Defending against dogs with lethal force?

[littletommy]

Had a very wily groundhog that was living under a rental. Tried everything to get it, live traps with all different types of bait. Considered a conibear but was worried about neighborhood cats.

Talked to a CO who said the cat shouldn't be under the house so set the trap. His opinion was that no harm no foul if it got killed there.

I didn't do it because I was worried a kid would happen upon the dead pet before I could get to it. I got the groundhog eventually, but now have a couple more at a different property.

Weird that you brought up groundhogs and conibear traps! I was just looking online to buy a conibear for the bunch of jerk ass groundhogs that have taken up residence under my deck. They drive my dogs crazy, and when one of the dogs kills one, it seems like 5 more show up to take its place.

 

[Bill of Rights]

If you discharge a firearm to "scare dogs away" that leaves reasonable doubt that you were in fear of life and limb. You shoot things to neutralize threats, not to scare away would be threats.

I'm not going to debate the merits of a long-settled court case on the board with you or anyone.

The simplest of all facts is this: Of the people on this board, only one was there at the time and only that one can say what was happening to him and in his mind. I am not going to second guess or monday-morning-quarterback at leisure what he had seconds to decide. And IMHO, neither should you or anyone else, including and perhaps especially, the court system as a whole.

Note that I did not say the "justice" system. This is intentional.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

I'm not going to debate the merits of a long-settled court case on the board with you or anyone.

The simplest of all facts is this: Of the people on this board, only one was there at the time and only that one can say what was happening to him and in his mind. I am not going to second guess or monday-morning-quarterback at leisure what he had seconds to decide. And IMHO, neither should you or anyone else, including and perhaps especially, the court system as a whole.

Note that I did not say the "justice" system. This is intentional.

Blessings,
Bill

You must be new here.

 

[churchmouse]

The words "warning" and "shot" shouldn't ever be used in the same sentence in the context of civilian use of force encounters.
Are you trying to divert the course of a ship on the open ocean?
Are you or another actively under threat of great bodily harm or death?
If you answered no, firing a gun will likely only make the situation worse.

I asked In open Forum we not hash this out. So why are we.

 

[Angrysauce]

I asked In open Forum we not hash this out. So why are we.

Must have missed that. My apologies

 

[churchmouse]

Must have missed that. My apologies

No worries. Easy enough to do.
Enjoy.

 

[kickbacked]

Had a very wily groundhog that was living under a rental. Tried everything to get it, live traps with all different types of bait. Considered a conibear but was worried about neighborhood cats.

Talked to a CO who said the cat shouldn't be under the house so set the trap. His opinion was that no harm no foul if it got killed there.

I didn't do it because I was worried a kid would happen upon the dead pet before I could get to it. I got the groundhog eventually, but now have a couple more at a different property.

My neighbor had a ground hog problem. It had gotten in their fence and got aggressive with one of their dogs. They asked me to take care of the ground hog. I grabbed a 12 gauge, walked over to it, it didnt run and i cant remember the noise it made, maybe a chatter but you could tell it was upset with me. Got to about 7 feet and long story short they thought i was John Wayne. Kept telling me how good a shot I was, asking how often i practice. It was a shotgun at point blank range, tough to miss but I didnt tell them that.

Ive tried setting snares for them but they seem to be able to tell somethings off and use another hole. Either that or i suck at making snares. A foot trap will work but you gotta have the renters check it daily. But if theres any cats around they love getting caught in them and its a hell of a time getting them out especially if its a barn or feral cat.

 

[Bill of Rights]

You must be new here.

You funny man. You got jokes.

 

[DadSmith]

My neighbor had a ground hog problem. It had gotten in their fence and got aggressive with one of their dogs. They asked me to take care of the ground hog. I grabbed a 12 gauge, walked over to it, it didnt run and i cant remember the noise it made, maybe a chatter but you could tell it was upset with me. Got to about 7 feet and long story short they thought i was John Wayne. Kept telling me how good a shot I was, asking how often i practice. It was a shotgun at point blank range, tough to miss but I didnt tell them that.

Ive tried setting snares for them but they seem to be able to tell somethings off and use another hole. Either that or i suck at making snares. A foot trap will work but you gotta have the renters check it daily. But if theres any cats around they love getting caught in them and its a hell of a time getting them out especially if its a barn or feral cat.

Really I live in the country and hardly see any groundhogs around here. They all packed up and moved to the city. They heard you can't fire guns in city limits I guess.

I did see one about 3/4 mile up the road going to town he was at the edge contemplating crossing when I came by he ran back into the woods. Only one I've seen in about a year. We had a bad distemper problem with our raccoon for the last 2 years maybe it killed them off as well. We have a tremendous amount of raccoon and hardly anyone hunting them anymore.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

You funny man. You got jokes.

Sometimes.

