Hunters shooting my dogs

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Cobrien45,
We have a great GSP. Beautiful, smart, and is great with our baby girl. We do have to keep control of her, though, as she will take interest in nearby forest critters and temporarily forget that she's supposed to stay near the house. Our other dog, a weirdly comical Collie-Catahoula mix, doesn't ever go far from our Shorthair.

I used to work for Animal Control, and I'd have people vigorously insist that their dogs never left their yard, and some of them I'd picked up over a mile from home... in town. It's hard to admit, sometimes, that our dogs are out of our control, but it does happen.

As for confronting the trespassers, I really don't think there's much else you can do other than politely invite them to leave.
Immediately calling the authori-TAHs won't be taken kindly, and should wait until you've seen that the hunters aren't willing to listen to reason. The earlier mentioned idea of keeping in radio contact is a good one, I think. Even if there isn't anyone on the other end, you can talk into a bluetooth type headset as if there was.
 
Many states' hunting regulations have specific provisions for access to private land in addition to the general trespass laws; research yours. Faced with losing hunting privileges because of unauthorized use of private land should be a strong incentive to a hunter; on the other hand, an outlaw isn't going to be deterred.
 
It's easy enough to work from the assumption that there are those slobs who would shoot a dog, whether or not the dog is chasing a deer. For this thread, why not take it for granted that the dogs haven't been chasing deer?

Okay. The easiest way to ensure no problem is to either pen the dogs in a fenced yard, or have them on leashes and run-lines during hunting season. That guarantees that the dogs won't get out in the woods and be in view of some slob.

Run-line: String heavy-guage wire between two trees or two posts. Clip one end of a fairly long leash to the wire. Put some sort of stop-device (for example, a small piece of wood, hose-clamped to the wire) near each end of the wire so the dog won't get the leash wrapped around the tree or post. Or upset the food pan or water bowl.
 
Hey, Art, some dogs are Houdinis when it comes to collars. Mine can slip out of one easily if she takes a mind to it.

A pen is a good idea. We have one for when we need it- most of the time, when we are home the dog stays in the house, anyway.
 
Interesting thread.

I guess if it was my land I would stop allowing anyone to hunt or pass over it for the coming season if for no other reason than it would make it possible to know that any signs of people would be tresspassing. I'd then take action appropriate to the problem. Game cams have many uses. If the guys you let pass over it are the good guys you say they are, they will understand. I know I would.

Having said all that there are houses not too far from my deer hunting area and one or more of them own(s) dogs. I have feeders and game cams out. Been trying to line up a buck for the next generation going on two years now. I had a pretty good survey going till the neighbors dogs started showning up on the game cam photos. The deer had been showing up at various times during the day then the dogs started showing up at all times of the day. The deer all went vampire at the same time.

Then guess what happened....one of the dogs, a lab, started showing up on the night photos too. At that point, no more bambi picts day or night. The deer are still AOW and the season is over. Except for the squirrels and a few crows I'm not seeing any activity in or around the feeding stations. I blame it on the canines.

I will not shoot these dogs. They both have collars and tags a-hanging so good on the owners at least for that. They are bound to be someones pets but I can't figure out where they live or I would have a chat with the owners. I love dogs and have owned many but when someone says with confidence their critters never leave home I just think they often times don't know what they are talking about especially if he dogs are out day and night. Needless to say my kid is disappointed. We spent a good deal of time and $$ making the place deer friendly over the last two years.

Art hit the nail on the head, again.

Best

S-
 
I can sympathize with both sides of this particular situation.....

I've gone nose to nose with another hunter who threatened to shoot one of my beagles because it crossed a property line despite our best efforts to stop him.

I've also almost shot someone's dog that came after me while hunting on private land I had permission to be on and the dog's owner (not the owner of the land I was on) had just let his pitbull run free since he lived in the country.

That all being said, I would take measures to contain my dogs and to post my property with no tresspassing signs and report all tresspassing to the sheriff's dept along with the tag numbers of any trucks you see parked alongside the road. Don't get yourself into a situation where you may end up getting shot or having to shoot somebody. Research the NC tresspass laws, post your property, talk to your local sheriff's dept about your problem, and then observe and report what you see.
 
I am a dog lover (currently have three), I have had hundreds of dogs over my lifetime. When I moved to Boston from WV I divided my pack of 42 beagles among my family and friends and gave my bird dogs to my father.

