 'no trespassing signs'. There is quite a bit of National Forest though. At the time I was there it was the most hound friendly place I had ever been too. We caught some beautiful coal black bears - thats exciting for most of us westerners - didn't take any but the locals took some that we were on. That is one thing that was hard to get used too, everyone on the mountain ends up with dogs all at the same tree but they all got along (dogs and people) so, so be it. The bear season is short and sweet but I think they can still train almost year round. Oh yeah, and no Sunday hunting...that is just weeeiiirrrrrrddddd.

From what Dad's Dog Boy says about Arkansas it could be pretty good at least for us that like cat hunting, I think they have more cats there than we have on the central coast here...and thats a boat load.

I'm really curious to hear from some bear/cat/coon hunters from New York and Vermont!

[wackysam16]

I would consider Vermont to be a good state to be a houndsman in if your looking to hunt bears and coons, but there is not alot of cats i don't think we went out last weekend rabbit hunting and found a bobcat track. We had alot of bears this year at least i think there was and we used to hunt coon and we would get tons of them out of one cornfield. We have treed far more bears this year than last it could be because there is more bear, but i think it is because the dogs are getting better at this along with us. We can train with the dogs from July to September and then the kill season starts and it all ends in November. And i already can't wait to get started again next year i just started hunting last year with my boyfriend and his family and i got hooked on hounds the first time i went coon hunting.

[radar]

There is talk though, about making our bear season go to the end of december with no cap. That would be perfect for every body. 1700 hits early ever year. i'm in what they call the arm pit of cali we killed two this season and let me tell you my group was hoopin and holering hugin dame i thought was going to see a grown man cry!! You tell that to a nothern cali hunter and they'll tell you they did that in a saturday......

[wackysam16]

Yea they were talking about extending our bear season all the way into deer season ending November 29th because the bear season ends November 18th but who knows if it will happen i hope it does because i love hearing the dogs and then getting to the tree and finding a bear in it and just taking pics and walking away because the pics are always so cool looking and when the dogs are in it to