Read Holly Heyser’s great piece on bear hound hunting
If you all think we have it tough trying to get non-hunters to understand what we do in Virginia, think about California, a state where there recently was a campaign to oust the director of the state’s fish and game agency because he killed a cougar legally on a hunt in Idaho.
Thanks in part to a campaign by the Humane Society of the United States, California’s legislature recently banned hunting bears with hounds. This is the final season. (Hunting wild pigs with hounds will still be legal, apparently because pigs are ugly and bears are cute.)
Holly Heyser wanted to take a personal look into the issue.
Holly is a former Virginian who now lives in California. She covered politics for the Virginian-Pilot, which means she’s familiar with how things work in Richmond.
After a stint as the politics editor at the Orange County Register, she is now a journalism professor at Sacramento State. She took up hunting at 41 and is also a prolific blogger whose work definitely goes beyond the basic “I went hunting” theme. You can (and should) check out her primary blog HERE.
December 12, 2012 - 9:00 AM
Of course a ban like this can easily happen. They can open up Sunday Hunting then ban hunting with hounds all in the same breath.
I just read through a few of Holly’s blogs. Very refreshing and nice to know there are still individuals that will strive for the first hand experience of something to better understand and form an opinion. Wish we could more like her involved in hunting in Virginia, we need people like Holly! Will hound hunting go away? I bet you it will at some point. Many people have irrational views of hound hunting and the ‘unfair” advantage it provides the hunter.
This is yet another success story for the HSUS/PETA crowd I am sad to say. All the while we as hunters want to spend our time arguing amongst ourselves while these groups sit back and watch and skillfully wittle away bit by bit at what we love. Seem’s like I read something recently about fox hunting here in VA is being scrutinized. Watch out folk’s or we are going to lose what we cherish most!
“Hunting wild pigs with hounds will still be legal, apparently because pigs are ugly and bears are cute.”
California’s pigs may now be wild, but they ain’t native. I believe they are a cross between the boars introduced and domestic pigs. On the other hand, I believe bears are supposed to be roaming California.
Do you suppose this has anything to do with the deal?
“As we set out toward the cacophony….” H. Heyser
I love it! The experience doesn’t sound very harmonious to me. Meaningless mixture of sounds harsh to the ear – I believe I will pass. Or maybe I don’t know the meaning of cacophony.
Do you think technology could be playing a, perhaps minor, role in the anti-hunting response?
If Fish and Game Commissioner Richards had not posted that picture of that Idaho cat, would the response from the other side transpired?
Hero shots and stories everywhere! Are we shooting ourselves in the foot?
Stephen, my understanding is that landowners in California want all means possible to eradicate pigs from their property, and the bill would not have passed if it had included pigs.
There’s a great essay on hero shots in a book called “Hunting – Philosophy for Everyone,” edited by Nathan Kowalsky. I was revolted by them before I started hunting, suddenly had to take them when I started hunting, and now comforted somewhat by the interesting analysis in that book. There’s a reason we do this. And I’d love to throw in a quote here, but I think I loaned out my copy of the book.
As to the storytelling: I think it’s vital to tell these stories, and tell them honestly. To hide or sugarcoat what we do serves only to diminish our standing in the public even further, not to mention suggest a measure of shame. In this case, I wrote this story specifically because a LOT of hunters have judged hounding harshly without having any firsthand experience, or even secondhand knowledge. What I wrote is a source of information for them, and they can act on it how they please.
What few videos I have seen on TV shows about Cougar hunting made me feel sick and pathetic. Seeing a cat treed by dogs and then watching a hunter shoot it down out of the tree wirh a bow was sickening. I am a hunter, and I felt sorry for the cat, and I know I could not do something like that.
As for California, hunters there need to unite and simply say- no bears =no pigs. We won’t do you any favors because you are the enemy.
Let that happen for 3-5 years and see if the anti hunting crowd surrenders.
I would never in any way support a group of fanatical activists that were trying to pass legislation to take away any outdoor activity that my fellow hunters might enjoy, no matter how much I disagree with the tactics they might use. To each their own pursuits.
For me personally, Ms. Heyser’s article only helps bolster my opinion that there would be no satisfaction or feeling of sportsmanship in shooting a treed bear. When she describes that the bear is willing to face injury by the hounds to get away from the gun yielding human, it speaks volumes to the fact that fair chase and sportsmanship is non existant in this scenario. I guess it’s all in what you have the stomach for….Ms. Heyser must really love the taste of bear meat.
Many thanks for the response, Holly H.
I do agree that “to hide or sugarcoat” serves no one. But I do question if we as hunters/anglers have been more accommodating, with the prodding and encouragement from technology, than we need to be with our stories and photos.
