Past hunters

Upland4Ever

Upland4Ever

New member
A guy at work today told me when I pheasant hunted I didn't use a dog. My response was guys like you that drove around shooting from a vehicle have no sport or respect for the hunt. And now my kids will suffer. All he had to say was he doesn't care.
 
I wouldn't call that guy a hunter. I would call him a lazy slob. No way is he a hunter or anywhere close to an outdoorsman. People like that make me want to do more to prove to others that there is a difference between morons like that and those of us who are proud of the title outdoorsman or outdoorswoman.
 
BigRand said:
I wouldn't call that guy a hunter. I would call him a lazy slob. No way is he a hunter or anywhere close to an outdoorsman. People like that make me want to do more to prove to others that there is a difference between morons like that and those of us who are proud of the title outdoorsman or outdoorswoman.
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Yep right on the head.
 
Upland4Ever said:
A guy at work today told me when I pheasant hunted I didn't use a dog. My response was guys like you that drove around shooting from a vehicle have no sport or respect for the hunt. And now my kids will suffer. All he had to say was he doesn't care.
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When I hunt I only use a dog about 50% of the time, mainly cause I don't always have access to one. I am not sure how walking Ditches, Sleughs, or tree rows, with or without a dog. Makes it any less sporting?
 
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Upland4Ever said:
A guy at work today told me when I pheasant hunted I didn't use a dog. My response was guys like you that drove around shooting from a vehicle have no sport or respect for the hunt. And now my kids will suffer. All he had to say was he doesn't care.
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Now, if You are saying that guys that drive around and only "road hunt" isn't very sporting. I would agree.
 
No doubt he ain't getting as much out of the hunt but how is he affecting the future?

Most of us with dogs and know how can go to a decent area and within a few days be pulling limits more consistently than the local road hunters.
 
As a dog guy, I dont have a problem with road hunters, as long as they use their head and some common sense. If everybody had a dog, there'd be more pressure on the WIAs.;)

You never know when your ability to follow a dog is going to come to an end, with some kind of physical limitation, or a debilitating health issue. I for one appreciate that SD still allows ROW hunting. When done in the manner intended, theres nothing wrong with it and it offers an opportuntity for those with or without a dog to pursue the bird we all treasure..

I bet you'd be surprised how many ppl venture to SD with no dog.
 
reddog said:
As a dog guy, I dont have a problem with road hunters, as long as they use their head and some common sense. If everybody had a dog, there'd be more pressure on the WIAs.;)

You never know when your ability to follow a dog is going to come to an end, with some kind of physical limitation, or a debilitating health issue. I for one appreciate that SD still allows ROW hunting. When done in the manner intended, theres nothing wrong with it and it offers an opportuntity for those with or without a dog to pursue the bird we all treasure..

I bet you'd be surprised how many ppl venture to SD with no dog.
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Agreed. There were 4 groups of hunters in our hotel last weekend including me and my boy's. We had the only dog in the bunch. In SD more ditch hunt than don't. I don't judge. If it's legal, do it. I probably wouldn't hunt if I couldn't have a dog. My oldest son has the fever bad. After watching this dog, and the one before it, he wants one real bad.
 
When I was a kid, we had a little cocker spanial that sort of hunted. He ran around pushing birds like a flusher. I don't remember a big difference in birds in the bag when we had him or if we just walked fields. 3 or 4 hunters walking a field and pushing towards corners seems like a valid way of hunting without a dog. It worked for us here in Kansas in the 70's and 80's.
 
reddog said:
I bet you'd be surprised how many ppl venture to SD with no dog.
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I agree. I've bagged a good number of birds without a dog (here in IL and SD):). Especially when I was a kid and couldn't find a way to transport my dog on a bicycle:rolleyes:

Personally I find it more rewarding to bag roosters without a dog, but those dogs of ours sure make things easier--plus their fun to watch, and good company.

