Comments on: Read Holly Heyser’s great piece on bear hound hunting

By: Henry B

Henry B — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 02:57:23 +0000

Holy. Just wondering if any of your shoes are leather

By: rjsteiner

rjsteiner — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:20:38 +0000

Holly Turner, after a comment like that, I truly pray that you are 100% vegan and never break that commitment.

By: Henry B

Henry B — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 02:45:04 +0000

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

By: Holly (not a killer) Turner

Holly (not a killer) Turner — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 01:48:18 +0000

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).

By: Huntersdad

Huntersdad — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 04:51:20 +0000

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.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 21:50:19 +0000

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.

By: Plottdogs

Plottdogs — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:35:35 +0000

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.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 11:49:18 +0000

“…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.

By: Huntersdad

Huntersdad — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 01:47:03 +0000

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.

By: Plott Dogs

Plott Dogs — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 19:14:29 +0000

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