[Mainbeam]

I’ll bet you guys had a good year deer hunting, as I did, but I’ll also bet it would have been better if it had not been for the trespassing dog deer hunters. Just remember that if you do not keep the AGFC posted on this issue, it will be forgotten.

My year started off with out of season running dog trespass at night and during the day. I finally got up with one trespassing dog runner and after our meeting I followed up with a certified letter to him explaining what had been discussed. To the best of my knowledge that person did not run his dogs on my place during the season. However others did trespass. During the season I had trespass at least every other day. On one occasion two dogs were caught and the Wildlife Officer contacted. The Wildlife Officer came to my place and I think responded very professionally. I don’t know what will be the consequence of that visit. Another dog hunter was running dogs behind my camp and was stupid enough to call at them from my driveway. I talked to him and I really don’t know yet if the meeting will help. This is just a little bit of what I experience every year. In any case I have vowed to keep the AGFC and the county prosecutor fully informed on my problem.

I hope you are doing the same.

 

[possum]

Actually I didn't have a problem this year with dogs. I don't know if I just didn't notice them or they were absent this year.

 

[TheBattman]

OK - I'll stirr the pot....

While I know the old argument that dogs cannot read, nor do they know property lines - especially when hot on the tail of running deer, the owners DO know about property lines, no trespassing signs, purple posted paint, and what is right and wrong. I grew up hunting near Rison at my Dad's deer camp - and back in the day, there was quite a bit of dogs running deer, but I only recall one time that dogs "trespassed" on their lease and privately owned lands. I actually got to see deer that hunt! But generally, the owners were pretty good at keeping the dogs on the property to which they had permission to hunt.

But as in every sport, there are those who choose to follow no rules (or their own rules). It is the hunters who ignore rules, ignore property lines, ignore posted land warnings that will eventually result in the loss of this form of hunting. Regardless of our own personal feelings on the subject of running dogs, it has been legal in this state for many years - and has been enjoyed by many law-abiding and decent people. But it is the abuses by those who don't care about laws that will eventually result in the end of this form of hunting.

While I am not a big fan of running deer dogs, if they can be reasonably kept within the property authorized - I won't complain. In fact, I would venture a guess that even those who really get upset, like Mainbeam who started this thread, would be far more patient and tolerant if the trespass were a rare accident. But as is so often the case now - it is not an accident - either the land is being hunted as trespass on purpose, or the dog runners just don't care.

Why do you think our rights that are guaranteed in the 2nd Amendment are infringed upon regularly by our government? (Other than the paranoid delusions of those who have aims at dictatorial power over us.... thus the primary reason our wise founding fathers included the 2nd Amendment), our rights are limited by the few who do abuse the right.

We as sportmen, regardless of our preferred method of hunting (assuming it is legal) must fight those in our own ranks who choose to ignore rules and laws. We must stand up and speak out. We must act as Mainbeam has - by contacting the appropriate authorities and contacting the violators directly when possible and push the issue.

Concealed Carry permit carriers won a recent victory to carry their concealed handgun while hunting (and fishing), even in bow season. While I don't have a permit, I am happy for this victory. But guess what will cause the loss of this recent gain.... if folks take advantage and break the law in the use of said handguns... All it will take is abuse of this new ability to loose it.

 

[jake]

I, as a dog runner, hate that there are those out there that do not take private property rights seriously. It sounds like Mainbeam has the right approach, though. Most dog runners will make an effort if the land owner approaches them respectfully and lets them know the ground rules. I think a lot of it comes when one side of the argument comes in with a bad attitude and tempers flare and then it becomes a spite thing. You get the "By God I'll show you..." bs coming into play. That doesn't help anything. Good luck Mainbeam and I hope my fellow dog runners will show some class and do their part.

 

[duck]

:yawn:

 

[huntbigbucs]

:give: :dead:

 

[Mainbeam]

Jake

I believe I visited with you a few months back and I remember you as one who presents his case well. However, you have an impossible task before you. Most (90+% of them) dog deer hunters do not adhere to the practices you try to lead us to believe. So you end up looking like Bagdad Bob or whatever his name was.

