Dealing with your best friend


WStreblo

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Ok here's the question I have to ask the forum. I hunt with one of my best friends, been friends our whole lives (30 years). I have a lot of area to hunt... My property and my best friend's property. He doesn't hunt my property due to the drive for him. However here is my question... I was on stand yesterday and a dog came by my stand and ruined a shot opportunity I had on a massive doe. I told my buddy and he instantly told me to shoot the dog. I told him I couldn't do that and would rather miss an opportunity than to have that on my mind. His oldest son is now old enough to tag along with his dad (my best friend) and says him and his dad shoot dogs in the woods all the time. How do I bring up the fact that besides it being wrong it's likely to get him nailed without losing my best friend? Most times in my life I've just mashed someone in the mouth but that don't get me anywhere so in trying a new approach.

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Just stick to your principles and deal with the dog situation as you normally do and lead by example, letting your friend know your position on the matter. All friendships will have one or two sticking points where you are going to be polar opposite on. True friendships work beyond these things.

Two kinds of dogs around our club, beagles/walkers running deer that came over from another club (I catch them, call the owner, then he gets a short window of time before puppy gets a ride) and then you have mutts/housedogs that are just out having fun. Normally these you can find the owners nearby and emphasize that their dogs should not be on your property during season, they'll get the message if they care about the animal and should not be an issue. I have no doubt my lab has wondered in front of a game cam or two, if not a food plot behind my house and sure would not want her being shot, but I do try to keep her fenced in during season.

I won't post what happens to mutts/strays that are habitual offenders. But I will say we pay too much for troughs full of protein pellets to have a mangy dog sleeping and eating in them.

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I think it all depends on the dog... If its obviously a house dog or a pet let it walk. If you’re in the country and don’t have leash laws it is what it is. I wouldn’t want people shooting my dogs because they cant read or don’t know where my property ends. The same could be extended to other people living near by. I would make an effort to run the dog off a few times. If they aren’t dumb as rocks it should help.

Now strays on the other hand, sometimes they need thinned. My family's ranch is way out in the country. Its pretty typical for people to dump dogs out there. After some time they start to have litters and reproduce like mad. When that happens its bad for everyone including cattle. We have lost new calves to those dogs. Years ago we used to have a day each year were we would have to thin them to keep them at bay. Its not nearly as bad as it used to be but to this day if a stray comes through and it obviously isn’t a local dog, it may never be seen again.

SSS when applicable.

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Dealing with your best friend

Yeah I agree on depends on the dog. However I do not appreciate kills on anything that's not going to be eaten. Given an example of the trouble your buddy could get caught up in... I'm a Virginia hunter and we run a lot of dogs around here. I have a piece of land that backs up to another mans farm and the farm owner just so happens to be a northerner originally and doesn't believe in dog hunting, which I understand all in how you were raised. Last hunting season a pack of my dogs happen to cross the road on to his property and with out warning he shot one of my top notch fox trial dogs and killed her with a slug gun. Not being smart enough to pay attention the fellow didn't realize I run the garmin system and new the dogs exact location. Along with the a** whippen he got he was charged with a class 5 felony, a massive fine plus expenses FTP me for the loss of my dog..... Dog running may not be allowed in your area but know this. It is a felony to kill any dog that is not yours with out it attacking you.... Something to think about.

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like what was said above just go as you would dealing with the dogs yourself. he knows where you stand on the situation and that's all you can do. unless he has a close call with getting in trouble or wounds one, having to finish it off, he probably won't change. just don't talk about it with others though. don't want word to spread and him get that rep or trouble because of you.

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Dealing with your best friend

I agree with everyone that's posted so far. I think these "wild" dogs need to be thinned just like a coyote population. The pets need to be ran off and the owners found. My thing is he hammers any dog collared or not.

I hate a deer running dog as well and up here in Ohio we are not allowed to use dogs for deer. However I feel worse knowing his son (10) is going to be this type of hunter when he's older. Thanks for all the input fellas... I got a phone call to make

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What are the local laws pertaining to your own land? If you have a pet, is it not your responsability to keep track of him? Why should wildlife or calves pay for the lack of responsability of the pet owner? Although I was hunting several years ago and had two collared pointer pups come running by, I gathered em up and found the owner. There's a LONG line of What if's. Aggressive or not, big or little, collared or not. Alot to take into account.

