Chauga Ridge Kennel

06/08/2024

This pups out of Grim Reaper and She’s a Cowgirl turning it on in Tennessee putting them on the wood

06/08/2024

With Longshore's Oak Ridge Plott Hounds – I just got recognized as one of their rising fans! 🎉

06/08/2024

With Happy Houndz Pet Spa LLC – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

29/07/2024

27/07/2024

Look what god woke us up to this morning and I thank him every day Amen.It would be a great morning to run some dogs, But I’m at work making that dog money lol

18/06/2024

This is funny

16/06/2024

Wishing Pops a Happy Father's Day from his gangsters! (missing Breezy and Bootlegger, and Cassidy)

16/06/2024

BEAR HOUNDS and TRACKING COLLARS (VA and NC)

Bear Hunters with Hounds continue to be the focus of the anti-hunting activists, and it doesn’t really matter where you live or hunt along the east coast, be aware you are in the cross hairs. The latest activist tactics seems to be taking advantage of what they learned in the past 10 years, they know that fighting directly seldom produces the results they are after. Their new tactic is to surreptitiously align with uninformed hunters and other community groups, that allow the anti’s to erode our combined strength while attacking around our edges. Reminiscent of the old Chinese proverb “Lingchi” meaning “death by a thousand cuts”. The Anti’s are also adopting unassuming labels and names that are disguised to throw you off, such as; natural habitat groups, property owner groups, eco-conservancy groups, and public-lands access groups.

The latest efforts appear to involve GPS Tracking Collars. For example in Virginia, the Virginia Board of Wildlife Resources announced in March (2024) that they were proposing a new regulation that targets Bear and Deer hunters using hounds. This proposal would require that deer and bear hunters use GPS tracking on any dogs (hounds) actively engaged in the hunt. GPS is the current best technology for hunters to track their dogs that is in widespread (though not universal) use. It aids in dog recovery both by showing location of the dog and tracking the dogs’ movement patterns, which assists in predicting where the dogs may be going to help facilitate recovery at opportune places and provide the Department opportunity to reduce hunting hound conflicts with private landowners. It also allows a hunter, should they desire, to show where their dogs have been (and also have not been) over the course of a hunt if that is in question. [Note: As this technology has evolved, other features (e.g., toning/corrective abilities) have become available. This proposal does not require these advanced features, simply basic GPS tracking capabilities]. The Assistant Attorney General said that in their opinion that the Board of Wildlife Resources has authority to promulgate these proposed regulations under §§29.1-103, 29.1-501, and 29.1-502. It is further my opinion that the regulations are exempt from the provisions of the Virginia Administrative Process Act pursuant to §2.2-4002(A)(3) of the Code of Virginia.

The Virginia Board of Wildlife Resources said that the impetus for this regulatory amendment is the Board’s desire to create reasonable measures to address the growing problem of hunting hound conflicts with private landowners across the Virginia. This regulatory proposal is the result of a process conducted by the DWR’s Hunting Hounds-Landowners Stakeholder Advisory Committee that was initiated in spring of 2023 and commenced in January 2024. Code of Virginia 29.1-103(12) and 29.1-501(A) mandate the Department to promulgate regulations to assure the proper management of wildlife and game species across the Virginia. This proposed action aims to address user conflicts associated with a very popular and widely-used method of deer and bear hunting utilizing hounds for chase.

Our friends, the Virginia Bear Hunters Association (VBHA) are suffering and they understand clearly, that while this proposal is being pushed by some noisy property owners and has gained traction with the Virginia Board of Wildlife Resources, the proposed rule might be milder outcome, than a legislative battle that could possibly restrict hunting dog use in some unknown way. A number of questions have to be asked: Why only bear and deer hunting dogs? Why only a GPS tracking system and not a radio telemetry and training systems? Most bear hunters in Virgina who hunt with dogs use tracking equipment, so the assumption that this proposal will reduce bear hunting hound conflicts with private landowners may be misplaced. Regardless, the NCBHA wholly backs the VBHA, and we support what they envision is best for their hunters to preserve hunting with hounds. Comment period is underway and will end on 07/05/2024.

To prove the insanity only gets worse, let’s move a little closer to home. Earlier this month we learned that one, possibly more, animal rights groups in the Mecklenburg County area wants to outlaw tracking and training collars to be used on hunting dogs and hunters in North Carolina. Apparently, this would prohibit hunting dogs for hunting any mammals (i.e.: bear, deer, hog, c**n, squirrel, rabbit, etc.). Apparently, their intent is to advance legislation that would heavily restrict the use of dog tracking collars, similar to the restrictions in California. We are hearing that, dog tracking and training devices could be used only on house dogs (pets) and security dogs. The early reports said the only hunting dog that could use a tracking collar would be a bird dog. The NCBHA is watching closely for any definitive information on efforts to draft such a Bill, so we can immediately begin our opposition activities. We have spoken with the Chairman of the House Wildlife Resources Committee, and he confirmed that they have not heard anything about a dog collar restriction proposal at this time.

Death by a thousand cuts….

15/06/2024

We decided last minute to do this event. It was a great time with really nice folks hosting. We will definitely return to this one.
Jazzy and Cassidy (our Truvy pup) took 1st in the 2 dog bear bay
Ruby and Mischief took 2nd
Cassidy, Cowgirl and Ruby scored 3rd in the 3 dog
Cassidy took first in the puppy bay
Sawyer went in for his first ever event or seeing a mechanical bear and much to my surprise, caught on right away and bayed like a boss.
Super proud of all of our dogs today. We missed having our friends with us today but overall it was a great day.
Chauga Ridge Kennel

27/05/2024

True

🤌🏽

26/05/2024

😎

ShopCanineAesthete.com

25/05/2024

🥰

25/05/2024

Cowgirl and Truvy
1st in 2 dog bear bay
Truvy and Jazzy
2nd in 2 dog bear bay
Cowgirl, Truvy and Jazzy
3rd in 3 dog bear bay
Our friends Dwayne and Josie Fugate came home with some wins as well in the bear treeing and Shanna Hughes was only two points behind us in the 3 dog! It was a good, but wet and muddy day. 🥰🐾🐾🐻

14/05/2024

At 4:44 pm today, the tailgate dropped for our sweet Josey the final time. Now she's running her biggest and best race ever. No collars, no GPS, no more pain. Just total freedom!
Sssssskkk! Sssssskkk! Go get 'em girl! See you on the other side. 😇

12/05/2024

😁

04/05/2024

Terrible Truvy (bred by Christina Officer)
Our wild child. This girl is so much fun at the field trials but all about business in the woods. Sadly she prefers hogs over other game which is not what I intended for her. But regardless she is one of our best all-around hounds.