Killing bear with dogs in North Ga

[NorthGaPlott]

I think DNR needs to take a tag from still hunters and give 1 to dog hunters on a draw system. Start out with residents only and see how it works out. I think it's completely biased towards dog hunters we can only kill hogs 2 months out of the year with dogs as well. I'm speaking for North Ga public land where bear and hog are plentiful.

 

[northgeorgiasportsman]

I think DNR needs to take a tag from still hunters and give 1 to dog hunters on a draw system. Start out with residents only and see how it works out. I think it's completely biased towards dog hunters we can only kill hogs 2 months out of the year with dogs as well. I'm speaking for North Ga public land where bear and hog are plentiful.

Keep your hands off my tags!

 

[whitetailfreak]

Keep your hands off my tags!

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[Killer Kyle]

I know that there are lots of varying opinions on the matter. I'd be in favor of a dog-bear season. In fact, I spoke in favor of it at the Regs meeting in Banks County the year before last I believe it was. I would NOT like to give away my tags. 99% of us don't fill them anyway, so taking away tags would solve nothing. I would like to see the dog season in January. Doesn't interfere with deer hunters, and most of the sows are "denning", especially the ones with cubs. It is also prime time to kill hogs in my book, and if a man has a good pack of dogs that can run both bear and hogs, they could lay the hurt on the hogs at the same time. I think a man with some good dogs can be a very effective tool in managing bears and reducing the population further. We know bear dogging can range far and wide on a given hunt, and I just don't want to be sitting on some good buck sign and have a pack of dogs come in on me. Otherwise I think a bear dogging season could be a good thing if done right.

 

[NorthGaPlott]

I agree January is fine for a season sows aren't moving much and nothing gets interfered with as far as still hunters go. I'm all for still hunters having 2 tags but if it's truly a conservation thing, well take one from still hunters. All people should be able to hunt in whatever style they prefer is what I'm saying. I pay for the same liscense and unless I'm in a stand or on the ground I can't kill a bear. January is the best time to run hogs and it's becoming more apparent this year not many hogs up where I live are being killed because I've found tons of sign and killed alot of hogs more than i have in the last 10 years l know for sure. They'll be posioning hogs and killing other wildlife with the poison when they could just make it year around excpet during turkey and deer season. Oh and until this year we had to buy a wma stamp to run hog or bear but couldn't hunt either on wma land with dogs. Just seems like alot of non directional decision making.

 

[NCHillbilly]

It's exactly the opposite here. I love bear hunting with dogs, I come from a long line of mountain houndsmen, and I spent years doing it and loving it.

With that said, the NC seasons are set up so that's it's almost impossible to kill a bear without dogs. The houndsmen are in complete control with the NCWRC. Our bow and ML seasons are not open to bear hunting. You see bears about every day during those seasons. But, after opening day of bear season and there is a pack of hounds running every holler and ridge, you won't see another bear in the daylight the rest of the season unless it's climbing a tree with a Plott hanging on its rear end.

Nowadays, I just don't have the time or money to keep a pack of hounds like I used to. Nor do most folks.
We need some balance-a bit of season where it's legal to kill a bear, but not legal to run dogs. I would be happy with a week.

 

[NCMTNHunter]

I would imagine a January season would be tough. Bear season closes here Jan 1 but you can continue to train dogs through April on most public land and I can tell you a bear is hard to come by Jan through March. I’m not sure if that is because of the weather or if it’s because they have been run ragged for last three months.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I would imagine a January season would be tough. Bear season closes here Jan 1 but you can continue to train dogs through April on most public land and I can tell you a bear is hard to come by Jan through March. I’m not sure if that is because of the weather or if it’s because they have been run ragged for last three months.

It can be almost impossible to find a good track in that December second-phase of the season some years, much less January.

 

[northgeorgiasportsman]

I'd venture to say it's because they've been hounded (pun intended) since October.

The only way I'll ever support a dog season in Georgia is if it comes after the regular season. My experiences in NC have cemented my opinion on the matter.

 

[twincedargap]

I’ll join the No crowd. Many good reasons already stated. I like to bear hunt. I do not need a dog to hunt for me.

