Dog Killing Deer

[SchuLace]

Anyone ever seen or heard of a farm dog killing deer?

[hunterwebb]

i seen 2 deer dogs are i should say the breed of dogs was walkers caught and kill a fawn in a creek one time here in the south some people use dogs to chase deer a lot of sport in that way of hunting

[Doc]

I saw 2 dogs (one a german shepard, the other a smaller mixed breed) that had a ripped apart deer pretty much done in. By the time I got the gun, they had moved on, and I really don't know what the final out-come was. The deer didn't look like it had a whole lot of fight left as the two dogs took turns biting at its hind-quarters every time the deer turned to face the other. I have no idea how long this had been going on or how long it went on afterwards. It looked like a pretty brutal way to go.

Doc

[wtnhunt]

Yep, dogs will kill deer. Wild dog packs are no good.

[SchuLace]

My grandpa has a small red healer who has killed about 7 deer this year. He is a friendly dog but when he sees a deer he chases them down and eventually kills them. It is pretty crazy to see.

[elkoholic]

It happens far more often than one would think, and the dogs are just doing what instinct dictates. They are not hungry and although they will often feed on what they kill it is often just "fun" to them. I do not have anything good to say about anyone who will let a dog run loose, harassing the local wildlife, and then going home to a good meal and safe place to sleep. That goes for cats also. Many a rabbit or songbird population has suffered major declines at the teeth and claws of the common house cat. In most states it is against the law to let your dogs run loose and they may be shot if caught in the act. It is the pet's owner(s) responsibility to have control of their pet at all times and while I know this is a touchy subject, it is not a debatable issue.

[muzzy1]

My grandpa has a small red healer who has killed about 7 deer this year. He is a friendly dog but when he sees a deer he chases them down and eventually kills them. It is pretty crazy to see.

IF my dog every killed a deer ,i would make sure he never did it again,and if he tried it would be his last time....Your grandpa should be ashamed of him self for letting this happen 7 times this year !!!!so it sounds like you just stood there and watched this happen and did NOTHING !!!

[wtnhunt]

It happens far more often than one would think, and the dogs are just doing what instinct dictates. They are not hungry and although they will often feed on what they kill it is often just "fun" to them. I do not have anything good to say about anyone who will let a dog run loose, harassing the local wildlife, and then going home to a good meal and safe place to sleep. That goes for cats also. Many a rabbit or songbird population has suffered major declines at the teeth and claws of the common house cat. In most states it is against the law to let your dogs run loose and they may be shot if caught in the act. It is the pet's owner(s) responsibility to have control of their pet at all times and while I know this is a touchy subject, it is not a debatable issue.

Yep, Dave nailed this. Sad thing is that in some states the dogs that engage in this type thing are protected by laws.

[Dawg]

I have never heard of dogs killing deer but 2 years ago I had some wild dogs chase deer by me twice, less than 40 yards both times. The first time I was in my bow stand, the other time I was in a pop up blind with my rifle. One dog made the mistake of stopping about 25 yards in front of me in an opening................

Never have had any problems with the dogs after that.

[Prairiepredator]

I have heard of it before but never seen it. Here in Sask it is legal to shoot a dog if it is harming any wildlife.

[Ravin R10 man]

Yup, seen them chasing deer from time to time..around here there called..... "dead"

[Diamond Archer 01]

I have heard of dogs chasing deer but I have never seen it before.

[SchuLace]

IF my dog every killed a deer ,i would make sure he never did it again,and if he tried it would be his last time....Your grandpa should be ashamed of him self for letting this happen 7 times this year !!!!so it sounds like you just stood there and watched this happen and did NOTHING !!!

My grandpa doesn't LET it happen. It happens. He is a good cattle dog and when deer wander in during the day, he takes off after them. Most of the time it happens when no one is home because the deer usually won't come up to the house when people are around.

[Doc]

I know that dogs will do what centuries of instinct development have put into their nature if we as their owners allow it. I do believe that allowing dogs (or any pets) to run free without any control indicates a person lacking in basic responsibility, and I really don't have any use for such a person.

Yes, occasionally a dog will accidentally get loose. That usually comes from inadequate facilities for housing the pet that you have taken responsibility for or slip-shod handling of the animal. When you come down to it, there really is no excuse for any pet owner to not be in complete control of the animal.

I know the episode that I saw was a pretty nasty spectacle as the deer got tore apart alive with one bite after another. If I had had a gun in my hands it wouldn't have continued. I understand that the end to a wild animal's life is not always very kind. But we don't have to be complicit in some of those gruesome deaths by supplying the predator that brings about the slow torture over long distances of one bite at a time. It's just not necessary, or responsible behavior.

Doc

[muzzy1]

My grandpa doesn't LET it happen. It happens. He is a good cattle dog and when deer wander in during the day, he takes off after them. Most of the time it happens when no one is home because the deer usually won't come up to the house when people are around.

SO LEASH TO FREAKING DOG.... your grandpa doesn't care or he would have taken steps to prevent it for happening over and over and over....QUOTE he chases them down and EVENTUALLY kills them,ITS PRETTY CRAZY TO SEE..tells me you have seen this in person and watched and yes did nothing..What a sad waste......

