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So, what would you have done?

moosehunter

PMA Member
This topic has been brought up before but here it goes again. When I sat down Saturday for the afternoon hunt I had been there about a half hour when I see what I first thought was a coyote 70 or 80 yards away. I put up the glasses and saw it was the neighbors German Shepard. He was biting at something on the opposite side of a dead fall. I thought it was a dead deer then I saw a head and knew it was a different neighbors lamb. I've seen this dog before. Last year twice, I saw him chasing deer. I raised the gun and made it ready to fire, then had visions of the dog running home with it's guts hanging out so I put the gun down. I decided to walk out and chase him off. When he saw me he bolted in the direction of his home. I did confirm it was a lamb. The head and neck was bloody, quarter was badly eaten and he was still alive. Not having a knife with me I couldn't put it out of it's misery. I returned to my spot wishing now that I had shot the dog. I did make a call to the sheep owner and told her what I saw and who's dog it was so at least I did something. Considering that dog is killing livestock I hope the owners put it down but I kinda wish I would have saved him the trouble now.

What would you have done?
 
Being a German shepherd owner, there is no way I could have pulled the trigger. I may be in the minority, but I think you did the right thing by reporting to the livestock owner what happened. Let them get the authorities involved and contact the dog's owner. Its not the dog's fault, its the owner's fault. If the authorities decide the dog needs to be put down, then that's out of our hands. With my strong affinity to GSDs, I'd shoot the owner long before I'd ever shoot the dog.
 
Being a German shepherd owner, there is no way I could have pulled the trigger. I may be in the minority, but I think you did the right thing by reporting to the livestock owner what happened. Let them get the authorities involved and contact the dog's owner. Its not the dog's fault, its the owner's fault. If the authorities decide the dog needs to be put down, then that's out of our hands. With my strong affinity to GSDs, I'd shoot the owner long before I'd ever shoot the dog.

Agree with this. I love my dogs and they got loose on me and ended up shot I would probably end up behind bars.
 
I can see both sides to this - as a large dog breed owner and a bow hunter as well- I would have reported it to both the livestock owner and dog owner and let it be- after while if the owners / authorities haven't done anything and it still happens- Bang!
 
I love my Lab. But if you see him killing livestock, please save me the guilt and the bullet.
 
For the record I'd have shot it too. This doesn't sound like something that is going to get fixed except by dispatching the dog.
 
I'm in the same camp as Bdahms. Let the Livestock owner as well as the dog owner know what happened and let them deal with it between themselves.

I don't have the authority take that course of action ( nor would I even if I had) that some on here are saying they would carry out if given an opportunity. It will help to know all the facts.

I'm wondering how the dog got one of the lambs in the first place. I wonder what kind fence the livestock owner had out or if there even was a fence in the first place.
 
No way should you have shot that dog. Just report it to the owner and tell them they need to do something
 
I love my Lab. But if you see him killing livestock, please save me the guilt and the bullet.
:way:

If it happened on your land and you have had that dog running deer before, it would be in your right, but like AZ said, it's the owners fault more than the dog. But usually that is gonna be the only way to fix the problem.
 
I agree with most of the guys. I wouldn't have the guts to oull the trigger on somebodies pet. I'd feel really guilty.
 
I have 220 acres of good hunting I do not hunt due to neighbor dogs running wild in timber everyday. They wont do anything about it. Need to pack 12 gauge to stand.
 
I have 220 acres of good hunting I do not hunt due to neighbor dogs running wild in timber everyday. They wont do anything about it. Need to pack 12 gauge to stand.

I would say if ya gave them warning and they still dont do anything about it to do whatever you think is best. Its not fair to you that your hunting is being ruined thats for sure. I know if I had someone come to me and say my dog was chasing deer on thier ground that would be enough to do something about it. (I dont let my dogs run loose regardless).
 
It's easier around here when they all have that pitbull/lab/shepard cross look, run in groups and look half starved. Those are not "pets", but farm dogs nobody gives a crap about, having pups as fast as they are dying off.
I give all dogs a chance by trying to call them in, to check the collar and return them back home. I would never shoot a friendly dog just out wandering around, but when dogs are up to no good, they are up to NO GOOD and need to be shot.
 
I have NOT shot neighbors dogs several different times, but if it is a repeat offender and the owner isn't going to take care of their animal(s) then I have performed the SSS method a few times too. I hate to punish an innocent dog, but an uncontrolled dog or cat is never going to reform itself.
 
I've never shot a dog and have only had hunts messed up once or twice from a neighbors lab. I do live hunt some areas near to the meskwaki casino and there are lots of "settlement dogs" roaming all over the place. Those suckers are fair game. They run in groups and will chase and kill almost anything.
 
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