You saw my post and I could relate many more similiar cases of trespass every year as they are very common. The Wildlife Officer I contacted told me he received complaints just like mine, every single day. It is beyond me why the landowner or the hunter on his own lease has to explain the ground rules to a dog hunter trespassor. The wall of purple paint and "NO DOG" signs seems clear enough to me---but maybe I am missing something or maybe their eyes are bad.

 

[Mainbeam]

Possum

You are very lucky not to have had a dog problem. But I promise you that you would notice them if you hunted near my place. But I'll admit that the dog problem seems to be a bit better now as compared to my first post three or four years back. Then too I have to consider that I am nearly 65 now and may not live to see all the deer dogs out of the woods. That I want to see before I am 70. What a shame if we fail!

 

[Manybeards]

I didn't have a problem this year either. All of our dog problems have been eliminated. :biggrin:

 

[GWH]

I had more problems with people trespassing than I did with dogs trespassing. If you are so concerned about a dog running off "your deer" then maybe you should high fence the property you hunt on.

 

[JR]

opcorn:

 

[possum]

If you are so concerned about a dog running off "your deer" then maybe you should high fence the property you hunt on.

Why shouldn't the dog runner build a fence to keep his dogs in? Works both ways.

 

[RAMBUSTER]

Only had two golden retrievers and a house cat this year, last year was six muts, guess i need to hunt more than a mile and a half off the road huh.....:smack: :smack:
Even got one of the doggies peeing on my feeder in pictures, oh how sweet!

 

[Mainbeam]

Possum

Based on comments on this site, it appears that this is a good year to totally do away with deer dogs. They (the dog runners) are no longer as vocal as they were a few years ago and some might even argue that they are cowering behind their old flea infested dog boxes. :biggrin: Then again they may be looking for strays from the deer season.

 

[possum]

You know like I said I didn't have problems this year and would even be ready to commend the guys around here that I know run dogs but somebody, somewhere in every thread about this subject has to throw in the "fence your property" at a non-dog runner and I be if that don't just drive that wedge right back into place.

 

[east lake hunter]

What do you about the neighbor to your lease that just lets the family pets run wild? As in the family pets are running the deer on your lease day and night. I have talked to the owner, politely. Who rudely informed me that his dogs have always ran those woods after gun deer season was over and he saw no problem with it. Well, I bow hunt, and I would like to have a decent hunt. And we are talking about three big dogs censored: mutts if you ask me) a mile and half from their home. The only way I figured out they belonged to was I saw them crossing the hwy going to our lease and stopped and ask a kid who was on the side of the road (no he was not playing a banjo, but he should have been) who the dogs belonged to.

Is okay to shot someone's dog if it's attacking you??? Or what I just claimed I thought the were coyotes?? One of them kinda looks a like a coyote. Now the solid white one I don't think I could claim it was a coyote.

Getting the law involved is useless. They can't even keep up with the meth heads tresspassing on our lease. They suren't can't do anything about three run away dogs.

 

[Mainbeam]

east lake hunter

My advice probably has very little value since I have not yet solved my own problems. In your case killing the dogs might work, and I have had lots of people tell me that they do shoot them. However, that is not my way, and in most cases the hunters would only buy more dogs anyway. So the real answer is in working to change the regulations and to get help from AGFC and the local courts. Hopefully deer dogs will be made illegal in the very near future..

 

[east lake hunter]

east lake hunter

My advice probably has very little value since I have not yet solved my own problems. In your case killing the dogs might work, and I have had lots of people tell me that they do shoot them. However, that is not my way, and in most cases the hunters would only buy more dogs anyway. So the real answer is in working to change the regulations and to get help from AGFC and the local courts. Hopefully deer dogs will be made illegal in the very near future..

My hope as well. However, these dogs are the family pets. Family pets left to run wild. I don't want to shot the man's dogs. I just want him to keep them on his property and I'm not going to get any help from our local sheriff's deputy. I have not seen any fawns this year on the part of our lease where these dogs run, so I wonder if these dogs and our growing coyote population wiped out our crop of fawns this year.

 

[huntbigbucs]

I think we should have a dog hunting contest on this forum. Maybe give more points to those with collars. I am pretty sure this would end a lot of the dog running when a couple dozen start disappearing on a regular basis

 

[turkeyhunter]

If you shoot one of my dogs you better dig a BIG hole.