Hounds and Bears

280 Man

Banned
I got in on a dog bear hunt several years ago. After a couple hours the dogs finally treed and it took another hour to get to the dogs. We chased that bear from ridge top to ridge top through laurel thickets that we just awful, down through 'hollers and back to the ridge tops that would make a billy goat cry uncle.

After the bear was shot out it took another 4 hrs to get that bear to the truck. You ever tried to help drag a bear while trying to handle 3 dogs on a lead. Some of the hardest hunting Ive ever done. But it was some of the most satisfying hunting Ive ever been a part of.

Bottom line, bear hunting with dogs "ain't no joke"
 

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
And will run for miles and miles. And sometimes multiple days. I’ll always cherish my NC Mtn days.

That said, I wouldn’t want dog hunting in the Georgia mountains. Way too many granola head transplants here now, it’d be nothing but problems. But we do have too many bears now, and hogs too. I think a spring bear hunt would be a very effective means of lowering the population so the deer can recover.
I grew up in a multi-generational hound bear hunting family. I used to keep and hunt bear hounds. I love it. It's in my blood and DNA.

With that said, I sure wish we had some bear season here without dogs. We can't shoot bears in bow or muzzleloader deer seasons. Every year, I sit during those and see bearsbearsbears. The day bear season opens and the hounds hit the woods, you won't see another bear in the daylight the rest of the year unless it's in a tree with a pack of hounds under it.
 

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
I got in on a dog bear hunt several years ago. After a couple hours the dogs finally treed and it took another hour to get to the dogs. We chased that bear from ridge top to ridge top through laurel thickets that we just awful, down through 'hollers and back to the ridge tops that would make a billy goat cry uncle.

After the bear was shot out it took another 4 hrs to get that bear to the truck. You ever tried to help drag a bear while trying to handle 3 dogs on a lead. Some of the hardest hunting Ive ever done. But it was some of the most satisfying hunting Ive ever been a part of.

Bottom line, bear hunting with dogs "ain't no joke"
Easy, cheating type of hunting, huh? :bounce:
 

Buckman18

Senior Member
I grew up in a multi-generational hound bear hunting family. I used to keep and hunt bear hounds. I love it. It's in my blood and DNA.

With that said, I sure wish we had some bear season here without dogs. We can't shoot bears in bow or muzzleloader deer seasons. Every year, I sit during those and see bearsbearsbears. The day bear season opens and the hounds hit the woods, you won't see another bear in the daylight the rest of the year unless it's in a tree with a pack of hounds under it.

That’s a big 10-4. That and the 3 week rifle deer season was awful tough to get used too when I was an NC res in the college days. Like you, my family has a long history bear hunting with hounds. They are from Clay County, up on Shooting Creek.
 

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
That’s a big 10-4. That and the 3 week rifle deer season was awful tough to get used too when I was an NC res in the college days. Like you, my family has a long history bear hunting with hounds. They are from Clay County, up on Shooting Creek.
I got some relatives from out that way myself. Nichols and Shooks.
 

goshenmountainman

Senior Member
And will run for miles and miles. And sometimes multiple days. I’ll always cherish my NC Mtn days.

That said, I wouldn’t want dog hunting in the Georgia mountains. Way too many granola head transplants here now, it’d be nothing but problems. But we do have too many bears now, and hogs too. I think a spring bear hunt would be a very effective means of lowering the population so the deer can recover.
I think the season needs to be in July or August, thats when we have the most problems with them here and when we start to see them nearly everyday.
 

northgeorgiasportsman

Moderator
Staff member
I'd push for a spring bear season WAY before I'd want to allow dog hunters here, for many of the same reasons mentioned already.
 

Buckman18

Senior Member
I got some relatives from out that way myself. Nichols and Shooks.

Always knew you were part outlaw. ;)

We are the Youngblood’s, Moss’s and Davenport’s.
 

NCHillbilly

Administrator
Staff member
Are those the Shooks that are kin to the Ellliot`s in Dawsonville?
I don't know if ol' Bill's my distant cousin or not. :bounce: I got people of various sorts all over north Georgia on Rabun, Towns, and some other counties. My great grandpa and his people lived on the head of the Tallula River near Tate City, and they were all intermarried up with the other folks around there ten ways from Tuesday.

Always knew you were part outlaw. ;)

We are the Youngblood’s, Moss’s and Davenport’s.
A pretty sizeable part, likely. :)
 

Gator89

Senior Member
I have not had the pleasure of bear hunting with hounds. However growing up in central FL dogging for deer and hogs was just a given fact. Walker hounds will run a hog, too.

I go back to LA every chance I get to enjoy my favorite method of deer hunting, during the rut too boot!
 
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