:cheers:
 
with out dogs

give the guy a break, if he likes what he is doing, so what. without my dogs I would give it up, but for years I did hunt some without one and had a great time doing so. bird losses do go up some but they are manageable and I have some great memories and that folks is kinda what it is about

cheers
 
I'm not sure why not having a dog makes anyone less of a sportsman. I have never had a bird dog and have never hunted behind one. I have always wanted to own one and hunt behind one but my son has a severe dog allergy so I doubt I ever will. I have hunted all kind of game for years have been checked by game wardens several times and have never had any kind of infraction. My dad worked for years in the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife and instilled great values and respect for the outdoors and game that we hunted. I hope to pass down those values and ethics to my kids now.

We still make at least one trip every year to chase pheasants. I look forward to the next trip as soon as the last trip is finished. But all of our hunting is driving from one public area to the next. We get out and walk. Sometimes we use a blocker but not always. But all of it is done without a dog.

Honestly, I bet I know more guys that have dogs that I would not consider safe and ethical hunters than not. I hear them talk about some of their trips and the stupid things they do and even though I may watch a game with them I will never hunt with these non-sportsmen.
 
After hunting with a GOOD dog, it's hard to imagine hunting without one. However, not every city dweller can have a dog in their home or apartment, or has the time to work with/train a dog. And from what I've seen in the field, NO dog is always better than a BAD/UNTRAINED dog!

Also, older hunters (I'll be one soon) can not physically keep up with a young dog in most instances. My dad loved to hunt, and even hunted until 88 years old, but didn't move very far or fast.....
 
When I started pheasant hunting I didn't use a dog either. I was the dog! And I was old enough to drive.
 
CRP - Getting older you need a good foot shooting pointing breed that hunts for you in decent range, holds his point and allows you to walk in to flush. I've hunted with some of those flushers you have to run to keep up with or have the bird flushed well out of gun range.

And I agree, hunting with a bad dog is not fun. I've had some hunts screwed up by untrained mutts. Frustrating as all get out to have a dog run out 200 yards ahead flushing birds as he goes.
 
reddog said:
I bet you'd be surprised how many ppl venture to SD with no dog.
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I wouldn't venture across the street from my house to hunt pheasants with no dog. It's all about the dogs for me at this point. I have no desire to even raise a gun on a rooster that wasn't sniffed out by one of my dogs.

I tried the no-dog thing for one day when I was college in the mid-1980s, when we still had a lot of wild birds around here. I didn't like it and have never considered doing it again.
 
Dogs on the plane!

OK, I'll put in a word here. My family and I live in North Carolina. Everybody works, except me--I retired this year. We have too little vacation time to drive two days to and from South Dakota. So to bring a dog, we'd have to fly one with us; that's too big a risk with today's airlines. So we have to hunt without one; don't like it--I hunted quail for fifty years with great pointers and setters, sometimes three at a time of my own; but that was then and those were quail.

When we can find someone with dogs to hunt with, we are delighted, and of course fare much better, and worry so much less about cripples. The rest of the time, we take out the plugs, shoot pumps and semi-autos, and high brass 4's; we'd rather ruin the meat (fat chance!) than have one get away on the ground; if it raises its head I will shoot it again: bitter experience...
Beach004
 
To each their own.... I look up a lot to those guys and gals that will make a pheasant trip without a dog. They do it for the experience and have realistic expectations about their hunt because they don't have a dog for whatever reason. I know this because it was me for years. I'd be lost without my dogs now but I still look up to those out in the field giving it a try without one. :thumbsup:
 
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I know quite a few and have met hunters I the field that hunt without dogs , some do alright as far as putting birds in the bag .
I 'be also seen guys driving around in vehicles looking for pheasants in the ditch and on the road.
However , this rate two different types of people IMO!:cool:
We often meet dogless hunters and invite them to hunt with us .
Some gladly accept and others decline .
Hunting rough out a fob dies not automatically make a hunter lazy or less of a hunter !
One must remember that many cannot afford a dog or live where they are not allowed dogs, or cannot put in the time needed for furry friends.
Got myself. , if I could not hunt pheasants over a dog I wouldn't .
I love hunting them but where I live I have to travel a very great distance so it is not practical.
DHT
 
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