Your 100% correct. I’d just quit hunting all together, since the dogs own the property now and possibly in 10 to 15 years after all the dogs die from natural causes I can go hunting again. Sounds stupid doesn’t it. I guess you would have him bring a squirt bottle along and squirt the dogs as he tells them in a stern voice “NO”! I love dogs and would try everything possible to prevent them from coming onto my property, but if I could no longer hunt it due to dogs and no one else (law enforcement, owners, etc) will do anything about it, then I would have to do something on my own. But there are plenty of ideas that come to mind rather than killing the dogs, unless they are aggressive, then its nighty night.
possibly catch the dogs and turn them into the pound/shelter. let the owner pay to recover his/her pups a couple of times and then see how often they bother you. you never know it might be more fun then a barrel of monkey, catching/trapping hunting dogs and turning them in.
I would definitely consider this if they're catchable...saves the death of one and causes a huge headache for the owner! :D
FTR, unless a dog is in the process of injuring/killling livestock or a threat to you personally it is against the law in most states(Indiana included) to kill the dog unless you are an LEO or an "authorized individual" and even then there is a protocol to follow. But trust me I know how forums work....pick and choose what laws to follow right? I've grown up hunting in VA and NC, we own 100 acre farm near Southampton County(dog hunting Central) and have seen all angles that can be seen when it comes to runnoing dogs, hunting clubs, and private property issues. I will say this you definitely don't want to shoot someones dogs around here unless your intent is to escalate the issue. I have found the best way to deal with issues is through law enforcement(usually just the game warden) and talking to people. There are a ton of d-bag dog hunters and not surprisingly they are the ones that are in the spotlight but after meeting, talking to, and hunting with many groups I have realized the good dog hunters far outwiegh the bad(like any kind of hunting I suppose) and most clubs or groups of guys don't want to cause any friction and like us just want to hunt. I have found them to be pretty open to communication. fwiw The main resentment I have toward dog hunting in VA is the main supporter of it is a group called the VAHDA and they are one of the strongest lobbyists against Sunday huning in VA every time it goes to vote. They say Sunday hunting will lead to a ban or restrictions on dog hunting because in other states a similiar trend has been seen. However that is pretty misleading since it is quite clear changes are coming to dog hunting in VA regardless of Sunday hunting and it seems to me they could get a lot more support from outdoorsman in VA if they acknowledged that and tried to unite those people supporting Sunday hunting and the ones fighting to preserve the dog hunting tradition. Instead they send out stuff like this: "In 2010, North Carolina legalized SH for bow hunters on private land. 2011 brought the biggest legislative attack against the hound hunters in that state that had ever been seen. Does one have a direct relationship to the other? No one can answer that question for sure but we do know that it has happened in every state that legalized SH. With that knowledge, the VaHDA has to strongly advise everyone to oppose any bills that support SH. I cannot make my point any stronger, we must stand together and oppose SH. There is no turning back on this issue, once it passes, it will be the beginning of the end of our sport of hunting with dogs." The relationship between the two topics is that they are both very old traditions and both being looked at more closely in recent years in the states allowing or in the case of Sunday hunting, not allowing these activities. That doesn't make one tied to the other but unfortunately that is what's happening or being portrayed by the VAHDA. So instead of VA outdoorsman combining efforts which would likely make our hand stronger in making or limiting changes to the way we hunt we divide ourselves from within and make ourselves more vulnerable. I just don't understand the logic. Alrighty then, rant over
I do know that...I also know like I've stated it would be a last resort type scenario one which all avenues short of high fencing my property has been taken...what about last resort do you guys not get? As for everything else you said I 100% agree with what your saying, especially the part that more than likely this one example is a sampling of the bad dog runners out there, which are outweighed heavily by those who are good upstanding guys not purposely wrecking or trespassing on other people's hunting lands.
As to the VAHDA I contacted them to try and some logic in reference to why they don't support Sunday hunting and the bulk of the response was religious. Although I did get some of the worry that dog hunting would get hammered. There was a case of dogs running through a church as it let out. Senator Richard H. Stuart sited the same example when I pressed him to change his stance to PRO Sunday hunting. I have spoken to some other groups and politicians and the mantle of FREEDOM is starting to ring out so lets hope today goes well (Sunday hunting is on the table again). As to Dog hunting - I do it every year, not as much as I did before I found a love for the bow and muzzle loader but still a good time in the swampy area I live in. It has a place and a history and is a LOT harder than people think if you want to kill something. Typical day for me - up a tree @ 6 AM or so, down at 9 or 10 if I don't see anything - dog hunt all day. - back in a tree that eve. Good times.
I get the last resort part and trust me I can relate to the op and his frustration. I have seen many a hunt in October get interrupted by dogs when they should not have been running. But many times when that happened I'd still end up seeing deer the same day. It's not like they are running every deer in the woods and the ones being run eventually make it back to their home area. It's still frustrating when that crisp, quiet morning party is crashed. Hell out in the country it's just as common to see house dogs as it is hunting dogs. Ever seen a yorkie and a lab run a deer? It's funny. On the flip side of all that I have killed many a deer in front of hounds and it is very exciting. After sitting in a stand for hours on end from September to December it is a welcome change of pace and it is very fun to try to cut to the chase and get in a position to get a good shot. It's not nearly as easy as people tend to make it out to be.
This sounds a lot like my late season. From December on I bowhunt during the week but any weekend or long weekend I hunt with my club the same way you described, still hunt--dog hunt--still hunt. Makes for a fun day and my kids seem to enjoy it more because we're moving around a bit and usually having some good grub at the clubhouse.
tyni.....Don't you live in Indiana? There is no dog hunting there, correct? I'm just trying to figure out why you're so into this thread.
I was wondering when someone would realize that :D Leave it to you, to bust me. If in OP's shoes I'd do as I said...shoot we had a neighbor's dog keep coming down into one of our bedding areas and pushing deer out almost daily a few year's back...that one just took a few phone calls to clear up... :D
Okay... My .02 cents. First video the dogs on your property and make sure you do so with the date recorded and scan some boundaries to confirm it is your property. Make certain who the owners are... He admitted to it already. Then call animal control and/or the Game Warden and show them the video. They will issue a "nuisance warning" to the dog owners (get their license number/s). Continue to video any future instances after that and you can then take the video and the trespassers to court and they will not come back. That is how it works at least in Montgomery... I see you are in Mobile. Contact Animal Control in your county and explain the problem and I'll bet they will be pleased to help. By the way... please don't shoot the dogs with an arrow... too easy to trace and they are likely to make it off your property before dying. You do have the right to shoot any vicious dog you encounter on your property but it must be in self defense. Sadly, you do not have the right to shoot them merely for being on your property. As to the hunting laws being changed... these guys are violators of the law for allowing their dogs to run unabated. Would you like to have your bowhunting rights threatened because someone else violated the law? Of course not... these guys must be treated as the poachers they are. Its a longer process than you may like but not nearly as long as trying to get the law changed or being charged for animal cruelty yourself for taking matters into your own hands. Hope this helps...
