What do you think of this?

[lient]

Story from Virginia Newspaper

They were going to be therapy dogs

[shamrock7]

This happened just 30 miles south of us. Really don't know what to say. It's really sad the way some people's thought process works. Everyone needs to be aware that it is 100% illegal to shoot dogs during any hunting season unless you are a peace officer. Heck, I wasn't aware of that, but then I let deer go through also. Feel really bad for everyone involved.

[reinhard1]

the individuals who shot the dogs seemed very cold and heartless. i can understand them being upset to have dogs on their property while trying to hunt, but why not come and talk to the people who owned the dogs and tell them to make sure they stay on their property. shooting the dogs would not be my answer unless they posed a physical threat to me or my family. that should be the last action to take. good luck.

[Bear55]

Stupid to let the dogs run around deer season, even more stupid of the neighbors to shoot them. Bad situation that never should have happened.

[Powerstroke]

Unless the law changed recently, it used to be completely legal to shoot dogs during the hunting season if they were chasing deer.

Obviously this story is completely devoid of facts except that the dogs are dead. Although tragic, it is a sobering reminder to people to keep your dogs under control. Dogs should not be allowed to roam freely onto neighbors property, especially during hunting season.

[TooTallTom]

The law did change within the last couple of years. I was kind of surprised to see it change, but I guess it's probably for the better. Like Reinhard1 said, shooting someone's dog should not be the solution attempted when there are other things to try.

[nofishfisherman]

Very cold and heartless. I can't imagine what kind of person would do that. Shooting the dogs is bad enough, the way they acted toward the family is another thing entirely. It just shows that these guys have no regard for life or anyone but themselves.

The dog owners absolutely should have been more careful to keep the dogs close but they certainly didn't deserve this fate.

[Musky Buck]

There are plenty of loose cannons holding a cannon during deer season. The worst part is these bad stories get all the pub and it spreads immediately in the information age we are in whether we want to be in or not or hear about it or not.

[ELK01]

This was totally uncalled for. These so called hunters give all hunters a bad name. It is such a senseless waste of life. Some people think they can come up to our wonderfull Iron Range and do what ever they want. They need to be held accountable and punished. They seemed like they enjoyed it. They justed wanted to kill and it did not matter what it was. It just so happened to be someones devoted and loving pet a family member. But, these people who shot them have no concept of understanding that. No thought process involved here just killing.

[Musky Buck]

Can you imagine the kids who lost their pet and how tough it is on a kid to process what stupid adults do at times ? Someone kinda nailed it, the give all hunters a bad name well they don't give a rats behind about their fellow hunters. We all know how selfish deer hunting can become to so many, look at MN and I know 3 people who filled someone elses tag so they can now muzzleload and they weren't party hunting, but they are party tagging and that's a selfish thing in my mind, drop a trophy class buck and it's not good enough yet we want kids to take it up and have opportunity, yet many adults feel they need to kinda secure there area so the neighbors don't get him or whatever.

[TooTallTom]

Some people think they can come up to our wonderfull Iron Range and do what ever they want.

And there are some people that think that because they are locals to a place, they can do whatever they want.

These guys sound like they are Class A PoorWordUsages, and where they came from to do what they did is completely irrelevant. They do give all hunters a bad name, and I hope there is some criminal or civil penalty for them.

[ELK01]

You are right local people do it too. No EXCUSE at all

[Big Dave2]

I agree that these morons should have never shot these dogs but I have a feeling that there is more to this story than we are hearing. These dogs probably spend every day wandering around on the neighbors property because their owners don't know enough to keep their dogs home.

I'm not saying that gives these fools the right to shoot the dogs but they could have went and talked to the dog owners about the dogs on their property or if that didn't work they could have called the authorities.

I just think that these dog owners should not be left completely off the hook for what happened either. If you are going to have a dog, keep it at home. If it has a tendancy to wander than you need to keep it tied up, in a kennel, build a fence or install invisible fencing. It is the owners responsibility to keep their dogs on their own property, especially during hunting season. I also have no doubt that the owners knew that the neighbors were hunting on the next property so it is not only unlawfull to let the dogs roam but very inconsiderate.

[ozzie]

I feel bad for the dog owners but in the same sence I wouldn't let my kid wander the woods during deer season and I wouldn't let my dog run around the woods during hunting season either. They are as much to blame for the death of their pet as the morons that ended up shooting them. This would not be a story had the owner of the dogs dealt with their dogs as they should and not let them wander freely in the woods...now if this was the first time the dogs escaped then it would be a different story but somehow I doubt it.

[Musky Buck]

Agree with all of that but if it's been a problem before go talk to the owners of the dogs and tell them that here's the deal, if you care about them you better keep them on your property or we are going to harvest them, sorry.

[TooTallTom]

Agree with all of that but if it's been a problem before go talk to the owners of the dogs and tell them that here's the deal, if you care about them you better keep them on your property or we are going to harvest them, sorry.

Harvest them? Really? So you'd kill and eat them? (Nothing personal, I've just always had something against that euphamism. And I'm not really sure why.)

[LightningBG]

It is legal for anyone to shoot a dog pursuing big game between Jan1 and July 14. It is legal for a LEO to shoot a dog endangering big game at anytime.

Not legal to shoot during hunting season. But it's also not a good idea to let dogs roam during hunting season.

[psepuncher]

Harvest them? Really? So you'd kill and eat them? (Nothing personal, I've just always had something against that euphamism. And I'm not really sure why.)

just look at it as a psudonym for a predicate,

works for me.

