Stray and wild dogs

[wtnhunt]

How bad are they on deer in comparison to yote. Specifically when they run in packs? Talking large dogs like labs.

[superguide]

Re: Stray and wild dogs

They are deadly!!!

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

Re: Stray and wild dogs

I agree. My observation has been that dogs in a pack will kill at every opportunity, even when they aren't hungry.

[WABS]

Re: Stray and wild dogs

Happened all the time in MN. We'd see it quite often in the winter when we were hunting fox. A group of dogs running together are absolute killers.

[Guest onecoyote]

Re: Stray and wild dogs

I live out west, coyotes get the blame for everything out here, when many times it's dogs doing the dirty work. Wild dogs are fair game in most places out west as they should be.

[Guest Dirtydog]

Re: Stray and wild dogs

ditto on what onecoyote said.

[Doc]

Re: Stray and wild dogs

When I was a kid, we used to have a small flock of sheep. The main reason for getting out of that business was dog damage. They simply like to kill for the sport of it, and would run from one to the other inflicting just enough damage to kill or render the animals wounded to the point where they had to be destroyed. Never once was there any sign of them feeding on a carcass. Not only that, but they can become just as wiley as any coyote. We spent nearly a week up in the barn loft waiting for them to come back, but they didn't until the very next night after we had given up. Then they hit us again. Finally some farmer thought he recognized one of the dogs and sure enough they found the dog at home. After finding wool stuck in the dog's teeth the authorities had that dog destroyed and a couple of others that had the tell-tale evidence in their teeth also. Apparently, they must have taken out the ring-leader because the sheep-raids ended. However, there was already enough damage so that we had to get out of sheep farming.

Years ago, I also witnessed a dog attack on a deer in my front yard. One was a german shepard and the other was (of all things) a beagle. The beagle would hold the deer's attention while the shepard would come in from the rear and do the real damage. They had the deer stopped and were engaged in shredding the deer up when I broke things up with my shotgun. It was pretty dark, so my shot missed, but it did break up the action with the deer and the dogs going in separate directions.

So yes, stray dogs (I won't even call them wild) are a very effective killing machine. Unfortunately, today you have to be very careful about taking the law into your own hands regarding stray dogs. Here in NYS, you can find yourself in some very serious and potentially expensive legal trouble if you shoot a dog regardless of what its doing.

Doc

[Guest HoppeMan]

Re: Stray and wild dogs

Around here we get quite a few stray dogs, but they are all friendly, and I don't think they do much damage. Coyotes, though I can hear them howling in bed at night.....When you're half asleep they can give you the creeps

Take care,

Nathan

[Doc]

Re: Stray and wild dogs

[ QUOTE ]

Around here we get quite a few stray dogs, but they are all friendly, and I don't think they do much damage. Coyotes, though I can hear them howling in bed at night.....When you're half asleep they can give you the creeps

Take care,

Nathan

[/ QUOTE ]

As it turned out, all the dogs involved in these sheep raids mentioned above, were people's family pets that were very friendly and in some cases were the family pets at homes where small children lived. You would be surprised just how dogs change when they become part of a pack involved in a killing spree. I'm not sure just how many thousands of dollars worth of damage these "friendly" dogs did, but it was enough to run us out of business and we were only one of the farmers in town that had the same problems with the same "friendly" dogs.

In terms of deer damage, I'm sure this same pack had some fairly severe impacts on the population of deer as well. Remember, in late winter with a heavy snow cover, when the herd is already stressed, the dogs don't even have to catch the deer to have fatal results. Burning up necessary fat reserves can be most stressful later on in the season in terms of mortality and fawn rates. The personality of the dogs involved doesn't change that.

Doc

[Guest malikai]

Re: Stray and wild dogs

My dad told me that farmers can shoot the dogs if they see them chasing a deer, supposedly its a law. Good Riddance.

Cheers,

Joe

[buckee]

Re: Stray and wild dogs

Wild dogs, even off the porch Dogs in packs, kill for fun, instead of food. I've known of dogs that are allowed to run lose all day, with their buddies, kill a few deer for fun, and be back on the front porch for when the kids come home from school and for supper.

They can kill, as many deer as they can chase down in the course of a day. and just for kicks.

[wtnhunt]

Re: Stray and wild dogs

The way these dogs I saw back here running the other day, they were working as a pack. Some were chasing, some circled around and were waiting. Guess they may be a big part of why the fawn rate was so low here last year.

[buckee]

Re: Stray and wild dogs

[ QUOTE ]

Guess they may be a big part of why the fawn rate was so low here last year.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is definate William. Even coyotes, wolves and bears will go after the fawns before the adults. Dogs are no different.

I watched 2 blackbears tracking a sickly fawn once. It's amazing really how animals can sense a weakness in another animal.

Dogs running in a group are bad, bad news, no matter how you look at it. Even one single running dog is bad news, but once they team up, it's game over for the wildlife in the area.

Did you get a head count on how many dogs you have running there, at any one time?

[wtnhunt]

Re: Stray and wild dogs

[ QUOTE ]

Did you get a head count on how many dogs you have running there, at any one time?

[/ QUOTE ]

The group that was back here last week I think had a total of 8 Steve, at least that is how many different dogs I think I saw, they were not all together all at once. Kind of lost count with them coming across the yard back and forth, not sure if there were any running in the gully I never saw or not either. They were definitely chasing something though, not sure what.

Back in the winter got pics of a st bernard , have seen that dog up the road about 2 miles away at a house with some other dogs in the yard on numerous occasions. Dog that size is big enough to take down a good sized calf.

[buckee]

Re: Stray and wild dogs

What did the DNR and animal control have to say about it William?

[wtnhunt]

Re: Stray and wild dogs

[ QUOTE ]

What did the DNR and animal control have to say about it William?

[/ QUOTE ]

Have not talked to my warden about this problem yet, but will. Talked to the warden a couple weeks ago about the yotes, had some questions about whether it was legla to hunt them at night here or not. Didnt think to ask him about the dogs, I know coyotes and coydogs are legal and fair game here year round.

Talked to animal control a couple years ago about the dogs, they told me they could come and get them if I had them caught They are about a joke. We have caught half a dozen or so dogs over the years and just given them away to homes where the people said they would take care of them and not let them get loose, 3 of those dogs were really pretty labs.

btw, here is a little pup in one of my food plots about 2 hours behind a deer

[buckee]

Re: Stray and wild dogs

Get the warden on it William, and see what you're legal options are.

It's always a shame to see a nice dog, get put down, but the owners are to blame. Regardless, the dogs need to go. All the sentiment in the world isn't going to save the wildlife in your area, if this continues though, and I'm sure your warden will agree..