First trespassers, now dogs!

[bisonic]

I went to the ranch for a Good Friday hunt. Gorgeous morning with turkeys gobbling, lots of deer browsing, but unfortunately no deer and even more unfortunately I came across two dogs at the back of the property, one a pit bull and the other a German Shepard. Neither had a collar on and they didn't seem to be actively hunting, but they sure don't belong to the neighbor and were way off the road. Not a lot of fun staring down two big dogs by myself, particularly as the pit bull started growling at me from about 50 feet away. I had my 30-30 chambered and up in case he moved toward me at all, but after 30 seconds or so he and the Shepard took off running up a brushy draw.

I figure there are only 3 possibilities: 1) strays. Odd as I don't know how they'd have ended up where they were. 2) someone using them to hunt. Maybe, though all the dogs I've hunted with have had collars and (for hogs) vests and GPS collars. 3) Pot grower protection, though my place is pretty open and I don't think there's anywhere that they could be growing.

I didn't shoot them, but was thinking about it and would have if the pit bull had moved. I probably should have fired a warning shot just to scare them off and let their owner if he was near know that I was around.

I checked the 5 cameras I now have running and no signs of any trespassers. I moved one to the back of the property near where the dogs were.

What would you have done?

 

[flytrue]

No collars, on my property, probably running deer by themselves. I'd be short two 30-30 shells.

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

Sounds like they are strays, but usually strays run in bigger packs, then again it could be someone's pets that where raised together because those 2 breeds are pretty dominate and they are getting along instead of trying to kill each other. But as close as u where could u tell if they where more mangy looking like strays or more groomed like someone's pets. And u did the right thing on how u handled it, but if u feel u are going to be attacked by their aggression then pull the trigger. Believe me if those are strays they would of tore u up my friend. And if their strays they are just as detrimental to your live stock and wild pigs just as coyotes, mountain lions and of course trespassers....tra
P.s. I would call animal control for sure tell them about the incident and u can ask them if anyone else had encounters with the 2 described dogs. And animal control kinda knows who dogs are who's in the neighborhood, hope this help brother..tra

 

[bisonic]

Thanks TRA and good idea - I called Lake County animal control but they didn't have much advice. Nobody there was aware of the pair of dogs and about all they said was to report it if I saw them again and that I had the right to shoot them if they were on my property.

The dogs didn't look mangy, but hard to tell. The Shepard was a bit scruffy but no dreadlocks.

They got off this time, but if I see them again it will be a different story.

 

[Grasslandhntr]

I would say pot growers protection if ur way out in the mountains mayb that's y you have a trespasser ?

 

[Bigbadboar]

I would've done exactly what you did.

If I was raising livestock or if I had found deer/pig/game carcasses in the area then I would've taken them out with the gun.

 

[Deleted member 33033]

16 yards...bear spray em...they stay gone after that.

 

[THE ROMAN ARCHER]

Bruce I don't know if bear spray is feasible at $45-$50 a can compared to the cost of a couple of copper bullets...lol..tra

 

[jrod]

Someone probably just took them up there because they didn't want them anymore. They just let em go from the nearest road. I wouldn't worry about it. They are pets, not threats. If you shot them no one would probably give a damn, but a couple of coyotes teaming up on them will do it for you.