[jabug]

bash me if you want but if im out hunting and i see a deer with a dog chasing it im taking out the dog first

[shortfatguy]

And you can bash me if you want. If I find out you shot my dog you will get the same treatment from law enforcement because of the cruel way you treated my dog. Someone's dog is not just an animal. They are family members who grow up with their children. I suppose if some little kid was walking through the woods while you were hunting you would shoot them too? The people who did this were spineless and heartless. The world would be a better place with out people like them.

[creepworm]

Did anyone actually read and believe the story? It is so sensationalized and doctored up that I can not even make a decision as to whether the story is true or not. They have the families side of the story and 90% of what they said I do not believe. Seriously, saying that the hunters called them hillbillies when they found their dead dogs, what a joke. And what a joke of a "news article."

[jabug]

Your saying it's fine for dogs to run deer since its a family pet. I think not what is your reasoning behind this? And how can you compare dogs to kids in this situation

[vitalshot5]

If these hunters had talked to and warned the owners in the past and the dogs were on my private land than the dogs lose out. yes it is the owners responsibility to control their dogs, but why is it my responsibility to have to use my time to call law enforcement, by the time they get there my hunting day is ruined and the dogs are back home, as far as the youngster I do feel bad because he cannot control the situation, but he should be blaming mom and dad, not the hunters.

[bobbymalone]

sometimes not shooting the neighbor's pet is more important than getting your deer.

[shortfatguy]

They were following the dogs to try and get them to come back. The people who shot the dogs said they heard the owners yelling for them and originally told the owners they had not seen them. The next day the owners found the dogs dead next to the guys stand. He was in the stand. They were less than 60 yards from him. He then admitted he shot them and told the people you found your dogs not get off my fing property along with a few other crappy comments. This guy is a waste of air. Worthless. I can maybe see shooting the dogs if you are out in the middle of nowhere with out houses around ut when you are in a residential area and can hear the owners calling and searching for the dogs you should hang for shooting them. And as stated previously it is illegal to shoot dogs during deer season. So for any of you whomthink the owners were more at fault take a look at who broke the law and took the life of a child's friend. Anyone who has a dog know that even the best trained dogs will get out of your sight.

[bopper4]

+1 I know who both parties are. Not that I am good friends with either of them but I did grow up in iron and currently reside close to. From what I hear from other locals is the dogs were not running deer and it sure does not sound like they run off to often. Hell I drive by the place quite often and have never saw them out of the yard. The reality is as many say is was cold and heartless. I have the neighbors cats and dogs on my property daily but could never kill someone else's pet even though I despise cats. They belong to someone else, do I scare them off and get upset when they come in the yard sure, but the thought has never crossed my mind to kill them. I can and will say it may be best for these clowns to sell their hunting property because the locals in e area are fit to be tied! The thing that [PoorWordUsage] me off more than anything is law enforcement says there is to much he said she said and nothing will be done because. So does that mean if someone shows up in my yard I can shoot five times and leave them to suffer and I get off the hook because of he said she said! We have laws for a reason to take care of criminals!

[vitalshot5]

Sometimes watching your dogs and not letting them run is important too......you guys are condemning these hunters/neighbors on a story that doesn't even try to find out the other side of the story.....everyone is quick to judge....what if these dog owners were PETA and deliberately letting their dogs run....they say they were looking for them, but how do you know for sure....they say they were training them to be helper dogs but couldn't even get them to come back when they ran.....good training......this whole story doesn't add up.....it's a quick to convict poor me story that doesn't support any facts.....just one sided heresy from a dog owner who should be angry at themselves for not putting their dogs on a leash.

[tybo]

Make sure you know the laws. Lots of people think they can shoot a dog running deer but as was pointed put not during the hunting season. I don't hunt grouse during deer season for this very reason. I will hunt pheasants if it's in an area where I don't see any orange or vehicles parked. I don' trust deer hunters. Way too many people have they "I'll kill any dog running deer" attitude. I get deer hunting is important to people and there's a limited time to do it, if you only gun hunt, but these are peoples pets. If you want more time to chase deer pick up a bow that season last as long as the small game season. I hutn deer and have for over thirty years and I have never understoof this mentality and I grew up in PA where deer hunting is even bigger there than it is here.

If you are big and tough enough to kill the dog be big and tough enough to admit you did it. Seems as though they knew they were in the wrong if they stated they didn't see it when it was already dead by their stand. This really irks me. I hate to know what I'd do if anyone ever shot one of my dogs.

[Barbelboy]

Sigh.....this has turned into a typical opinion thread. But I'll say my piece anyway.

On the second day of gun season I had a very very fierce dog under my stand. I'd say he was 4-5 lb jack russel terrier. I was frightened for my life. So I pulled up my gun, put the cross hairs on him and........got out of my stand and chased him around the woods for about 15 minutes. I was laughing so hard I could hardly chase him. I hunt a 40 acre parcel with some homes about 300 yards away so I knew exactly where "Seely" came from. I could actually hear the owner calling his name too, that's why i know it. The story provided some entertainment for the rest of my hunting party and to be honest had already shot a buck on saturday and 3 does with my bow so I didn't mind the interruption very much. Now it might have been different if on opening morning this had happened, but I still wouldn't have shot the little guy. The long and short of it is as hunters or pet owners we all have responsibilities to act like adults and do the right thing....but there are always those who don't. Oh well, that's life.

[bopper4]

A law is a law. Understand them before you go in the woods. It is illegal to shoot a dog even if it was chasing a deer. If a dog ruins a hunt shoot the next darn deer you see. God knows there are enough around. Is the world going to end if you dont fill your freezer, because I'm pretty sure it feels like the world is coming to an end from the viewpoint of those little kids. Good job promoting the sport we love you fools! Go home and stay there