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I wont put up with dogs running deer, especially on my own property.

If I see a dog running deer, and I know or suspect who the dog belongs to, then I would go to the owner first. If that doesnt work, or i have no clue who the dog belongs to, then I will eliminate the problem.

I have three dogs, 2 labs and a beagle, and none of them will chase deer. I dont let them run all over the country either. I expect the same from neighbors.

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Dealing with your best friend

All good points being made. I talked to my friend and we agreed to make an effort from now on to either try to find the owners, run the animal off, or leash it up before other measures are taken. He's also agreed to emphasize this new way to his son. I know old habits die hard but at least he's willing to try. Thanks all

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First of all, if you are in a tree or blind, and a dog is chasing deer, there aint a snowballs chance in **** your gonna stop it, much less hit it, with a bow when its at full tilt heavy on a deers tail. Secondly, almost all deer hunters have encountered a dog, or cat, in the woods at some point or another, it happens, and it will happen - let it go. If it is a common thing, then you may have an issue that needs some attention and a solution, and you should take the appropriate actions to fix the problem - which generally doesn't start with shooting. People who shoot first, and think later are the biggest detriment to all hunters. How would you feel if your dog, or your son or daughters dog got picked off by some jerk who thought he was the man for killing someones pet because it "ruined his hunt"? Yep, if that happens to me, God help to person who i find responsible. Bottom line is, regardless of what your buddy thinks, don't let anyone sway your ethics and values - keep doing the right thing.

dan

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You need to do what you think is right, that is the bottom line here. That said I gotta agree with what Jeramie said, granted it is legal to kill dogs there and many places in this country it is not. Too many dogs running the woods and they can be a bad bad problem, especially if they breed with the local yote population as they have done here. Wild dog packs can be aggressive too, have had some interesting experiences here with dogs and yotes running with dogs.

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Just a little insight from a personal experience of mine. New family moves in on the farm next to mine ( the dad is that guy that can't see out his back window for all the big buck killer stickers on it.) and my beagle ends up on my porch dead with a gunshot wound and a note that says tresspassing will not be tolerated. Lucky for me I only had one lose farm beagle that had been running the farm for 5 years and never ran a deer even killed a couple with him laying under the stand. That being said I have killed 5 of his dogs tossed them in the drive way with notes of my own. After dog 3 he got the point and apologized but I have not accepted it and will keep shooting his dogs till he moves. So when you see a dog might want to let it walk

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Just a little insight from a personal experience of mine. New family moves in on the farm next to mine ( the dad is that guy that can't see out his back window for all the big buck killer stickers on it.) and my beagle ends up on my porch dead with a gunshot wound and a note that says tresspassing will not be tolerated. Lucky for me I only had one lose farm beagle that had been running the farm for 5 years and never ran a deer even killed a couple with him laying under the stand. That being said I have killed 5 of his dogs tossed them in the drive way with notes of my own. After dog 3 he got the point and apologized but I have not accepted it and will keep shooting his dogs till he moves. So when you see a dog might want to let it walk
I dont mean it in a bad way, but this ant how you handle a problem like this. its not the dog's fault. it's supost to be were you respect each other and keep your dog on your property. i understand things happen - slipped collar/ climbed out, ran off but thats where where grown ups
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dogs running deer get shot..

use your own judgement and do what you need to do..

speaking of neighbors dogs..

had a boxer and a little dauschound in my shed barking at a skunk under a lumber pile the other eve....they got a full dose from Mr. Skunk...

called the neighbors and they put the dogs in the car and took them home...

they said they would have to take them in the house to wash them down...

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Being friends and neighbors to a gamewarden, you don't shoot a dog then go around and run your mouth, with that being said, dogs that run free, regardless, it's the owner's responsability to keep tabs on their dog. By NO MEANS do I agree with just shooting ANY dog that walks by, you NEVER know who's coon dog or cow dog it is, but by looking at the breed you should have a good idea whether or not to shoot it. A little common sense goes a LONG WAYS. I have friend in South Carolina that owns lands, he told me that the hunters will release dogs on one road then drive to the next and wait for the deer to come by, letting the dogs chase deer off his land into the road right of way. That's a SORRY way of tresspassing by letting the dogs do the dirty work! Cats on the other hand, well if it's within range it's down. Cats have NO regard to our native bird populations and will put a hurting on quail and pheasant!

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