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Got three trail cam pics since August, have never seen these dogs and have no idea who they belong to, if anybody, and this last weekend I see they managed to take down a deer on my place. There's three of them, a big shaggy white thing looks like a wolf, a big black lab, and a hound dog of some sort...all scraggly with no collars. Don't have my book handy, but can I shoot 'em legal or not? I've asked everybody around the section if they know anything about these dogs and nobody does.
Nope. Contact a LEO they are the only ones that can do anything.
I was afraid of that. Problem is by the time he gets there they'll be gone. More than anything I want them gone to give the wife and kid peace of mind they won't get attacked coming or going to the outhouse. Wolves I have no concern, but wild dogs I don't trust so much! I think I know how to handle this, just was hoping for a different answer.
You can't legally shoot them unless they're are attacking you. So just scream "they're coming right at me" before you shoot them - LOL!
Might pay to called the LEO now and show them the trail cam pictures/dead deer. They may give you more options.
Contact a deputy to stop at the house or telephone you and ask him/her what he/she would suggest - depending where you live - in my County we have a dog warden that will come out and try to capture the dogs and if unable to do so will try to trap them.
Also contact your field warden if the dogs are killing deer - he/she would be able to take action depending on the circumstances.
It would not only be unwise, but illegal for you to shoot a dog
Invite some of the guys from here over that love to shoot cats. I'm sure they would have no problem putting down dogs as well.
The last time I had a dog problem I took some dog treats with me and they became my friend. I got them into the truck and away to the pound they went. Never came back.
It took too long for the LEO to get out there, so I took it upon myself to make sure the dogs were well taken care of.
Good luck with these nasty rascals....
South Farm - can you post pics?
How do you know the dogs killed the deer?
If you have a three trail cam pictures over six months, I don't think you have to worry about whether or not you can shoot them. Unless you plan to sit 24/7 for the next six months you aren't likely to have the chance.
As far as being afraid of being attacked on the way to the outhouse, I would be more afraid of running into bigfoot riding a unicorn.
Retro +1. Maybe the dogs did kill a deer but unless you saw them do it how would you have any idea. Could have been dogs eating the deer. Or coyotes. Or wolves. The deer could have die from dozens of causes.
I am not saying that dogs shouldn't be dealt with. I have had to in the past. I'm just saying that if you have only seen evidence three times in six months and nobody in your area has seen them around it's probably not worth getting worked up over. True wild dogs that are living on wildlife would be very evident. People would be seeing them and their damage on a daily basis.
Let me clarify, my neighbor has captured them on his camera twice since August, and I captured them in my cabin's front yard camera on the same day that I found where they took down a deer in the back of my property. I followed their tracks back to the deer. Wolf tracks are much larger than even a large dog's, so I simply connected the dots to the dead deer. Of course anything is possible, but seems to be a smoking gun to me.
Your fears of being attacked aren't unfounded. Three times in 30 years I have had tense run ins with free running dogs. Twice i was able to scare them off, on of those times the dog had to be put down.
I never go out with my girls without a sidearm.
We have indoor plumbing. An outhouse in this cold must be brutal.
At least you don't have skeeters and spiders in January
South farm. Sounds like you could use a good trapper. They'd take care of that problem for you.
What is the area around the deer like? Domesticated dogs would leave a long trail of hair and blood leading to the kill, they aren't the natural born killers that wolves and coyotes are, it would take a while for 3 dogs to bring a deer to its final resting place. Did the deer die from an arrow, bullet, infection, hit by a car or any one of the other million things that can kill a deer in the wild? Maybe the deer are just eating off the deer carcass.
If I were you, I'd strap on my side arm, grab my shotgun and follow the tracks until I find where they are going to and from, then contact the owner and/or law enforcement.
FiveRs: I disagree whole heartedly with the comment above as to dogs not being natural born killers. Domestic dogs, yes... Truly wild dogs are tougher on any deer herd than any coyotes.
As stated above, get in touch with your local game warden and get a plan in place, pronto. These guys are bad news, especially if the snow gets deep.
I highly doubt that there are many, if any, truly wild dogs in WI. I'm sure that there are dogs that roam free, but I'd say that they all have a place they call home where there is a dish of food waiting for them. That is the animal I refer to in comparison to wolves and coyotes. We have no dingos running around, those are horrible dogs.
