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I run mostly Walkers on deer but the group I hunt with have a mixed bag of beagles, bluetics and various cross breed variations of all those. Beagles do have an advantage in that no deer will move a bit faster than he must to stay ahead of those hounds. With the shorter legged dogs one can usually walk into a race, normally that's not possible with the faster breeds & one must be either on horseback or utilize a vehicle........even then it is truly the most difficult way to hunt deer I have ever experienced.....you might jump a good buck, know it, and when the dogs leave a patch of timber they're running does and yearlings. I've had instances where a buck suddenly stopped, let the hounds run by and then got up and ran back on his tracks....that last maneuver will fool all but the most experienced of dogs.
Why's it been made illegal......started with a retreat from the market hunting days during the early 20th century as game numbers were down dramatically, then the practice just became stigmatized thru a lot of misunderstanding and the tradition died in most northern states. Too, it takes a LOT of land to dog hunt deer and the trespass issue is a very real consideration..
And yeah, the standard joke (not really!) is that as a dog hunter you spend 15 minutes hunting deer and the rest of the day (and night) hunting your dogs!
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