Will pig dogs push deer out of an area?

Have a few pigs getting about. They're in one big gully in particular, theres a decent boar tailing them around and there's also a half decent fallow buck (along with various does and young ones etc) that share the same watershed. Young fella that works for us has dogs and I tried to keep it to myself but he's cottoned on to the pigs being there and been pretty persistently asking if he can run his dogs through there, he reckons he just wants one crack at it and if he doesn't get a pig he'll leave it alone. Would running his dogs through there one time be likely to push the deer out for a substantial amount of time? They're a pretty resident population and no doubt if they did take off they'd be back at some stage I'm just a bit hesitant as it's my honeyhole and being so close to the rut I don't really want that buck taking off or the does as they'll possibly pull some more fellas into the area soon too. I'm not sure that the pigs will hang around very long also so kind of a "give it a crack now or may not get another chance" kind of a situation.

I wouldn't let any dogs near my deer hunting grounds.
Nothing like a few barking dogs to clear a valley of deer.

From what I've read, fallow have a particular dislike for dogs (might have been in "Grandad's" book?).

That said, there is a fallow block I hunt that is no dogs allowed but I usually see several hikers/runners with multiple dogs. The deer are still there, but the hikers do stick to the only track in the block.

I wouldn't take the chance.

The bush next to my place has dogs chasing pigs about once a month and there still seems plenty of deer (red) being seen....dogs are probably covering a 1000 acres in their search.

yip agree go with him.....the deer should be fine unless dogs are harrassing them...in which case they should be getting some meridian assistance via collars quicksmartly to change their ways.

Walk with dog thru same area of bush with deer in daily, see deer most days BUT dog doesn't chase them 99.9% of the time. See a red hind and fawn most days in the same general area, waiting to see if she moves out over the next week or 2.

Wouldn't matter at all ,give him the ok if his dogs are trained they should not chase pigs

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Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Have a few pigs getting about. They're in one big gully in particular, theres a decent boar tailing them around and there's also a half decent fallow buck (along with various does and young ones etc) that share the same watershed. Young fella that works for us has dogs and I tried to keep it to myself but he's cottoned on to the pigs being there and been pretty persistently asking if he can run his dogs through there, he reckons he just wants one crack at it and if he doesn't get a pig he'll leave it alone. Would running his dogs through there one time be likely to push the deer out for a substantial amount of time? They're a pretty resident population and no doubt if they did take off they'd be back at some stage I'm just a bit hesitant as it's my honeyhole and being so close to the rut I don't really want that buck taking off or the does as they'll possibly pull some more fellas into the area soon too. I'm not sure that the pigs will hang around very long also so kind of a "give it a crack now or may not get another chance" kind of a situation.

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I see on here some say no way -some say wont matter - after 50 years of hunting I say no way - pig dogs upset deer - they fuck off after dogs been thru and dont reappear for some time - I guess it will depend on how much was covered by the dogs and how much scent was left and did the two come into any contact - but in my experience they dont mix - and it takes some time for a block to settle down again after dogs been thru - I would say no dogs

How much do you like him? How much do you value your honey hole? Is he hard up for opportunities or got plenty? Would you be happy to have him as a SIL? Will he be around a long time or gone end of season?

I would be terribly slow to say yes but it all depends really, doesn't it? Young fellas have to get a go somewhere, just what qualifies him for your special spot? And will he respect your decision/rules?

Dog scent and deer don't mix in my opinion. Deer move out of the area. I wouldn't risk fouling a good deer spot if you intend to go for a deer there in the near future afterwards.

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Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

I see on here some say no way -some say wont matter - after 50 years of hunting I say no way - pig dogs upset deer - they fuck off after dogs been thru and dont reappear for some time - I guess it will depend on how much was covered by the dogs and how much scent was left and did the two come into any contact - but in my experience they dont mix - and it takes some time for a block to settle down again after dogs been thru - I would say no dogs

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Think it matters if deer get used to dogs in their territory. Used to hunt an area of DOC land which was hammered by bonnet hunters 7 days a week, deer where cautious but still found them within 500 meters of the roads when the tucker was there.

I work part time culling in a pine plantation that has a sparodic pig population. One area is a spot where I regularly shoot fallow deer but every so often pigs will turn up. Which always means the pig doggers turn up and run there dogs. End result is no deer for several weeks and the pigs moved on or killed. Usually takes 4-6 weeks for the deer to return.
This cycled has happened a few times and always turns out the same.
My advice would be no pig dogging until after the rut and then no real harm will be done

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Originally Posted by Cigar

...there is a fallow block I hunt that is no dogs allowed but I usually see several hikers/runners with multiple dogs. The deer are still there, but the hikers do stick to the only track in the block.

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This has been my experience in one block I manage. The fallow are used to dogs on the track and generally avoid the track during daylight. They will travel and browse the track at night.

One neighbouring landowner owns a mongrel "rescue dog" that chased, attacked and killed a fallow buck. The area was very quiet for a month afterwards.

Bailing and trail barking and forget about the deer for a while.
Game over for a few weeks.

