Hundreds Oppose Kisatchie Rule Changes On Deer Hunting With Dogs

DRY PRONG — A little rain could not stop more than 300 hunters and advocates from coming to a meeting Saturday concerning regulations that could end dog-deer hunting in Kisatchie National Forest.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the U.S. Forest Service have been discussing changes to dog-deer hunting regulations, which could include a reduction of days, reduction of the hunting area or elimination from the 2009-2010 season, according to press releases by the two departments.

Kisatchie National Forest is the state’s last area of public land allowing dog-deer hunting, the releases stated.

The Louisiana Sportsman Alliance hosted the meeting Saturday afternoon at Dry Prong Junior High School.

Dog-deer hunter Bobby Chandler of Dry Prong attended to show support for his fellow dog hunters and the rights of all hunters. He said he has always opposed proposals over the years like those presented for the upcoming season.

“We’ve all run dogs here our whole lives,” fellow hunter Jacob Hebert of Dry Prong said.

Louisiana Sportsman Alliance member Trent Hollingsworth has been working for two months to organize the meeting and bring the concerns of hunters to the attention of government officials on the state and federal levels, he said. There are many hunters around the state and out-of-state who come to Kisatchie to dog-deer hunt.

“It’s affecting a lot of people,” Hollingsworth said.

He received letters or statements of support from many representatives including Gov. Bobby Jindal and Sen. Mary Landrieu, who noted the sport’s existence prior to the formation of the state.

Several state representatives appeared at the meeting to present their own concerns and to listen to those of the hunters gathered.

Rep. James Armes of District 30 also presented arguments against the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’s and the U.S. Forest Service’s reasonings behind the regulation changes.

One reason cited on the press release was the complaints received from private land owners claiming hunting dogs or hunters had crossed over into their property, but Armes argued the responsibility of the overseers of Kisatchie was to the public and its land. All private matters are of a civil nature and should be handled by law enforcement bodies like the sheriff’s offices and forest rangers.

Safety concerns, such as hunters shooting across roads or recklessly driving to catch up with game, were also part of the reasoning behind the hunting restrictions, Armes said. Yet, eliminating dog-deer hunting completely would be punishing all dog-deer sportsmen for the actions of a few irresponsible hunters.

Sen. Gerald Long said it was important for lawmakers and representatives to meet with and listen to the concerns of those affected to figure out the best way to reach a “common ground” decision.

Regulations put in place in 2007 limited dog-deer hunting to 14 days and then to seven days in 2008, Armes said. These seven days were spread across three weekends. Given that it can take up to one full day to retrieve all dogs after a hunt, there is almost no time over the course of a two-day period for dog-deer hunters to complete their tasks — much less enjoy the experience.

“We want our dog days back,” Armes said.

Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a public meeting on the issue at 6 p.m. March 11 in Alexandria City Hall.

Source: TheTownTalk.com