Indiana Beagler's Alliance  
The New Kid on the Block
BY JACK HYDEN
There is an exciting new kid on the beagling and rabbit hunting scene. We are the Indiana Beagler's Alliance. Our existence comes in no small part
by actions taken by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and as of the writing of this article hunting dog owners from all over Indiana are
uniting with us to protect and defend our hunting heritage. The following article details just one of the venues the alliance has found itself working
on.
There is a very strong negative hunting dog attitude brewing within our Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The fact is they want dogs off the
state land. Dennis White, property manager at Salamonie Reservoir will readily tell you that dogs have a negative impact on small game and
upland bird nesting habits. Glen Lange, Chief of Wildlife, for the state won't come right out and say it, but he will say that there hasn't been any
studies on the negative effects dogs have on small game and upland birds and though they have no documented reasoning for closing the state
land in the spring, its  “what they want to do”, And John Davis, deputy director of natural resources in Indianapolis merely says that it's the
Department of Natural Resources job to manage and (though some ideas may be dumb) that's what they are going to do.
While going about their job of managing our states wildlife resources they appear more than happy to disregard research that has been done by
dozens, if not hundreds, of different state natural resource departments, private conservation groups, college and university wildlife programs, and
other groups that have spent years researching the mortality factors of small game (Cottontail Rabbits, Quail, and Pheasants) the overwhelming
theme of small game and upland bird research indicates that the presence of dogs under the control of their handlers have no significant effect on
small game mortality. Most researchers go so far as to state that even during the hunting seasons hunters and their dogs have no effect on the
mortality of small game. Statistics show that small game has both an extremely high reproduction rate and equally high mortality rate, and when
disturbed in the spring will renest up to four times. Also small game will have three to five litters per season. Which means, depending on quality of
habitat, an area will maintain approximately the same numbers of small game year to year. Small game has an 80% to 85% mortality rate so from
spring to spring only 10% to 15% of the small game survives, and this figure is true even if hunting were not allowed. Small game is prey of choice
for all predators, with rabbits being at the top of the list. One way to get an idea of how little the hunter and his dog effects small game, consider the
songbird, they are not hunted, but their numbers do not increase. Predation, decease, and weather are the major factors. There is only one state
that includes hunting and dogs in its list of contributing factors for small game mortality, that being our own Indiana Department of Natural
Resources. The Indiana Beagler's Alliance has found that its not that there isn't sufficient research, its that the mountain of research that is out
there does not say what Indiana Department of Natural Resources wants it to say.
There are two major factors that leaves us scratching our heads over this anti dog attitude that our DNR has. One as has already been described
above. There is no research that indicates a negative impact on small game and upland birds by the presence of our dogs. The other is that no
other user group is having their opportunities to use the state land either denied or restricted from the presence of dogs and their handlers. Several
DNR employees have expressed a desire to get everyone off “their properties”. Which leaves us also wondering where and when our DNR forgot
who pays their salaries and supports the state lands either thru license fees or federal monies such as Pittman-Roberts funds which are nothing
more than taxes on our hunting related purchases being returned by the feds according to the number of hunting licenses sold in the state.
We encourage every sportsman in Indiana to contact your legislators to express your dissatisfaction with DNR's attempts to close our state land in
the spring. Indiana Beaglers Alliance has an easy to use link for contacting legislators on our web page. www.beaglersalliance.org/indiana/ the
folks to contact within Indiana Department of Natural resources are;
John Goss, director of natural resource, at jgoss@dnr.state.us
John Davis, deputy director, at jdavis@dnr.state.in.us
Glen Lange, chief of wildlife  at glange@dnr.state.in.us
They need to know that Indiana sportsmen expect to be able to use the multi-use state land also. Anyone can get more information on this topic by
contacting me by email at j2hyden@earthlink.net or regional director John Arnold at unioncobeagles@aol.com.