The rottweiler thread and a thread on another site got me thinking. How many of you have had experiences with aggressive dogs when you were fishing/hunting/camping? It seems to me that the issue is fairly common; much more so than I would have thought.

Who has run into aggressive dogs in the woods?

I have, several times. And when it's my property, they die! SSS! I will NOT stand passively by when my well being is threatened
just because people with a lack of intellegence
think animals are on the same level as people!

While hunting,only once. Nate

Amen Don!

In the '70's when I hunted New York State the game law pamphlet they gave you with a license clearly stated that if you saw an unattended dog in the woods while deer hunting it should be shot. Now, I never did see or shoot an unattended dog in the woods but maybe that was because of that law. The PC 21st century probably has changed that.

Never had the experience while hunting deer, I did call a dog in one time while hunting coyotes, I didn't shoot it though. I've shot and buried the neighbors dog a couple of time when they were destroying livestock on my dad's property but that is about it. If I ever had an agressive dog come at me while I had a rifle, I'd probably shoot it.

I've encountered dogs many times while hunting deer. The recent rott experience is the only one where there was aggression.

However, one time in Alabama, I had been hunting this very predictable buck. The ONE day that he was walking down the right trail coming to me, was the day that 2 dogs happen to show up when he was about 60 yards out heading my way.

Of course, he boogied out with them hot on his trail. Half hour later, the little brown one comes be bopping by my stand. I drew my bow and let the arrow fly.

One thing that really pisses me off to no end is having a deer hunt ruined by a dog. That happened in 1990.

Since then, I've not shot at any dogs, because I do not feel good about it. But that feeling is changing.

quote:

Originally posted by Don Slater:
I have, several times. And when it's my property, they die! SSS! I will NOT stand passively by when my well being is threatened
just because people with a lack of intellegence
think animals are on the same level as people!

I know what you mean there. My sister I love her to death, but she is one of them that thinks dogs are the same as humans.

quote:

Originally posted by Jarrod:
My sister I love her to death, but she is one of them that thinks dogs are the same as humans.

OHHHH GOD. My mother in law is the same way. I can appreciate a great relationship with your pet, but for crying out loud, it is NOT a human. Furthermore, they do not DESERVE to be treated BETTER than a human.

I do not tolerate agressive dog's.

We had some idiot a couple miles from our camp pick up every stray he came across. Once he had about 20-30 they became wild living off the land because the idiot couldn't feed them. It turned into a nightmare. It started by them surrounded our tracking dog "Tracker" and brutally killing him. He was just a sweet ole' short legged beagle that wouldn't hurt anything. Then, they got our cat. Shortly after the cat, they got our weanie dog Rudy. You couldn't hardly find them, they were like wild animals around humans w/ the exception of a few that ran into us growling while we where hunting from time to time(needless to say they didn't make it). We contacted authorities and noone would help. Finally they started killing high priced hunting dogs around the area and the Sheriffs dept decided to get involved. They baited the rabid dogs w/ dead chickens until they had them regularly coming in to feed and once they were coming into the bait regularly they set up an ambush w/ several shooters. They took out 27 dogs and I'm sure the locals picked off a few more from time to time.

We were constantly worried that they'd get our young horses or possibly attack someone's kid etc.

The sad thing is here in La, you can't shoot a dog under any circumstances unless he is attacking of course. You can legally shoot stray cats but not stray dogs Makes alot of sense doesn't it.

This year we've started to see several more strays around camp and I'm really hoping that nightmare from a few years back doesn't become a reality again.

Reloader

I have shot a few aggressive dogs over the years. I don't care what kind of stupid coonass law say no, I will continue to do in strays that show aggressive traits. If we fail to do this a child (yours or mine) may pay the price. I'm not willing to live with that. I do not know you or your children but I will defend them as I believe that is the right thing to do.

Growing up on a farm with cattle and chicken we would see stray dogs all the time. My dad killed a couple dozen during a 4-5 year period. They would kill calf's and chickens...dad didnt care for that. His old marlin 30-30 racked up the kills..even out to 200 yds or so. He was charged on one occasion by a big mutt of some sort...ended up kill it at about 3 feet. We would just dump them in a brush pile and burn the carcas. People need to learn to control there animals...as others have stated..they should not be treated as humans!!! Thats just nuts!

I will put down an aggressive man who threatens me. I will not raise a dog above a man, no matter how good a dog or bad the man. Ergo I will kill a dog as quickly as I would a man.
Just my old man's bad mood opinion
Judge Sharpe

I have ran into a few aggressive dogs while hunting. Once I was trying to get out of my car at the place I sit for lunch. He would not let me out of the truck. So I hit him hard with the truck door and jumped in the back of my truck when my rifle was in its case. Got it out and shot at him till I could not see him anymore. There is an old camp house across the highway from my lease and I assume he came from there when the old residents moved out and left him to survive by himself.

Also once on a deer drive. When I let the four I had out of the back of the truck a stray spoted them and before I knew it I had a dog fight on my hands. Not wanting to hurt the hunting dogs. I let them fight it out for a bit then shot a warning shot in the ground near the fight. He ran off and I tryed to take a shot at him, but I missed. They are hardered to hit than a deer when they are full-out running.

Those are my two times when faced with mean dogs in the hunting woods. If a dog acts aggressive to me on my own land then the dog has to die. What if my child went down the driveway and got killed. I would not stand for it for a second. I have killed my own dogs when they have done that. I will not tolerate someone elses dog doing it either.

