To shoot or not to shoot
 

Guys,
As I stated in my previous posts, I only have a few years whitetail hunting experience. I have heard many opinions on this. But I am asking here to get a general "what would you do" answer.

Ok my land is very small only 10 acres. I am the only one that hunts it. But on both sides of me the hunt club has now leased the farm land that buts against my property. And their dogs like clockwork on saturdays when they are out, run through my woods, not everytime, but sometimes the chase will end up crossing my hunting land while I'm out there set up still hunting.

My question is, is it "immoral" or wrong to shoot at a deer on my property while it is in front of their dogs being ran? I mean, would it upset the club enough to confront me? I am a peaceful person and always help them catch their dogs when they are on my land, and I can hear them calling for the dogs..and they seem thankful when I help.

I will admit last year I was still hunting and they ran a 6 point right by me..yes I shot it..and they never said anything to me either way..but since then I've been told by others that I shouldnt have done it. I am just looking for opinions on this.

thanks

Scott

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

First, its YOUR land you can kill what you want when you want!
Second, have they asked if you mind their dogs runningon YOUR land?
Third, would you allow them to kill a deer on YOUR land if they had the op?

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

On your land....good to go!

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

Well I've ran into this a few times and its been my expierence youll have a few club members that wont care and a few that will be all pi$$ed off. Most times this depends on who's dogs are running. Some clubs have "club dogs" some members have their own dogs and those are the ones you usually have issues with.(personally owned dogs)You cant make everyone happy and it is your land. If it were me I'd be selective so that they cant fuss about you killing every deer they run across your land. I'd let does and scrub bucks go. But if they ran a wall hanger by me you best beleive I'd go after him. Just my opinion andI run dogs and still hunt.

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

its your land so its ur deer... they shouldnt be on your land anyway

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

Thanks for the advice guys. I hope they arent running the property on purpose. See they lease the land on the east and west side of my property. When the turn out on the east side for example, 9 times out of ten they get hot on a trail on run right through to the west where they usually have a few guys set up...so maybe they are doing it on purpose I dunno...

Question though..if them running the dogs through there stirs things up on my property..does that REALLY screw up my woods? will the deer that got spooked off eventually come back, or are they like "to heck with that place, it's too hot" Dumb question, but I'm new to this..and Always wondered just how bad it ruins my chances on my land when they run through.

Again, thanks for the advice.

It's just REALLY frustrating..like I said I've only been hunting a few years now, and this is the first year I've actually took the time to learn the signs, and found a bunch this year..bunch of rubs, a few scrapes (in the last couple weeks), some deer trails in my woods..


so I have been really ecxited for gun season...I don't bow hunt, nor do I have a blackpowder rifle, so gun season in my only season..and as you know the dog hunters begin that day as well..

So it just gets frustrating when this happens...

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT...................i used to hunt in a club and we ran dogs every chance we got . the guys on the ajoining property shot their biggest bucks ahead of our dogs.................and still complained about our dogs . I say shoot ,just dont complain about the dogs afterward...........good luck.

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

If it was the guys I know and hunt with that hunt with dogs during regular firearms season they would probably be fine with it if you shot it. Might be dissapointed if it was a huge buck but then again they would be dissapointed if it was huge and someone else in the group shot it too. However, they wouldn't have a problem with you shooting it. They also probably wouldn't mind if you wanted to come hunt with them either.

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

man its your land, if they have a problem with you hunting on your private land (I'm sure they wont) and they complain about you hunting in front of there dogs, than offer them a lease on the condition you get to hunt it and a life time membership to their club LOL.:D

you might want to go and introduce yourself and chat to them about your concerns. you never know, you might make some good friends and expand your hunting opportunity to larger hunting grounds.

good luck.

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

Thanks guys.. :)
I was thinking along the same lines, of letting does run by and the smaller bucks, I haven't killed many bucks since I've been hunting, so to me a small buck would be a spike or four point LOL...

I have a few friends in a different hunt club in a diff county that I discussed this with and they are dog owners and they are the ones that put it in my head that it's "wrong" to shoot something infront of their dogs....

The guys are really nice..as I said, I've helped them round up some of their dogs especially when they decide to hang around me when I'm trying to hunt lol.. I've also found a few over night and watered them for the night until they could be picked up.

I have these dreams of making a food plot on the land..but on the other hand, part of me thinks it would be a waste of time considering how often the deer get ran out of there by the club..I dunno..

Just how bad does it ruin my woods when the dogs tramp all through it chasing deer...I mean will the scent left over from the dogs keep the deer out of there for a while? These are embarrasing questions but I've always wondered...

I think I will make an attempt to try to get to know a few of them a little more than just idle chat when returning dogs...I dont have enough money for club dues or anything, but maybe make a deal with them about using the property in return being able to hunt their other properties...

