Shoot Shovel and SHUTUP

[Jogeephus]

Bill's thread reminded me of a recent event that took place a couple of miles from my farm and I thought it would be informative to anyone who raises livestock. Bearing in mind I live in the country and most everyone here derives their income in some manner from agriculture so this has little to do with townies.

A year or so ago one of my neighbors who raised goats and cattle had some dog problems and he shot a few of the dogs but he didn't shovel and he didn't shut up. Thinking he had "the right" to protect his livestock he shot any dog that pestered his animals and was very open and boisterous about it. Charges for animal cruelty were filed against him by one of the dogs owners and he admitted killing the dogs but proudly boasted he had "the right" to do so. He was arrested, strip searched, thrown in jail, had to post a bond, hire an attorney, go before a jury trial, was found guilty, senetenced to 18 months along with sexual devients and dopers, is now out but on house arrest with a collar. So I think it important not to cut corners on the SSS deal. IMO and the opinion of most others in the county, it was not so much that he killed the dogs but his lack of remorse and caring that he had to. I'm not saying I agree with the jury cause we don't. We are just trying to understand why they made that decision. Shooting a dog is my last resort and if and when I do, I'm not going to feel good about it and I'm definitely not going to go bragging to you that I shot your dog or my own dog. We as producers have to do a lot of things we don't like to do but are sometimes neccessary. Just like Travis having to shoot Old Yeller. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do whether you like it or not.

 

[Cabo]

Joe, very good advise! Best to not even tell your spouse.

 

[3waycross]

Sounds like he needed an attitude adjustment and got it.

I totally agree with you on the rest of it !

 

[backhoeboogie]

Even hanging coyotes on the fence gets the tree huggers spun up. Don't know why folks do that anymore, in these times.

Got a neighbor that shot a bull. That bull had been a thorn in most of our sides for a long time. Figured I would get blamed. That neighbor fessed up about it and the law got involved. Law was sick of the phone calls for the bull owners cows being out. The bull would tear a hole in the fence and the herd would follow.

The only good thing about the neighbor telling he had done it was that I did not get blamed for it.

We were about to get into another Taylor/Sutton fued over that bull.

 

[JSCATTLE]

We have a standing rule around my area . If my dog attacks your live stock shoot it because I'll shoot yours . There is no reason to brag or tell anyone that's the fastest way to get into trouble . They would have put me back in jail for human cruelty after I got out and beat the snot out of the dog owner for calling the law in the first place .

 

[Jogeephus]

They would have put me back in jail for human cruelty after I got out and beat the snot out of the dog owner for calling the law in the first place .

You point out an unmentioned portion of this saga. The neighbor who called is sweating bullets because this is a fella you really don't want as an enemy. In due time I'm sure he will exact his revenge on the neighbor and it will be served ice cold.

 

[dun]

That's where it is an advantage to owning several properties a good distance apart. The dogs from one place can be hauled to another and left to rot there, works with emus too.

 

[CKC1586]

My dad had a method to get rid of wandering dogs that worked pretty well. Neighbors dog liked to come down and harass the hogs. He took a corn cob and picked up the dogs tail a scuffed up his bung hole then poured old spice after shave on the scuffed up area and turned him loose, dog never came back. He sure could run fast!!!

 

[Caustic Burno]

Bill's thread reminded me of a recent event that took place a couple of miles from my farm and I thought it would be informative to anyone who raises livestock. Bearing in mind I live in the country and most everyone here derives their income in some manner from agriculture so this has little to do with townies.

A year or so ago one of my neighbors who raised goats and cattle had some dog problems and he shot a few of the dogs but he didn't shovel and he didn't shut up. Thinking he had "the right" to protect his livestock he shot any dog that pestered his animals and was very open and boisterous about it. Charges for animal cruelty were filed against him by one of the dogs owners and he admitted killing the dogs but proudly boasted he had "the right" to do so. He was arrested, strip searched, thrown in jail, had to post a bond, hire an attorney, go before a jury trial, was found guilty, senetenced to 18 months along with sexual devients and dopers, is now out but on house arrest with a collar. So I think it important not to cut corners on the SSS deal. IMO and the opinion of most others in the county, it was not so much that he killed the dogs but his lack of remorse and caring that he had to. I'm not saying I agree with the jury cause we don't. We are just trying to understand why they made that decision. Shooting a dog is my last resort and if and when I do, I'm not going to feel good about it and I'm definitely not going to go bragging to you that I shot your dog or my own dog. We as producers have to do a lot of things we don't like to do but are sometimes neccessary. Just like Travis having to shoot Old Yeller. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do whether you like it or not.

That is not an issue in Texas.
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/78 ... 00151F.htm

 

[GRTiger85]

Amen.

 

[JSCATTLE]

A few months ago in Beaumont on one of the main roads a guy saw some dogs chewing up a few goats . There were about 20 people standing at the fence screaming at the dogs . He got out of his truck with his bow and shot the dogs . Im pretty sure he didn't get into any trouble .