Hunting and fishing have been a huge part of my life since I was big enough to walk, but even at the age of 56 I get no pleasure from the act of killing a game animal. To date, my family has 5 deer, a passel of squirrels, a couple of grouse, and a few fish in the freezer; we relish the flavor of all. I, perhaps selfishly, justify the killing/harvesting by either my palate, my passion for water and woods, or population control. Often you will hear hunters acknowledge that the fun is over when you pull the trigger. For me this is very true and the joy does not return until I park myself at the supper table.
Sorry to wander – back on point. It seems, and I think we can all agree, that those kill shots and stories are now more voluntarily available to everyone and their dog, and are often the only aspect of the particular outdoor venture that is highlighted. Personally I enjoy them, but again are we providing ammo for others that question our passion? A tighter lip may serve us better or perhaps a more novel presentation of our sagas? I don’t have a clue.
It is the “suddenly had to take them” and the “vital” parts that puzzle me.
Good blog post by Holly. I’m much more of a fisherman than a hunter, but I have nothing against hunting and have enjoyed it the few times I’ve done it. Still, I have a visceral reaction against hound hunting because it does seem less sporting and the thought of the animal’s fear dragging out for that long is pretty similar in my mind to the thought of an animal wounded by a bad shot and suffering rather than dying a quick and clean death that it didn’t see coming. Hard to see why a hunter would think the latter scenario (wounded, terrified animal suffering in the woods) is a regrettable thing that should be avoided if at all possible, while the former (terrified animal chased to exhaustion, treed and watching its own death approach) is cool. All that said, I think we are a LONG ways away from hound hunting being banned in VA, and while I personally don’t care for the idea of hound hunting I wouldn’t vote to ban it, either.
Great job on your hunt Holly. I think if more people would give it a try as you did that they would change there minds about it. Its not as easy as they all think
Henry B, I may have failed to comprehend something in Holly’s account of her “hunt”. Her and her hunting partners sat on their arses in the truck, equipped with strike dogs on top, riding the forest trails waiting for the dogs to pick up a scent. When that failed they found a cold track along the forest road that still had enough scent I it for the dogs to follow. A time later, while still sitting in the truck I presume, they hear the barking of the hounds indicating a treed animal, an using their GPS system and the collars attached to the dogs go directly to where the bear has reached an all too true “dead end”. Other than the climb up a ridge or steep bluff, where’s the degree of difficulty in any of that? Sounds pretty easy to me, but again I don’t have the stomach for that degree of sport, or the lack there of.
Huntersdud, at least Holly had the nerve to try a form of hunting that she had preconceived ideas about. As it turns out her former notions were not accurate and she had the backbone to admit this, which I find admirable. If raising, training, and hunting bear dogs seems too easy for you I would say curbing what seems to be an over inflated ego might give you a challenge.
As far as the “dead end” comment for the bear, most hound hunts end up with the dogs being led from the tree and the bear coming down when it sees fit and going about it’s business. We have treed a dozen so far this year and have not harvested a single one.
Your posts just semed pretty antagonistic to me is the only reason I replied, but I whole heartedly respect your right to hunt in the manner you choose.
Amateur, are you suggesting a ban on hunting with hounds
Plott Dogs, didn’t mean to “antagonize” you or anyone else….just called it liked I seen it from Holly’s description of her particular hunt. I too have enough backbone to admit that I have some preconceived notions about hound hunting of bears, but thanks to Ms. Heysers account I have no reason to try it myself. My silly notions went something like this….find bear track. 2 turn pack of dogs onto scent. 3. Wait for dogs to corner the bear in a tree. 4 using modern technology, find treed bear and shoot bear. Sounds like my preconceived notions fit the hunt Holly was on pretty well
And if I ever get up the want to or the “nerve” to go kill a black bear, I won’t send a pack of dogs into the woods in front of me to do my tracking for me or as a buffer between me and a wild animal that given the opportunity or reason might take a bite or two out of me.
Though I don’t aspire to ever take a bear Plott Dogs, I too will support you and your fellow hound hunters right to do so and in any manner you choose. As Stephen said in post #5, I think that you hound hunters may be shooting yourselves in the foot when such details are made public as they were in Holly’s account of her hunt.If hunters like myself and others here on Mark’s blog find it hard to stomach taking an animal in that manner, it surely gives ammo to groups like PETA and USHS, groups that don’t want either of us to kill ANY animal in ANY manner. Maybe the hound hunting community would be better served to keep some of that to themselves.
“…at least Holly had the nerve to try a form of hunting…”
I question if it was nerve, more like motivation or inspiration, and I am sure there was some monetary gain. She does write for a living, correct?
Let me say, I have never been on a bear hunt. I have been in the woods when the dogs were close on a chase and I can respect any good hunting dog. The one coon hunt and the several rabbit hunts that I joined were a hoot. I enjoy the sound of the dogs doing their thing.