I know they kill a lot of deer..or at least shoot at a lot...when they run accross the road from me it sounds like world war 3 over there..

thanks again guys...this forum is great!
I'm going again in the monring...sitting here watching youtube videos on grunting and such :)

I've got the fever now I beleive ...I just wish I was taught more as a youngster..basically have been teaching myself, and learning from reading and a few tips here and there from buddies..

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

I know dozens of dog hunters and not a one would be mad at that. Just about all dog hunters are good hunters and wouldnt give it a second thought and for the few that might..... well then you know where they can go......

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

That's a pretty good idea there!

Back to the original question, as the others have said, I too would shoot but be selective when it comes to bucks. However if I wanted a nice doe to feel the freezer I would not hesitate to shoot.

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

Thanks for the suggestions guys...very good advice that I will take. I went out for a bit this morning, before I had to take my fiance to her dr. appt. Didnt see anything this morning. on my way back from my stand I found a FRESH scrape..the scrape had what appeared to be fresh droppings right on the edge of it..the droppings were still very soft..this scrape was not there yesterday..the licking branch was broken off but still hanging down and the wood inside was still wet looking, so appears it happened over night maybe..I did not touch anything , I used a stick to scoot away one of the droppings to see if it was soft...I'm pretty excited about this find..maybe overly excited lol

it is about 100 yards away from the stand..

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

I don't hunt with dogs but I would say it wouldn't hurt the deer too bad. They ma be a spookier but if they have thick cover or a good food source they will come back. I say plant the food plot and hunt it during bow and blackpowder season. When they start running dogs shoot the deer that run to you. To me your getting benefits from the hunt club without paying. If they keep running deer to you and complain about then maybe they will quit running dogs on your property. Im not knocking dog hunting, Im actually gonna go this year to try it out, but they can't complain when a hunter is actually HUNTING and kills deer on his own property becuase their dogs are chasing it.

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

I am a dog hunter and we have pieces of land that is kinda the same as your situation. It is your land and you can kill what you want. We can not stop teh dogs from crossing the land when our land is all around this piece of land. If we do not stop the deer before it gets to this guys land and he kills the deer that is just the way it goes.

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

great thanks guys...

I will be selective at what runs by when their dogs are pushing it..I just dont want to ruffle any feathers with any of them..., and hopefully get to know some of them and expand my hunting oppourtunities.

Thank you guys for the advice :)

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

Shoot the dogs and let the deer go, pretty soon you won't have to worry about the dogs running on your property.;)

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

Hey Scott,I belong to two different leases in Culpepper Co. One we only still hunt on and the other we run dogs on mostly. The second lease is over 3,000 acres so we can run dogs without upsetting our neighbors. We run it hard every year and there are always plenty of deer there. In your situation I would not hesitate to shoot any deer you want that is being run by their dogs. You have stated that you have taken care of their dogs in the past. After doing that they should not have any problem with your taking a few deer out in front of their dogs. If they have a problem with that then it shows they are a pretty sorry group of hunters.
One way to get around the issues that you have described is to take up bow and/or blackpowder hunting. You canstart on that food plot and by the time it is really looking good you should be pretty proficient and ready to hunt from a stand. That wayyou get the best of both worlds.
Ilove to standhunt during archery and blackpowder, but after amonth and a half sitting in a stand, I am ready to go over to the other club and run the dogs and get in on some hot action. I love it all......

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

ya deff. dont wanna take this bozo's advice. Its immoral, and the dog hunter's I know would make ya pay dearly for it:D. It's hunters like that that give hunters a bad name! they should not be allowed to carry a gun!

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

Hi Mackesr,

Great advice thanks..ya know I've always wanted to learn to shoot a bow!!! as a kid I remember watching my dad bowhunt, and heard all his stories..he passed when I was too young to hunt though, so he never got a chance to teach me any of this...but Learning to be proficient with a bow is on my to do list. I was looking at crossbows and had no idea they were sooooo expensive..sure there were some for a few hundred, but I saw one for 900$! ...that thing better come with a deer! haha

I have no idea what I'm looking at it when it comes to bows though..

But yes I definaltey want to learn to shoot a bow..
I am also getting a blackpowder rifle here ver soon. I have been looking at those as well...by next year I will have a BP rifle, and maybe a bow...but a BP rifile definaltey..

thanks for the advice man

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

yeah bowman..as much as their dogs irritate me sometimes when I'm in the stand,...I would NEVER EVER take his advice...I would rather have my hunt ruined totally for the day than to kill a dog..I would go out of my way to make sure their dogs that were lost over here get caught (if they couldnt find them and leave for the night) and get taken care of until they could get picked up...I would never shoot one..

RE: To shoot or not to shoot
 

Forgot to add..I am seeing turkey's on the land now also...

When I was hunting on monday (Think it was monday) right as the sun came up a turkey flew down from the roost in a tree..scared the crap out of me..as it was sooo loud flapping down....and I was not expecting it....hahaha

I had been hearing gobbling the past couple weeks but had never seen one back there before..So I thought that was really cool..