ORIGINAL: atgvir
After reading this thread, I can understand why hunting may be in trouble. A person or childs dog pulls out of his collar and runs off and he is fair game because he doesn't have a collar. Are you people into just killing or are you into the sport of hunting. Killing some ones pet or dog isn't something I think ethical hunters or land owners should do. The difference in shooting a dog and a deer is the deer is wild but most likely the dog has been taught to trust people. Why don't you just pet him and then shoot him. He would make a better target if just lying there. If the dog was showing aggression, then I feel he would be fair game but shouldn't be just because he is on your land. I am into the sport of hunting, not just killing. Just my opinion.
Yeah... you caught us! Welcome to the internet home of pet dog shooting!
The issue at hand is not with shooting dogs from a hunting standpoint. It deals with dogs that are used for hunting, and are on the land of another. And its not even like anyone on here is advocating shooting someone else property. The discussion has centered around taking alook at and amending the laws concerning running deer with hounds in Virginia, and the right of the dog owner to retreive his dog from the land of another without consent, which under current law is totally legal assuming he is on foot and unarmed.
The issue has come up due to an increase in private non-hunting or still hunting landowners/leasees finding dogs and dog drivers on their property. Legally or not, many of these landowners are not happy with the way things have been going. Its a long story.... but nobody is advocating just shooting dogs for the sheer hell of it.... nobody is advocating shooting deer for sheer hell of it either. This is not the Gestapo over here.