With age, I am reluctant to unjustly condemn what I have never done or understand. I trust that those that manage our wildlife are on top of their game.
Stephen and Huntersdad, let me make several comments and then I will drop this so this does not become “our” personal thread.
HD, you mention GPS in a former post as a tool they used after they got off their “arses”, GPS on dog collars is not allowed in California. You say hound hunters are self destructing by making hunting accounts public, well what are all the hero shots and stories on MT’s blog doing and what is the difference? ( I personally like the pics and stories)Please tell me how many shots and stories have been posted of dog hunters and bears? I don’t remember a single one, but there sure have been a lot of archers, muzzle loaders, and rifle hunters with deer, turkeys, and some monster bears.If there have been any dog shots I bet there are 40 others for that one. A story with a dead animal is the same, one is not better or worse than the other, and one hunter is not one bit morally superior to another, even though some sure like to act that way.HSUS hates us all, period, and when one goes down the others will follow. Sacrificing the dog hunters will only whet their appetite for the others and people better realize this.
Stephen, I appreciate you keeping an open mind on bear hunting with dogs and I too have mellowed with age, even though my wife says I was way past due. I have spent hundreds of hours with the beagles I used to own and hunt and regardless of the quarry, to me, having a dog along increases the enjoyment ten fold. I was hooked when I got my first good bear hound and that has become my favorite form of hunting, but I don’t look down on any other form of hunting and don’t appreciate people acting superior to dog hunters, their is no moral superiority in hunting. Once again, I appreciate your open mind. Yes, Holly is compensated for writing just as Mr. Taylor is for the Times. I do think it took some courage to try something she had a self admitted preconceived aversion to, and then admitted her former ideas were false. Stephen and HD, we are all in this together and even if opinions differ we are hunters and should not be ashamed of what we do. Best wishes.
As I was reading the comments above, I felt compelled to make a post. Ten years ago I began dating my now husband. Ten years ago I was also exposed to bear hunting with hounds. Back then I had convinced myself that there was no way I would ever be able to participate in hunting with hounds. I had been deer hunting (sitting and waiting) with my dad since I was four years old. But bear hunting was not something that I had any interest in. I guess you could say I had the same views as Holly. The thought of killing that poor bear that was in the tree with no way down was unimaginable to me. Five years ago we got married and now have two children. Two years ago, I finally decided that if I was going to be married to a bear hunter and have bear hounds that I love dearly, I needed to at least give it a try. The morning that I went I led two of our hounds up to the top of North Mountain. Several times I had to yell at my husband to give me a minute to get my breath and rest. He made that hike to the top with dogs and a rifle in tow look easy. We turned the dogs loose not long after we got to the top and we spent the rest of the day walking trying to keep up with the dogs. I do have to say though that I had a lot of fun that day. We treed one bear that day and I got right under the tree with the dogs to get video and pictures, then we pulled the dogs back and let the bear go. It’s not always about killing the bear, it’s the sport. It’s the time that you spend working with your dogs. It’s the companionship between the hunter and his dogs. After that day, my feelings changed completely. I have the utmost respect for all bear hunters, the miles that are walked in some of the roughest terrain imaginable and the time that they invest in to the sport. Last year I took my daughter and this year I took both of my children. Maybe they don’t fully understand it yet, but they do love being in the outdoors. I know the tradition will be continued in them just as it has in their father.
Again PD, not trying to antagonize you or any other hound hunter, or shed an unfavorable light on your methods. But I do believe that Holly’s description of the way her experience played out does just that. You make several good points though, the PETA and HSUS don’t give a rats ass how an animal is taken they want it all to stop and if they can do away with the hound hunters…..who’s next?
And I commend you and your fellow hound hunters on the point that you made that the dozen or so bears your dogs have treed this season have lived to fight another day. It speaks well of you all that you go to the woods with a sense of being good stewards of what you’ve been blessed from on high with, an attitude of conservation that we should all take to the woods with us no matter what we’re hunting. In my opinion those types of details shared with the non-hunting public will much better serve you and your fellow hound hunters and aid in preserving the sport you hold dear. Best wishes to you too, and Merry Christmas.
It’s sad that someone so linguistically gifted, chooses such a barbaric ‘sport’, as opposed to other, more humane, outlets. It certainly says something about someones intelligence when they believe it’s fine to kill an animal that’s trapped (or any animal, for that matter).
Great comment kelly. I know first hand your husband isnt easy to keep up with in the woods.All the nay sayers should come out and try to keep up with a pack of dogs GPS or not.Its alot of fun to go and just listen to the race and listen to all the old timers tell old stories
Holly Turner, after a comment like that, I truly pray that you are 100% vegan and never break that commitment.
Holy. Just wondering if any of your shoes are leather