 

[NorthGaPlott]

I've literally walked 20 miles looking for a bear track and never found one. Usually people that have no clue or that have never really bear hunted with dogs say something about how it's a disadvantage or how the dogs do all the work. I invite anyone on here that doesn't agree with dog hunting to hunt with me for a year and then give your opinion. I said I agree let the still hunters have a go before dog hunters but we should get one in January even if only for a week. I'll say again this is a open invite to anti dog still hunters come and hunt with me for a year.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I've literally walked 20 miles looking for a bear track and never found one. Usually people that have no clue or that have never really bear hunted with dogs say something about how it's a disadvantage or how the dogs do all the work. I invite anyone on here that doesn't agree with dog hunting to hunt with me for a year and then give your opinion. I said I agree let the still hunters have a go before dog hunters but we should get one in January even if only for a week. I'll say again this is a open invite to anti dog still hunters come and hunt with me for a year.

Bear hunting with dogs is some of the hardest work I ever did in my life. I agree, people who put it down as easy or unfair have certainly never done it. It's in my blood, and I love it, just can't do it any more.

Like I said, I just wish we had at least a week or two here where you could hunt without dogs. Give everybody a chance.

 

[Throwback]

it always amazes me how some folks view bear dog hunting like it's easy
It's not like a quail hunt where they just pop up and you shoot them

 

[twincedargap]

it always amazes me how some folks view bear dog hunting like it's easy
It's not like a quail hunt where they just pop up and you shoot them

Its certainly easier to scouting & hunting one on your own. Its no longer a person hunting a game animal. Its a person following a dog hunting a game animal.

Dogs chasing bears would indiscriminately disturb bears, their locations & habits, as well as all the woods & game of all species for everyone else.

Dogs don't know/respect property lines.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Its certainly easier to scouting & hunting one on your own. Its no longer a person hunting a game animal. Its a person following a dog hunting a game animal.

Dogs chasing bears would indiscriminately disturb bears, their locations & habits, as well as all the woods & game of all species for everyone else.

Dogs don't know/respect property lines.

I would have to disagree. Having hunted them both ways, it's usually much easier to scout/stalk a bear or kill one from a stand than it is to kill one with a pack of hounds. And scouting/stalking involves much, much less walking/climbing/running in rough terrain and physical effort in general. Hound hunting is done for love of the hounds and tradition, not because it's easier. Not by a long shot.

 

[Buckman18]

I would have to disagree. Having hunted them both ways, it's usually much easier to scout/stalk a bear or kill one from a stand than it is to kill one with a pack of hounds. And scouting/stalking involves much, much less walking/climbing/running in rough terrain and physical effort in general. Hound hunting is done for love of the hounds and tradition, not because it's easier. Not by a long shot.

This.

Most forum posters would suffocate trying to follow a rally. If you do your homework and don’t spook the bears, early season bear bow hunting can be a slam dunk.

 

[tree cutter 08]

A bear on a food source is one of the most predictable animals out there. Like buckman says, early bow season is best time for bear. I would love to follow behind some dogs to try it but have no interest in keeping and hunting a pack because it's way more work than I'm willing to put into it. What about a spring dog season?

 

[twincedargap]

I would have to disagree. Having hunted them both ways, it's usually much easier to scout/stalk a bear or kill one from a stand than it is to kill one with a pack of hounds. And scouting/stalking involves much, much less walking/climbing/running in rough terrain and physical effort in general. Hound hunting is done for love of the hounds and tradition, not because it's easier. Not by a long shot.

following a dog w/gps collar for a few hours to shoot a bear in a tree vs. weeks of scouting. my scouting isn't ez or quick. its a matter of perspective

 

[Throwback]

following a dog w/gps collar for a few hours to shoot a bear in a tree vs. weeks of scouting. my scouting isn't ez or quick. its a matter of perspective

And neither way of killing the near is wrong or unsportsmanlike

The dogs take a huge amount of time to train maintain and keep up. It doesn't all just happen

 

[Buckman18]

following a dog w/gps collar for a few hours to shoot a bear in a tree vs. weeks of scouting. my scouting isn't ez or quick. its a matter of perspective

Training, feeding, and keeping a pack of hounds practiced and conditioned is a LOT more work than a couple days of scouting for bow season. This is not a matter of perspective. Surely you don’t think one randomly hauls a bunch of dogs to the woods and simply goes tree a bear?