Edited April 23, 2010 by Shaun_300
Language

[Migman]

I agree with muzzy-1. Just sitting there and watching that happen is ridiculous. It is a waste of life and that deer died for nothing. If I ever seen a neighbor's dog killing a deer, it would be that dog's last day on this earth. As for my own dog's, I would be smart and just not let it happen!

[RangerClay]

I've seen dogs take a deer down. Its not pretty.

Pssst! S.S.S.

[Swamphunter]

My grandpa has a small red healer who has killed about 7 deer this year. He is a friendly dog but when he sees a deer he chases them down and eventually kills them. It is pretty crazy to see.

Seeing you started this thread seems to me like you are bragging about illegal activities... the kind of thing that can get you banned on here. Now with that said...

I agree with the others also... what do you mean he doesn't let them... you said yourself "its crazy to see"...

7 deer a year is a pretty good impact on the deer herd. If I was your neighbor, Grandpa would have the DEC at his house. By not leashing or containing this dog your Grandfather is basically enabling his behavior. To just turn his head to it, or sit and watch it is sickening.

Edited April 24, 2010 by Swamphunter
Still amazed at this kid bragging about this in public forum

[wtnhunt]

My grandpa doesn't LET it happen. It happens. He is a good cattle dog and when deer wander in during the day, he takes off after them. Most of the time it happens when no one is home because the deer usually won't come up to the house when people are around.

Maybe its just me, but I would have to wonder about a dog that chases and kills deer also chasing livestock(calves). Have had some issues here with dogs killing my neighbors calves, neighbor who owned them in order to avoid trouble told the man who owned the cows to just shoot the dogs. Of course that does not recover him his losses on those calves. Bottom line imho if you have an animal you know is killing deer it is your responsibility to deal with them one way or another.

[MichiganHunter]

Anyone ever seen or heard of a farm dog killing deer?

I have seen a dog getting run buy a deer once, to far away to do anything. My grandpa also shot the neighbors golden retriever cause it was trying to kill a young doe so he dropped it.

[MichiganHunter]

My grandpa has a small red healer who has killed about 7 deer this year. He is a friendly dog but when he sees a deer he chases them down and eventually kills them. It is pretty crazy to see.

your lucky your grandpa is not my neighbor. I don't tend to value the life of one animal over another in the sense of animal vs. animal for survival or eating....like bears eating deer, but willfully allowing this dog to continue killing deer for the fun of it is destructive and irresponsible of both you and your grandpa and if I were you grandpa's neighbor he would be getting the dnr and a dead dog at his front door.

Time to step up if you ask me

To me it sounds like your grandpa either is ignorant of the damadge he is allowing this dog to do or he's just plain ignorant and if you are on this sight and want to call your self a sportsman you need to stop this from happening again, even if you have to take his dog from him.

[dbHunterNY]

It happens far more often than one would think, and the dogs are just doing what instinct dictates. They are not hungry and although they will often feed on what they kill it is often just "fun" to them. I do not have anything good to say about anyone who will let a dog run loose, harassing the local wildlife, and then going home to a good meal and safe place to sleep. That goes for cats also. Many a rabbit or songbird population has suffered major declines at the teeth and claws of the common house cat. In most states it is against the law to let your dogs run loose and they may be shot if caught in the act. It is the pet's owner(s) responsibility to have control of their pet at all times and while I know this is a touchy subject, it is not a debatable issue.

yea i agree the dogs do just seem to chase the deer just for fun and many times kill the deer. i've known of them killing the deer then walking away after a small bite or two. i've known of them putting a deer out of commission and then leaving it half alive. they don't seem to have the same skills to kill prey. i've seen the same thing in house cats. i've watched a house cat more or less play with a mouse instead of eating it, because it wasn't hungry. the mouse was pretty much done for, but suffered until my uncle killed it when the cat completely lost interest. yet around here a man will go to jail for killing the cat or dog much longer than probably assaulting another individual. it's messed up. it basically puts the responsibility on the owner. keep your pets at bay, because they can't help it. it's their instincts.

[Doc]

Maybe its just me, but I would have to wonder about a dog that chases and kills deer also chasing livestock(calves). Have had some issues here with dogs killing my neighbors calves, neighbor who owned them in order to avoid trouble told the man who owned the cows to just shoot the dogs. Of course that does not recover him his losses on those calves. Bottom line imho if you have an animal you know is killing deer it is your responsibility to deal with them one way or another.

My father was driven out of the sheep business years ago by dogs. These were not wild dogs killing for survival, but family pets that the owners simply allowed to run loose. A few of them were occasionally found by authorities, but no laws were in place back then to make them responsible for their pet's damage and the losses were absorbed by each farmer. The final count of our flock after about 8 years of raising sheep was far less than the original quantity of sheep purchased to start the operation, and that was completely due to dog depradation.

These raiding dogs were not interested in a meal, and simply went from one sheep to the next killing each one or leaving them in a condition where they died of shock or had to be destroyed. In one night, a pair of dogs can eliminate a flock.

So anyone knowingly allowing their dogs to run loose, should be aware that deer are not the only targets of their damage. That is, if they even care about such things in the first place.

Doc

[Jeramie]

I was out riding my horse once and I saw two dogs take down a fawn. The fawn actually got away.... with my help. The dogs were not dead but I bet they never looked at a fawn again.

[Hunt or be Hunted]

See that one guy has not posted anything back yet...