Some years ago there was a pack of domestic dogs chasing the cows and actually cutting some them up on a farm my family owns. My brother-in-law and I finally went looking for them. When we found them they attacked us immediately! That proved to be a bad mistake as we were both armed with 12 gauges stuffed with #0 Buck. There were eight of them and we spread dogs all over a cow pasture. Not one got away and there have been no problems since. Still, I never go unarmed around the farm anymore.

They get one chance if they are wearing a collar with tags, or if it is a pointer or setter. We are surrounded by quail plantations and they could be dogs that have yet to come home. However 9 times out of 10 they don't have a collar....bang/flop. I saw me do it twice about a month ago.

My two cents worth.

I don't walk to my mailbox unarmed and the most dangerous thing I am LIKELY to encounter on that trip is an unrestrained (and unblinkingly affectionate) Dachshund
that belongs to the lady podiatrist nextdoor and the most threatening thing she does is flop over and beg for someone to rub her belly. (the dog, not the podiatrist... unfortunatly) but we do have Black Bears and there have been strays... but three of the last five strays
were anything but threatening, "Lost & lonely" is a more apt description... in all three cases their owners were found
and were delighted to get their missing dog back...

I'm not now, nor have I ever really been a "dog person", but I seem to attract dogs like dogs themselves attract fleas.

AllanD

When I was about 9 or 10 years old I went hiking with my dog, a golden retriever, into some thick woods several miles from my house.

It was one of those magical places to a kid, mossy and dark with huge trees, ferns and strange looking mushrooms growing everywhere.

We were going to check a special place that few people knew about. A large heron rookery that was deep in these woods. Their nests were something to see at the tops of these trees.

While on the way my dog naturally was running ahead and was just out of sight.

Behind me I heard growling and turned to see two large dogs with bared teeth running towards me.

Picture being in a woods where all the trees are so tall there are no branches, no way to climb.

This was a definite "oh s***" situation.

I did not know what to do but my dog heard the two "demon dogs" coming and rose above his mellow golden retriever nature and charged past me and intercepted them head on. They turned their attention on him. He battled with them and turned them away. I had never seen my dog raise a hackle or bear his teeth at anyone or anything before.

He definitly saved the day.

Yeah, I was relieved! We went and saw the herons.

All unattended dogs seen in the field are shot on site whether they have a collar or not. It is amazing how fast fido turns into an animal who will run down deer and kill them just for fun. Especially if you get a group running together.

At least coyotes eat thier prey.

I guess this thread explains why people don't use dogs to track deer in the US.....

Mohawk has the right point here, as do so many others. I ventilated two just last week that have been chasing deer all over the place for weeks...you could not hunt for hearing their infernal yip yapping all the time. They finally made a mistake and came out of the tihckets and into my line of fire. My deer hunt stopped right then and became a dog hunt.

very seldom do i go into the woods unarmed. usually a 1911 .45 or a S&W 66 .357 and any dog except a lost coon dog is DRT. i've never come upon an aggresive dog in the hills, but i don't really give them a chance. about 20 years ago my late father killed about six or eight dogs running deer in the same area over a couple weeks and he drug the dogs to the same place and piled the up as he killed them. a game warden was there one day when he came out and asked "who killed all these dogs?" dad said "i did they were running deer." the warden said "kill everyone you can." this was in southern WV where i was raised. i'm not sure if the law would look at this the same today in WV. in kentucky i've been told it is a FELONY to kill a dog now. someone more knowledgeable might shed more light on the law in this state.
James

quote:

Originally posted by 1894mk2:
I guess this thread explains why people don't use dogs to track deer in the US.....

Notice I said all "unattended" dogs are shot. I truely love a good hunting dog and do use them for trailing wounded deer. If we know dogs are being used for hunting in our area say like Hog dogs or Rabbit dogs on the place then that is a different story. We are made aware of that by the owners who are not far behind their dogs in the field.

quote:

rose above his mellow golden retriever nature and charged

That's why my two boys have one, Perfect around children, but won't let anyone/thing F--K with them, got to love her.


I left the house one afternoon to check a bear bait close to home but since it was Sunday couldn't carry a rife so (with my wife laughing her ass off at me) I grabbed my spear and left. When I got up into the dense fir trees I was jogging along the trail and right at a 90 degree turn there was a stray who locked right up and began growling. I tried to get around him and just walk away but he seemed persistant that I not move. Well, dog be dammed, spear be praised, and wife laugh no more.

Out fishing on the East Gallitin a few years ago and some newbie unfamiliar with Montana's stream access law came out and threatened to call the cops if I didn't get off "her property". I said, fine I'll be here fishing till the sherriff shows up. The lady was not ammused and sicked her german shepard on me. Bear spray at point blank range works great! Lady absolutely freaks out and runs into the house, dog has convulsions, vomits and is generally totally screwed up for quite a while. It finally gets up and staggers back to the house stopping to vomit a few times. I finished out the day with no visit from the sherriff and no sign of the dog or its owner. That was a few years back so maybe I would get in trouble now. But bear spray really works on dogs.

Two wild dogs without collars chased a great dear right past my stand with no chance for a shot.

A Rottweiler showed up at the private rifle club I belong to. I had a 25-06 in my hands, so I felt comfortable yelling at him until he left. He didn't have a collar either.

Much as I hate to risk dropping a beloved pet, I would not hesitate if it got aggressive.