Letters: Of Wolves and Hunting Dogs
John Allen did a great job of writing the article about wolves [“Wolves at the Door”] in the Fall 2009 issue. What really disturbed me, though, was the bit about Scott Meyer’s dog. Yes, I do have sympathy for the dog. Most pet owners would agree that it is tough to lose a pet under any conditions.
But I cannot go along with the activity — they call it sport — of hunting with dogs. Michigan allows the use of dogs to hunt bear, Florida uses dogs to hunt deer, and there are probably other states that have similar hunting allowances. Sport? How can they call such an activity sport? This is what the Romans did in the Coliseum in ages past to entertain after they tired of killing Christians. The Romans pitted wild animals against other animals to fight to the death. We are supposed to be civilized.
In my opinion, Scott Meyer belongs in the same camp as quarterback [Michael] Vick. Sending his “loved” pet out to tear apart a little bobcat is inhumane. So is the English “sport” of fox hunting with hounds. When the dogs exhaust their prey, they tear the poor creature to death, just as the wolves did poor Bonnie. We must assume that if Meyer’s redbone hound, Bonnie, had caught up with a bobcat on the other side of the river, a fight to the death would also have ensued. Sadly for Bonnie, she became prey rather than predator.
Wilton (W.D.) Nelson ’54
Leesburg, Florida
Published in the Winter 2009 issue
Comments
Chris Edwards March 23, 2012
An older article, I hope my response is still timely. Concerning Mr Meyer’s pooch, I’m sorry, but tough luck there sport, you went out into the wild with the intention of killing an animal you had no intention of eating, or feeding to something, or someone else. You entered your pooch, and yourself into the foodchain when you went into the wild, with that intention, and now you have the ample nerve to whine about losing your pooch?
I am appalled that we the taxpayer, are taxed with compensating these despicable men & women for animals that they use to run down and kill other animals with!
Brad Mullens September 7, 2012
I hunt ruffed grouse with my dogs and I could not imagine going into the woods without them. Hunting over a dog locked on a point is amazing for both the hunter and the animal. It changes and strengthens the relationship between the hunter and their family pet. That said, I could not send either of my girls into the woods to hunt any animal I did not intend to eat. I keep them close and they do not capture or kill game that I have not shot on the wing. I would be devastated to lose on of my dogs to a wolf so I keep them out of harms way.
It is my understanding however that people who hunt bobcats do so by using hounds that tree or corner the cat so that the hunter can then kill the animal. I won’t argue the sporting ethics of this method but I am fairly certain the hunter does not release their dog in the hope that the dog will capture and tear apart the bobcat.
I also HATE the way the fox is hunted in England. That is truly brutal and inhumane to the quarry and, in many cases, the hunting dogs involved.