I learned a long time ago to keep my dogs kenneled during gun season. I even had a dickhead game warden shoot one of my beagles because he said she was running deer - B.S.... that dog was straight as they come.

I even know of a fella that painted C-O-W in blaze orange on the side of his prize heifer and some F***** shot her right through the center of the "O".

The only thing you can do is kennel the dogs and if you ever find out who shot them prosecute - they will do serious time if convicted. I would also shut the hunting down on my property and prosecute trespassers.
 
With all this talk of game cameras....... Why don't you get some photographic evidence of the trespassers VIA some well hidden game cams
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or take a shovel along and solve the problem.
they will do serious time if convicted
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Last place I owned if the dog was on my property it was legal to shoot it.

Dogs are just animals, different than deer to mankind for sure, as they become companions, but still animals and sometimes some of em need killing. It's why we have leash laws to control dogs. If people don't want the dog shot keep it home and out of trouble. I've had ranchers come by and say "if my dogs are over here again don't call me shoot em" he wasn't joking, I think it ended up he shot it himself. When I lived "out" myself or one of the Very few neighbors would shoot a wanderer if he didn't take the hint and leave soon or was causing problems or a dropped off pooch or cat every few months. Chasing deer or elk or any stock was a death sentence. It was the right thing to do and we all knew it.
I think of myself as a "dog lover" have got along with dogs better than most my whole life, we have three of the durn things and like every one, but I also try to be a realist and not live in a fantasy.
Dogs are dogs a animal not humans and should be treated as such. Sounds to me like far to many have lived in PC la la land or a city far to long.
 
Put up some signs around the property that you have "video survallence " cameras up and you can get either a "real", or several dummy cameras", even if they shoot a couple of them off, they will wonder if they have been caught trespassing on private property , and most probablly leave, even if not right away, it would give them something to think about.
 
Put up some signs around the property that you have "video survallence " cameras up and you can get either a "real", or several dummy cameras", even if they shoot a couple of them off, they will wonder if they have been caught trespassing on private property , and most probablly leave, even if not right away, it would give them something to think about.
 
Dogs will act different in a pack than they will in the family room. Dogs will run and kill sheep, chickens, etc. when away from their home place and ignore them when they are home. Many dogs will run deer. Point is, you don't know what your dogs are doing if you are letting them run free and they are your responsibility.
 
With all this talk of game cameras....... Why don't you get some photographic evidence of the trespassers VIA some well hidden game cams.
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Now, there's a suggestion that makes sense. Since your trespassers operate mostly in daylight, you can disable the flash so they don't detect the cameras.

The cameras will also help you "pattern" the tresspassers -- after a while, you'll know where and when they operate, and can track them more efficiently. Perhaps you can arrange with the game wardens to trap them.
 
missing my dogs too

Exactly the same thing happened to 3 of my dogs some years ago, one of them a prized Welsh named Dipstick.

Thing about it though, I don't consider the shooter to be a hunter. These morons don't hunt they just wander around and shoot things.

As far as I'm concerned an idiot shooting a gun is our worst enemy. They make it difficult for the rest of us to keep the right to use our own firearms responsibly.

Boy, I sure do miss those dogs!!
 
Perhaps you need to lobby your legislative body to do what Florida has. Trespass with a firearm (any weapon for that matter) is in its self a seperate felony.

It makes no difference if the purpose is hunting, hiking or the intent is to commit a crime like burglary....having a firearm or acquiring one while trespassing creates the seperate criminal act of "trespass with a firearm"......pack that charge up a scofflaw hunters behind and he'll never again be able to even OWN a gun, much less shoot your dog.

That law has recently been expanded to include shooting across posted land.........check out the Florida Statutes.
 
I have to say, I am extremely surprised by the posts in this thread. There is no excuse for shooting a dog unless it is on YOUR property and you have taken all reasonable actions to avoid it, including alerting the owner that the dog is a nuisance if you can discern who the owner is. If you are trespassing and you shoot a dog.... I hope someone more vengeful than myself visits justice on you.

As for you, you need to start enforcing the trespassing. Lots of postings. Also, word of mouth works best, and chances are if you have multiple offenders they know each other. Letting air out of tires isn't technically destruction of property. Leave a note on the car that says "I have an air pump at the house. Stop by and I'll fill your tires after the Sheriff arrests you for trespassing.


