Pesky Dogs!!!
 

For the past four years I have hunted an area of a 327acre lot that is in a creekbed with six trials crossing my stands within a couple hundred yard stretch. I' ve had marvelous success within this creek bed, and I' ve taken a couple of awesome bucks from the same area. Normally this area is like grand central for deer....but for the past year NOTHING!! All the sign is there, rubs and trials, they' ve even tore up some buck fever synthetic " traps" this year. I' ve been trying to figure out why these deer have been nocturnal all of a sudden since im using the same tactics and scent techniques as always....... Now that i think about it nearly EVERYTIME I' ve hunted that stand, I' ve heard several dogs running the area right about daylight. So today I go in there around daylight, and here comes a whole pack of dogs (about 7 or 8) on a dead beeline along a main deer trail, yap and makin all kind of kane along the way!! Needless to say, I spent the rest of day moving my stand to a better location. But I must say I hate to see my best spot go just because of some mangie muts........On the flip side of that, I stumbled onto a really good eight point on a property that runs parrallel to the other property, which so happens to be directly behind my parents house. They actually have some video footage of the big eight coming to some pear tree' s. I had hunting this property growing up, and seen some good bucks, but I havent been in there in a few years. To the best of my knowledge, knowone has hunted that property since I was last in there. This should be interesting!!


One other thing, this property has a " shelf" that holds the only acorns on the property....Which could be very beneficial, since there are no acorns on the other property I was hunting.

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

Domestic dogs are very possibly a whitetails worst enemy besides humans. I have really researched this topic out because of some similar discussions on this msg board last year. Domestic dogs can be very detrmental to the deer herd health and population. If the problem persits many of the deer will simply move out of the area. There are only two solutions: 1) some how convince these dog' s owners to actually show some responsibility and keep their dogs on their own property. This is a very unlikly possibility. 2) Rid your property of the dogs by any means and methods, including getting the law enforcement out there if necessary.

I have been fighting the same problem on our place too and it is a very frustrating situation. I feel your pain.

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

you should contact the game warden. In Michigan it is illegal to allow dogs to run free like that. The should be rounded up. It is also illegal to shoot hunting dogs, but it dosen' t say anything about shooting mangy mongrel good for nothing deer running mutts.

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

Most likely those aren' t any kind of hunting dogs, they' re just a pack of wild dogs that enjoys chasing and killing deer any chance they get. You know what your best solution is going to be, shoot ' em!!! Or at least as many as possible. Their' s nothing worse than wild dogs running around the woods. And they pose a possible threat to you as well. Who knows if they' ll catch you someday out in the open and attack you. If you know where they' re going to be, set up on them and kill as many as possible.

FWIW
CJW

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

Yeah, I hunt east texas as well and faced the problem...seems like one corner of our property holds lots of dogs. I was hunting one day in a new spot on that cornere (when i didnt know there were dogs there). Then all of a sudden 6 came out. They were all wild, no pets at all...just mutts. So i shot two of them...i know that it is not what most people want to hear, but i see them chasing deer constantly and they are not anyones pets...no different than a coyote to me...but for some reason everyone has sympathy if they are just wild dogs and not yotes. i say shoot them...i dont see those dogs as much any more, but whenever i do, i get rid of as many as possible

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

All I can say is THWACK;)

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

A pack of wild dogs are the same as yotes. They might not be called yotes or look like yotes, but do the exact same damge. It looks like you need to setup in some good dog/yote territory and start wacking a few. Out of sight...out of mind. Doesn' t matter if they have a collar on either. Once those " pets" have that pack mentality...they won' t ever get rid of it. Expecially if they have already killed something!!

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

Any dog running deer or seen on our property gets shot. We have had too many problems with people putting dogs out on one side of our property and picking them up on the road as they run deer. If it ain' t my dog I consider it wild and therfore no good. Like said previously, shoot ' em.

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

are they someone' s pets? The property owner 50 acres away let' s his dog run wild and more than once I though about THWACK but it was one dog and someone' s pet. I contacted the property owner and he said he would keep better track of him. Well last monday night on another adjoining property another hunter wasn' t so patient. The dog did live but took a lot to put him back together. I am glad I wasn' t out that day nor was the other guy that hunts the same property that I do but it still is a shame both ways - to let a dog run around and ruin someone' s leisure time and for the person that shot the dog.

Nasty situation even if you call game warden chances are you don' t want anyone else poking around the woods. Maybe wait till the off-season or small game or late muzzleloading to try and fix this problem.