It depends if the deer are used to dogs... I stalked a herd of fallow on a farm last week, where I was watching deer from various ranges over about 3hrs. The whole time there was a dog barking and carrying on just over the fence on the neighbouring property. Deer gave exactly zero fucks about the dog, but then I guess they're are neighbours.

Just put him off until after the rut is done and dusted.

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Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Have a few pigs getting about. They're in one big gully in particular, theres a decent boar tailing them around and there's also a half decent fallow buck (along with various does and young ones etc) that share the same watershed. Young fella that works for us has dogs and I tried to keep it to myself but he's cottoned on to the pigs being there and been pretty persistently asking if he can run his dogs through there, he reckons he just wants one crack at it and if he doesn't get a pig he'll leave it alone. Would running his dogs through there one time be likely to push the deer out for a substantial amount of time? They're a pretty resident population and no doubt if they did take off they'd be back at some stage I'm just a bit hesitant as it's my honeyhole and being so close to the rut I don't really want that buck taking off or the does as they'll possibly pull some more fellas into the area soon too. I'm not sure that the pigs will hang around very long also so kind of a "give it a crack now or may not get another chance" kind of a situation.

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We constantly run our farm dogs through big mobs of fallow and reds mate have for years to no effect to the deers patterns at all.
Some gully heads you no when you have bark up there gonna be a mob 30+ deer move out and next day they will all be back.



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Originally Posted by NRT

Wouldn't matter at all ,give him the ok if his dogs are trained they should not chase pigs

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That was meant to read deer not pigs ,I proofed read it to , embarrassed .Dog through fallow means fuck all hunt the blueies they adabt and multiply give the boy his go ,[emoji106]

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Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

If deer are so put off by dog scent, why can you often bump the same deer in the same spot two or three days running when hunting with a dog?
With the number of people hunting with dogs now every deer in the country should in theory be just passing through.
And everyone suggesting that the young guy waits until after the roar, the good pig will likely have moved on by then. And the young guy probably knows that.

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it does depend on the dog,deer are smart they will be gone big time if an aggressive pig dog gives them a stoke up or if they hear one on a pig.different story if a non aggressive deer dog is sensed/smelt in the area,that's more likely just another animal in there area.For the deer a pig dog will be assumed as trying to kill me now I aint going back there.

Shoot the fallow buck and then it wont matter as much but I would make the young fella take the dogs on leads around the top and get in close to the pig before he lets them go - wait till they are pulling his arms off. That way the dogs wont be running through the whole gully and chances are the pig will be off to the side in scrub, will run straight down and you will shoot it as backstop at the bottom

the cynic in me would say..."if you wont allow the young fella a crack at this pig.....then you shooting yourself in foot as the other pighunters in area will poach it" far better to control who gets to have a crack..and the young fella will have incentive to keep others out of "our turf" allow him to hunt it only when pigs are out on any of your paddocks in future.... he then has incentive to look after it,AND knows he will be able to go out again.by keeping SMALL amount of pressure on pigs,they wont be seen from roadside,nor will rooted up paddocks,less incentive to poach if cant see sign from road.in a way he will be doing you a favour,LOL.
also it would be rather hypercriticle to allow Bo the machine.....off ute in area otherwise....

Doesn't make bugger all difference if they are good stock proof pig dogs. I run my pig dogs through deer everytime I pig hunt , which is 3 to 5 nights a week and makes bugger all difference to what the deer get up to. Hunt through the roar with dogs etc and still easy enough to bang venison. It's different if they are shit dogs that chase the deer , don't let then in ya block

The farm I'm on had a small population of 1/2 dozen fallow we were trying to get up in number. Lived in tiny patch of Bush, roamed the river edge and hill faces. Cattle dogs would push stock out the paddocks they ate from and the paddock that had the the Bush they hung out in. Barking and causing a commotion. They were still there... Until some one decided they had the right to cross onto private land from the river and shot one in the paddock. They were gone after that.
So my question would be is he using a knife or a gun?
As a foot note while sitting in clump of Bush shooting starlings 7 or 8 months back two ran across the top of hill down into gully. First I'd seen in about a year and were way up on farm, no where near where thier prefurred area had been.

I wouldn't think the pork will disappear anytime soon with winter fast approaching I'd wait until after you have had a crack at the buck

Yea I don’t know the answer about the deer and dogs but my thoughts would simply be don’t risk it until a time you aren’t worried about the outcome of whether they do or don’t.

Key questions... is hes dogs shit proof and only chase pigs nothing else??? That's the 1st main question... if yes they are shit proof then it will be fine a one off along as there's no loud bail up going on near by. Deer will take off but come back. If they set chase on a venison then it will scare the venison out of the area for such time.

These ones obviously arent too bothered, first shot shows me going through at lunchtime and Bo was following behind me, obscured by the grass there somewhere, then 4.09pm a doe and yearling came out and grazed all round the area, followed by another doe at 4.47pm all on the same day dog had just been through
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then few days later a buck passes through the area and stops to graze for a bit again only several hours after I had passed through with Bo
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Ended up not going after the pig and bucks have just started to make a bit of noise here now