 

[littletommy]

My neighbor had a ground hog problem. It had gotten in their fence and got aggressive with one of their dogs. They asked me to take care of the ground hog. I grabbed a 12 gauge, walked over to it, it didnt run and i cant remember the noise it made, maybe a chatter but you could tell it was upset with me. Got to about 7 feet and long story short they thought i was John Wayne. Kept telling me how good a shot I was, asking how often i practice. It was a shotgun at point blank range, tough to miss but I didnt tell them that.

Ive tried setting snares for them but they seem to be able to tell somethings off and use another hole. Either that or i suck at making snares. A foot trap will work but you gotta have the renters check it daily. But if theres any cats around they love getting caught in them and its a hell of a time getting them out especially if its a barn or feral cat.

Yeah, groundhogs are very suspicious of everything, I’ve never had any luck getting them with live traps or snares.
We had one get an attitude with our shepherd a couple years ago, and he just kinda stood back and barked at it. Apparently, the whole thing didn’t sit well with our older border collie/staffordshire mix, she got tired of watching and charged the hog, grabbing it by the head. One good crunch and it was over. The shepherd had kind of a “ewwww” look on his face, lol.

 

[edporch]

Years ago my Uncle's dog was shot by a local farmer after the dog repeatedly got into his pigs. The farmer warned my uncle twice before he decided to protect his pigs. Not a great shot as the dog limped home and died in its house. My uncle called the Sheriff, who went and questioned the farmer. They came back and told him that there was nothing they could do because the landowner has pics of the dog on the property and in the pig house, had some torn up pigs, and he had been warned more than once.

I have a pasture in the NW part of the state that I rent to a farmer who raises cattle there.
A dog hassling and/or chasing cattle is a serious problem when it occurs.
It can cause them to fall, be injured, and worst case have to be put down.
Costing the cattleman a lot of money each time.
I've made it clear to my renter that if he needs to shoot a dog to protect his cattle, I have no problem with it.
(I've known the man for many years and trust his judgement)

 

[Leadeye]

I don't see groundhogs much, must be a favorite item on the forest buffet around here, that and slow rabbits. The gardener saw a rabbit in the yard with no tail and asked me about it, I told her that was the limit of the gene pool.

 

[Joniki]

Whistle pigs in the country, 22-250. Whistle pigs in the town, cross-bow.

 

[tcecil88]

I have a pasture in the NW part of the state that I rent to a farmer who raises cattle there.
A dog hassling and/or chasing cattle is a serious problem when it occurs.
It can cause them to fall, be injured, and worst case have to be put down.
Costing the cattleman a lot of money each time.
I've made it clear to my renter that if he needs to shoot a dog to protect his cattle, I have no problem with it.
(I've known the man for many years and trust his judgement)

Believe me, I get it. I would not have warned my Uncle the first time and I would have been a better shot. If a dog was to get into my livestock, it would die right there, I don't care whose dog it is.

 

[churchmouse]

My neighbor had a ground hog problem. It had gotten in their fence and got aggressive with one of their dogs. They asked me to take care of the ground hog. I grabbed a 12 gauge, walked over to it, it didnt run and i cant remember the noise it made, maybe a chatter but you could tell it was upset with me. Got to about 7 feet and long story short they thought i was John Wayne. Kept telling me how good a shot I was, asking how often i practice. It was a shotgun at point blank range, tough to miss but I didnt tell them that.

Ive tried setting snares for them but they seem to be able to tell somethings off and use another hole. Either that or i suck at making snares. A foot trap will work but you gotta have the renters check it daily. But if theres any cats around they love getting caught in them and its a hell of a time getting them out especially if its a barn or feral cat.

Man until you have tried to get a feral out of a live trap you have no idea how insane a cat actually is.
Kitty kitty nice kitty my butt.

 

[JettaKnight]

Man until you have tried to get a feral out of a live trap you have no idea how insane a cat actually is.
Kitty kitty nice kitty my butt.

Yup!

 

[edporch]

Believe me, I get it. I would not have warned my Uncle the first time and I would have been a better shot. If a dog was to get into my livestock, it would die right there, I don't care whose dog it is.

I was saying this in general and not specifically aiming it at you.

TO add to this story, ONE of the dogs that was hassling my tenant's cattle for a time was my adult nephew's dog that lives on the farm on the part my sister owns.
My tenant and family has known our family and farmed our ground for over 50 years was at a bit of a quandary about it.
I TOLD him I don't care that it's my nephew's dog, if he judges he needs to shoot it to protect his cattle, then I'll back him up.
AND I say this as a lover of good dogs, but sometimes it's necessary.

 

[T.Lex]

Kinda wished I'd checked out this thread over the weekend, so I could've intentionally not posted regarding a certain tangent. As it is, the absence - though fortuitous - was unintentional.

 

[HoughMade]

Kinda wished I'd checked out this thread over the weekend, so I could've intentionally not posted regarding a certain tangent. As it is, the absence - though fortuitous - was unintentional.

I kinda figured we'd see you here sooner or later.