I've had dogs come in on me while I'm on stand before.My personal opinion is that it happens. Yes I'm mad that the owner just lets them run wild during season and I for one think they're stupid for doing such a thing. But, sometimes dogs do get loose without the owner knowing, or in my case 2 yrs. ago, my black GSP ran off chasing a deer and was gone for 2 days....it does happen.

Before I get to my question, let me add that I have never had an "experience" with a feral dog while on stand but I can relate. A few years ago my uncle's Siberian Husky got loose and roamed with a pack of yotes or wild dogs..not sure of the details. But I do know that he was killing chickens left and right. The property owner took the appropriate action and had him sent to the pound. A little different case than a dog chasing deer off, but with a certain land owner (or hunter) that dog would have been dead.

Now, onto my question(s)....(just curious). Let's say you hunt around houses and/or a suburban area. Dogs bark, kids play and scream, car doors get slammed shut. This all affects how deer act. Yes, in this situation, typically the deer are accustomed to this environment. But, what if, just what if while you were hunting around this type of area and one of these 'typical' sounds made a deer uneasy and scared if off? What would be your choice of action? Take out the disruptive cause that influenced the deer to flee??? Case in point....last year I was hunting about 200yds. behind my house and had a damn nice 8 pt. coming straight to me and then all of a sudden my GSP starts barking (in his pen mind you) which scared the deer off. Yeah, I was pist off (and it is my dog)...but under those circumstances it can be expected. I do understand how a tresspassing hunter, "feral" dogs, etc. etc. might not be expected but isn't the 'unexpected' the reason we go out there and hunt? What I mean is that none of us know with a postive doubt what we will see while hunting...it's part of the experience, right? I just feel that some actions aren't necessary. Sorry for the rant, but this post really pisses me off...especially seeing the pics of the lab. Hang me at your will.

I wont comment on the lab chasing deer,, the only one that actually knows is the hunter who shot the dog. The dog was recovered on the dog owners private property close too public land. the owner didnt follow the dogs blood trail too see exactly where it was shot at,, he took his animal for emergency care which was priority one at the moment. Dog had escaped from the owners home and was shot in less than 45 minutes of first escape,, dog owner was searching for the dog during this time.


OK, heres a situation for you too ponder... a Duck hunter is out hunting a pond onPUBLIC HUNTING land. He shoots at a duck and it sails over too a mass of cattails on the far side of the pond. The hunter sends his dog across the pond too retrieve it. The dog reaches the cattails and a deer pops out the far side and starts running away from the cattails, a couple minutes later the dog pops out the far side of the cattails searching for the duck,, is that dog running deer? Too a deer hunter sitting a 150 yards away from the cattails thats what would appear to be happening... so I guess hes got the right too shoot that dog then? and I guess that duck hunter doesnt have the right too hunt PUBLIC HUNTINGland hunting ducks with his dog,, since deer season is open?

I thank god Im leaving in a couple hours to go deer hunting for a week. I thank God all camps in the area knows who's hounds are who's,, and I really thank God no one shoots at the hounds. May all our hounds end up in camp every night, and if we find any lost hounds during our stay, may we care for them as our own, and find the rightful owners by the end of the week.. Oh by the way,, yes we will be legally hunting deer using hounds on public land!

That is why here you report it to a game warden and they investigate it, and if in fact they are chasing game. The warden will look up the owner and deal with it for you. Here just about 2 months ago 2 huskies got lose on the owners while they were working. The dogs had traveled 3 miles and attacked some rare sheep on a small sheep farm. They killed about half of them and the owners of the farm could not even shoot them. They called the animal control officer and he had to fend them off. They are now dealing with this through the court system and currently still have the dogs. But, the legal system will decide their fate not anyone else.


And here it is unlawfull to use dogs on deer period.

Well guys i didnt mean to start a fight or an arguement....next time i will keep my mouth shut... but just for the record if the dog owners cared anything about there dogs they would tie them during deer season...i myself raise beagles and i dont dare let them out when deer season is open.. only during rabbit season and the spring and summer.

you cannot compare a coyote or a wolf with someone's pet. It is wrong to let them run loose and possibly chase deer in the process however sometimes they do escape and run off. This does not give a person the right to shoot someone's pet and that is just downright wrong. Somewhere there may be a kid wondering where his dog is. Anyone ever shot one of my dogs would hear that dreaded song:


"Jeepers Creepers"

A dog is dog a deer is a wild animal... but i have no problem with anyone shooting wild or feral dogs

It comes down to controling your pets. You let them wonder onto someones property and chase deer all over place. Don't get mad if they get shot. It's the owners fault not the dogs fault. I have a dog that I love to death. If she ran all over and was chasing deer on neighbors property and got shot. Look in the mirror. Your the one to blame.

What a pathetic point of arguement. Pathetic.

Try to compare apples-to-apples and oranges-to-oranges. After that miserable attempt your position is forfeited - period.

A car belongs on the roadway. That is where it is supposed to be. That is what the road is intended for. Get it? See a pattern here?

The woods and fields are not where peoples pets belong. That is not where they are supposed to be roaming freely. Especially other folks property is not where they are intended to be.

The woods are for wild animals - not domesticated animals.

If someone didn't want to be bothered or have their game effected by cars on roads they can either hunt elsewhere or they have to deal with it if they have no other option. But when a dog or dogs just show up when you're hunting, you have no way to predict that.

But you do have an option.

my definition of a wild dog is any dog not trained enough to stay where it belongs, looks rapid, mangy or diseased. That being said wild dogs =coyotes, coyotes=dead.

My dogs (1 dog now, actually) are VERY trained and highly disciplined. But I want to note that even domesticated dogs have natural instincts which lead to their desire to "run wild" from time to time. How does this affect one's decision?

(Again, I'm not trying to pick fights here....just trying to pick the brains of fellow hunters)