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

I have owned dogs all my life, i don't shoot other folks dogs for no reason. That said dogs ain't gonna bother my stock. Some folks get a little trigger happy and shoot dogs just for crossing there properity, thats not a good thing in this country.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I have owned dogs all my life, i don't shoot other folks dogs for no reason. That said dogs ain't gonna bother my stock. Some folks get a little trigger happy and shoot dogs just for crossing there properity, thats not a good thing in this country.

I am a dog man and have hunting dogs as well as a lot of my neighbors and they are all collared with name tag's.
None of my neighbors or I will put with a dog harassing livestock. To many think every shyt eater is a good dog when 90% should have taken that last long walk. The absolute worst is the hog hunters they turn every trash pit or black mouth cur loose they can scrounge up. It's O well if they don't catch them all up, not even talking about the fences that get tore up. There are a few ethical hog hunters but not many.
If a pit or cur crosses the pasture he had better have a tracking collar, if not he just became a target.

 

[HOSS]

I have been fortunate to only have had to shoot one dog. It belonged to my neighbor and was wild as a buck deer.......not even my neighbor could catch it without putting food in his barn and then shutting the door when it went in to eat. It was pretty much harmless until it got to be a couple years old and then thought it was fun to chase my cows around. He didn't bite them but in the high heat and humidity we have in Tennessee he could have killed one. I had my AR-15 handy and took him out. I practiced the SSS's. Anyway a week or so later my neighbor stopped by and asked if I had seen the dog and I said (honestly) that it had been a week or so since I had seen him. He said "well if you see him shoot him cause I can't catch him". I just smiled and said "ok".

Dogs cross my pasture all the time and with the exception of that one they are a bit scared of my boss cow as she feels it is her duty to chase and stomp on strange dogs. My other neighbor has a big boxer and the cows are used to him and don't even look up from grazing when he crosses the pasture. He just walks thru them without offering to do anything so the tolerate him.

 

[VanC]

I have owned dogs all my life, i don't shoot other folks dogs for no reason. That said dogs ain't gonna bother my stock. Some folks get a little trigger happy and shoot dogs just for crossing there properity, thats not a good thing in this country.

Thanks for being the voice of reason.

Here's the way I look at it. We never let our dogs run loose but accidents do happen. If one of ours got loose and got shot while chasing someone's livestock then so be it. I wouldn't be happy about it, but it would end right there. But if I knew for a fact that the dog wasn't a threat to anyone or anything, and some trigger happy SOB shot it just for passing through his property, then that person and I are gonna have a problem.

 

[Isomade]

I checked with our local sheriffs office a few months back just to make sure what Ok laws were on the subject he said "You have the right to protect your property, shoot em". I don't shoot dogs for wandering across my property, if they chase cows that's a different story.

 

[Jogeephus]

That is not an issue in Texas.
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/78 ... 00151F.htm

CB, we have a law on the books that is very similar to that so I was surprised when they found him guilty. Of course prior to the trial I did make mention to some friends that he needed to keep his mouth shut instead of loudly preaching about his rights. I think most of us are reasonable people and I doubt few if any would squeeze the trigger unless it was truly warranted but just because the law is on your side doesn't mean squat if your mouth digs the hole for you. Maybe another good pointer is not to throw the carcass in the road ditch for all to see. That's not your property so it could be said the dog wasn't on your property.

 

[Tim/South]

I do not like to shoot dogs, especially if I have seen the dog in the neighborhood and know he belongs to someone. Dad always said that anyone could get mad and set the hay barn on fire.
Some times you just have to do what needs doing.
I have called and made a police report before when dogs chased our calves. I never expected the sheriff deputy to do anything, just wanted a paper trail.
He told me to remove any collars if I shot a dog. That would make them strays.
There is a sharp curve on a major county road on my place. Many "stray" dogs have been hit in that curve. The owners find them there. Once a truck or two has hit the remains it is hard to know what hit them first.

Another neighbor was adamant that it was not his dogs chasing my bottle calves. His dogs never left the yard. Must be dogs that look like his.
I told him I was glad they were not his dogs, that I did not consider it neighborly to shoot a neighbors dog. Since it was not his dogs and imposters, I would not have any more reservations about pulling the trigger.
Our biggest problem is people moving out here to getaway from city life. No telling how many times I have heard, "We moved to the country so our god would have a place to run and be a dog".
and
"How is my dog hurting anything?" "He is not as big as those cows and just playing around, being a dog and having fun".
People can be strange thinking creatures sometimes.

 

[Tim/South]

Typo from above.
"We moved to the country so our god would have a place to run and be a dog".
Should have been "dog would have a place to run and be a dog"

 

[Roadapple]

I rent a pasture from fellow that has 4 dogs.To get to the pasture, I have to drive close to his yard, so everytime I drive by, his dogs would chase the pick-up for a short ways. One time the cows were grazing right at the end of the lane and the dogs thought they would have some fun and ran right by me as I was running at them, waving my arms and yelling. So I figured I'll see how protective my cows were. Cows never looked up till dogs were about 30 feet from them, and all in sync. the whole herd in one movement charged the dogs. Did you know dogs can make a 180 in mid air? They went by me so fast they left a wake in the dust. Went thru a 5 strand fence without jiggling a wire. Never worried about them chasing my cows after that, and the dogs never chased my pick-up again. So it's nice knowing my cows don't take any "sheet" from dogs.