Dog Hunting at Dollarhide

EDITOR'S NOTE: Larry Collins acts as camp manager of Dollarhide, a traditional hunting camp in central Alabama near the Mississippi line since 1888.

Question: How do you conduct dog hunts?
Answer: We drive from 7 until 11 a.m. each Saturday. As the hunt master, I make sure someone tends to the dogs at night and in the morning. We have to properly cut up the meat, distribute it or freeze it. When you have a dog hunt, everyone goes home with meat if they want it.

Question: Do you have drivers for these hunts?
Answer: We generally have anywhere from 10 to 20 drivers and 25 to 40 dogs that hunt.

Question: With what kind of dogs do you hunt?
Answer: We hunt with beagles.

Question: Why do you like beagles?
Answer: Beagles are short runners. They don't run far, and we try to keep them on the club's land and keep the hunt short. They'll jump and run, but they always come back easily.

Question: Name the best hunt you've ever had down here.
Answer: During the 1975-76 season, we killed 22-racked bucks on one hunt with around 100 standers.

Question: About how many deer do you kill on average?
Answer: We kill two to four deer a week with an average of 40 to 60 standers.

Question: Why do you still like to dog hunt?
Answer: Dog hunting has been a tradition since I was growing up. I started deer hunting by dog hunting. I didn't pick up a rifle until I was about 20. I hunted with dogs from the age of seven. I grew up hunting with dogs, and I still love it.

Question: Did you use a shotgun and only buckshot?
Answer: No slugs, No. 1 buckshot and two No. 4 buckshot.

Question: How do you take a buck on the stands?
Answer: If you know the stands, you'll know where to hunt. Most people down here get the same stand every hunt. Since, they know where the deer run, they can place themselves in the right positions. A lot of this hunting method involves luck.

Question: Do you draw for stands?
Answer: No, I issue the stands myself, and the guests like to go and socialize together. If we draw for stands, it causes separation and some trouble with transportation. I issue stands to hunters as they come in, and I'll tell them where to go.

Question: Dog hunting at Dollarhide has more to do with the hunt than the kill, right?
Answer: Yes. Deer hunting comes second to us. The hunt happens the nights and mornings before the actual deer hunt. The fellowship and camaraderie gained from the experience comprise the hunt. We used to have a real close-knit organization. We still do, but keeping all the members close gets harder each year because of people's different backgrounds and lifestyles. Years back, hunters used to take a train down here and stay a week. Hunters arrived in Model Ts or horse and wagon and stayed down here two weeks to collect a plentiful amount of deer meat. Even though everyone has other interests and responsibilities, Dollarhide is still a close-knit organization.

Tomorrow: Information about Dollarhide