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

In some places I believe it is legal to shoot a dog thats running deer. I also don' t believe they are a protected species unless they are on their own property. I know in Jersey there is a law againt dogs running deer. I haven' t seen it published in a while but it used to be in the hunting digest when I was much younger. Guess peta had something to do about that.

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

I' ve got two neighbors that have several dogs that run freely! I was changing the film on one of my game cam' s this summer, turned around and was surprised by two dogs. They were trotting along a deer trail that lead right by the cam tree and they were obviously surprised by me. They stopped a mere ten yards from me and one of them started barking and growling at me. I honestly think he meant it too!! I didn' t have a weapon or they both would have died. I simply stood there and calmly explained to each of them that this was not THEIR property and if I ever saw them here again, they could rest assured that I would have my 22 and it would be the end for them. They slowly retreated and I haven' t seen those two back. But, I' ve seen several other dogs running loose. Everytime I see them, they have been running something (deer I suspect)! It really sucks that some dog owners do not have the descentcy to keep their pets from running all over the country side. I have spoken with local law enforcement and they told me to shoot them the next time I saw them, which I fully intend on doing!!!

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

Same problem here. The neighbor' s two dogs run through my woods every morning right about daylight. The spot I' m in USED to be a great spot and still is AT NIGHT! [:@] I' ve spoken to them and asked them to keep their dogs on their own place and they say they' ll try, but I never see any deer after daylight there. Prior to daylight there' s deer all around me, but they leave just before the dogs make their appearance. [:@][:@]

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

Dogs out in the wild....wild or domestic are there for no other reason than to kill or chase game. They don' t go on nature walks or don' t go out and run for excercise. That goes for cats out in the wild. I know people that let their cats out all the time from morning till night. They are doing any good in the wild either. Shoot and find in nice little burial site in a slough.

And Dave H,

If the neighbors ask if you' ve seen their dog...ummmm no I haven' t...why?

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

We shoot any stray dog or cat on our place. If I know the owner of the dog I let them know there is a problem if they don' t fix it I do. Around here we don' t put up with dogs running deer or livestock. We shoot to get rid of the problem.

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

I agree with Aussie.....thwack!!!!!! If they are wild dogs, then it is survival of the fittest and I plan to be the fittest!

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

if you want to get rid of those wild dogs quick and easy , put out a bucket of raw chicken bones and antifreeze , then you only have to worry about the carcasses! or shoot em ! whatever makes you happy .

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

I don' t know about your part of WV but in my part we DON' T tolerate dogs chasing our deer. My advice is to irradicate those hounds.:D

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

I didnt want to say anything in my original post due to Anti' s checking this sight, but I actually did shoot one of them. Here in WV it is legal to shoot ANY dog that is not wearing a colar, which of course none of these were. However, when I shot the thing, my arrow went striaght through its head.....knocked pieces of skull out and all......but that stupid thing took off running with my arrow hanging out of its head!! I followed the blood all the way out of the woods, and straight through the landowners yard!!! To the best of my knowledge the landowner doesnt have any dogs, but still, I dont think he' d want his children to look out and see a dog with an arrow in its head. I didnt see anyone on my way out, but hopefully noone saw. If ever confronted about it, theres nothing I can do but tell him about all the dogs chasing the deer off. Hopefully he' ll understand and I can still hunt there. I guess only time will tell.

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

Antlergetter, as someone else said earlier, there was a post about this last year and one of the best pieces of advice that came out of that thread, IMO, went something like this, " Some things you just do and keep quiet about afterward." It may not be wrong, and I don' t think it is, but it doesn' t need voiced either. You' re right about anti' s being around...

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

Iv' e had Dog problems like alot of hunters. last year I stepped in " dog poop" and tracked it all thru the woods. Didn' t relize it untill I got up into my stand. So much for scent free. If I see a dog on our property I' ll shoot him.
But if I' m on other peoples land I won' t unless I' m told to. I don' t want to kill someones neighbors dog.
I' ve had dogs also run past me on public land and I' m not to sure how to handle that. I guess I could talk to the warden. Shooting them would probably cause problems with the public if word gets out. Jim

RE: Pesky Dogs!!!
 

I live out in the country and have two labs. One Chocolate and one Black. I have a large fenced in area for the dogs. I' ve met a farmer from down the road that plowed my garden area. He has cattle in the pasture. He met the dogs when he was over, even petted them and scratched behind their ears. He told me that sometimes dogs run his cattle and that takes weight off, which affects his lively hood. Said he' d come get me if my dogs got out and started chasing his cattle. Once. If it happens again, he' d be forced to shoot them. I advised him that I agree with him. My dogs haven' t gotten out yet. He usually takes care of any dogs running cows or whatnot in the area.:D Can' t say as I blame him.