I plan on owning a large tract of land at some point. When I do, I will have signs posted that say something like this:
"PRIVATE PROPERTY - DEAF CHILD AT PLAY
ABSOLUTELY NO TRESPASSING
VIOLATORS WILL BE PLACED UNDER
CITIZENS ARREST UNTIL AUTHORITIES ARRIVE"
 
I've shot dogs dead...and I love dogs.

I was deer hunting with my .270 and up in a treestand. I could see a couple hound dogs with no collars on running onto my land. They started chasing my cattle around and then cornered a couple against the fence. The cows freaked out and jumped my fence and the cattle tore themselves up along with my fence.

Couple days later I was in my stand and dropped them both as they ran towards my livelihood.

5-6 hours of chasing my cows back on my land, and fixing my fence. I would have done it to my own dogs. But I keep my chained up or in the house.

Strike one...your dogs were on my land.
Strike two...your dogs attacked my cattle.
Strike three...They returned to to it again.

BTW...If the dogs were chasing deer I would not have shot them DRT.
 
Most every county in NC has a leash law. Does the county in question have one? If your dogs were subject to such laws you failed your pets by not obeying the law. If you cared about them you would keep them up and not let them wander the countryside.

I live out in the country where way to many city folks let their children, pets and horses run free, way past the the little postage stamp tract of land they live on. Out here we run off trespassers on horses, ATV's and on foot along with the free ranging pets. So many targets so little ammo.

M'bogo
 
As for you, you need to start enforcing the trespassing. Lots of postings. Also, word of mouth works best, and chances are if you have multiple offenders they know each other. Letting air out of tires isn't technically destruction of property. Leave a note on the car that says "I have an air pump at the house. Stop by and I'll fill your tires after the Sheriff arrests you for trespassing
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I would also tow their vehicle if it was on my property.
 
Hunters would never shoot your dog. They were criminals. I am very sorry for your losses and hope you better in the future. I would suggest as much blaze orange on your dog as possible. (Cabelas sell vests). I would also purchase an invisibale electric fense for your dogs.

For legal advice (I am not a Cop or a Lawyer) I would call the sheriff's department and report that you have implimented a strict no tresspassing policy for your property due to your dogs being shot and killed, and that you have posted signage around your property that there is no tresspassing and request that they swing by when they get a chance during hunting season. Then put the SO on speed dial and report suspicious people and tresspassers (but don't call the SO every time a car drives by as they will consider you the guy that calls wolf all the time). Again, Very sorry for what has happend.
 
If you confront these people dont do it with a handgun in hand.. it will appear threatening.. Rifle or shotgun is fine if you appear to be hunting... If a handgun have it easily accessable but holstered.. If you hear shots after telling people to not hunt there immediately call the sheriff.. Chances are it will take a little more than 40 minutes to gut and drag a deer out.. Take pics of every vehicle and tag that parks in or near your property for your personal records.. Make sure it shows date and time... If something happens on a certain day you know what vehicle was in/near your property.. If all else fails and you know who is doing stuff but cant get anything done try to figure out what they are using to hunt and put a round or 2 into some easily fixed part of your house.. Then call cops when they are tresspassing.. Shooting tword a occupied dwelling carries a much heftier penalty than tresspassing
 
I'm a hunter and a dog lover. If anyone shot my dog on my property, I would shoot them dead. End of story. I'm sure I'll catch hell this but like I said: end of story.

You hunt, you know where you are and you make sure you are following the law or you have permission if it's private property. You have dogs, you keep them on your property or restrained.

They probably shot your dogs because they barked and scared some deer off. Sorry to hear about your dogs. Its crap like this that give hunters a bad name. Poaching, trespassing, shooting peoples pets; just a bunch of crap! I only hunt on private property so I can avoid these type of hunters or have the law on my side should I run into them.
 
As far as interpersonal relationships with trespassing hunters go, if you ask them to leave and they get huffy guess what? They are trespassing with a firearm, that's a felony if they want to press it. Beyond that, I would treat them as I would any other hot n' tot.
 
John4me05:
If all else fails and you know who is doing stuff but cant get anything done try to figure out what they are using to hunt and put a round or 2 into some easily fixed part of your house.. Then call cops when they are tresspassing.. Shooting tword a occupied dwelling carries a much heftier penalty than tresspassing
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WHAT???? I hope you're kidding! That is one of the stupidest things ever said on this forum!
 
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