take your dog on your trips?

Cato

Cato

Joined
Dec 28, 1998
Messages
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I would like to know if you take your dogs on hiking/survival trips with you?
As much as I would like to do it, in Austria it's nearly impossible because "wilderness" basically doesn't exist, for most forests are owned by the state and are rented to a few hunters. Altough law says they can shoot any free running dog, hunters have killed dogs even while they were on leashes!

How are US laws in this regard? How do you keep your dog from being shot by hunters (I know, that in the US every citizen
has the right to hunt on public land- which is great compared to our system- but doesn't it multiply the danger?)?

Thanks for any input

Cato
 
Simple - don't go hiking in hunting season. Not only are you asking for your dog to get shot, but you are asking to get shot, yourself. In areas that allow hunting, only do hiking during times when hunting is not allowed.

--JB

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e_utopia@hotmail.com
 
You can get an orange vest for your dog. I haven't tried one n my black lab because I'm afraid she'd overheat in the climate I usually hunt in but I've seen them in catalogs. If dogs are getting shot while on they're on a leash I'd have some reservations about hiking in that area.
 

I would hate to think about some person shooting my dog, especially while on a leash. I would hope that most hunters, who would probably be dog owners themselves, would refrain from purposefully shooting a family pet.

That said, the only guaranteed way to avoid your dog being shot is to avoid the situation altogether. If it's a known danger that these hunters will shoot leashed dogs, I'd travel elsewhere. There's no point to risking your pet or yourself.

I don't think that we have a problem with hunters shooting dogs here. The hunters I know are generally responsible. Weapons are generally not allowed in state/national parks, and many avid hunters stay in private hunting leases. And most hunters know better -- they could shoot the pet of someone like me, who would be sorely tempted track them down with military sniper/countersniper tactics.

 
my dog usually joins me for any trips. so far the only problem is that she doesn't like to see me rapelling.
 
My dog and I stay out of the woods when there are hunters around. Period. Especially since I live in Wisconsin where, by law, blind people can get hunting licenses. This is the main reason I don't hunt, too. Any sport where you have to wear bright orange clothing so your friends don't shoot you is not a sport for me ;)


 
We've been packing with our dogs for 25 years (different dogs
wink.gif
). I will be taking two dogs with us this Friday when we leave to film.

A 2 yr old+ dog can easily carry 25%-30% of his body weight in a properly loaded and balanced pack. That means that the Akita can and does carry 25-30 lbs (he weighs about 100lbs). This "Payload" includes about 15 lbs of his food and supplies for the two weeks and 10-15 lbs of my stuff. These are things that I don't worry too much about like.... BEER.

The Mastiff will carry about 50-60lbs (she's just over 200 lbs) and her food comes in at about 20lbs for the two weeks so she will carry a lot of extras.

As far as hunters are concerned. We restrict our dog forays to seasons when no big game hunting is allowed. i.e. we don't go in Deer, Elk, bear or lion season. We don't go during bear or lion primarily because dogs are used for bear and lion hunts and I don't want my dogs wading into a pack of yappers.

I've never had a dog shot at. Under Idaho state law;

"Dogs may be used to take or pursue black bear and mountain lion ONLY if the following conditions are met:
• Use of dogs is allowed during the take season in the area to be hunted.
• Any person who owns the dogs, has control of the dogs at any time, or harvests a bear or lion while using the dogs, must
have a hound hunter permit and valid hunting license in possession, except clients of licensed outfitters do not need a
hound hunter permit.
• During a dog training season, bears and lions may be pursued and treed but NOT captured, killed, or possessed.
• Use of dogs may be restricted during deer and elk seasons. See bear and mountain lion sections.
Any dog found running at large and actively tracking, pursuing, harassing, attacking or killing any big game animal EXCEPT
bear and mountain lion, may be destroyed without criminal or civil liability by the director, any peace officer, or other persons
authorized to enforce IDFG laws."

Most hunters know that dogs in the wilderness are typically highly trained for a function and unless they are violating some law, should be left unmolested. If a hunter takes a pot shot at one of my dogs I'll have his ass unless my dog was breaking the law (violating his/her training).

For the most part I love having my four legged friends with me. They give me warning of problems, guard the camp, make minimal demands on my time or energies and give way more than they take. They love the wilderness and the freedom to run and whiff the woods.

Ron

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Learn Life Extension at:

http://www.survival.com ]
 
Ron: One exception to the 25% bodyweight rule for pack-carrying dogs. Longbacked dogs should not carry anything. That means if you pack with a Basset hound, or any other "sausage dog" they should not have a pack at all. It causes permanent injury to their spine.

 
Ron - what kind of training do you put your dogs through? Do they come on command, etc and how long did it take you to gain their obedience?
Thanks - G
 
In N.Y. I believe the law says you can shoot dogs only if they are chasing deer.I don't know anyone who has had a dog shot,and i don't know any hunters who would shoot someones dog.But hunters are people and a number of people are jerks so i'm sure someone would.Just not a big problem.

As far as orange goes it not so much so that you won't be mistaken for a deer,but that when a guy see's a deer and your in the brush behind it you will also be seen.

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AKTI #000946
 
Good stuff guys,

Shadow, you are absolutely correct and I should have distinguished working dogs and others. Thanks for pointing it out.

As for training the dogs. Most good field dogs train to the woods pretty easily using standard commands. Dogs like Akitas are harder to train in the conventional sense. They tend to do what they want so you need to teach them that they want to stay near camp and so forth. Akitas are naturally good in the woods and if you reward them for good behavior they will respond very quickly. They are also very quiet in the woods, more like cats.

I start mine out at about a year with no weight. Young dogs (under 2 years) should not carry much weight as it can cause problems as with long bodied dogs. When we first go on the trail I attach a long leash (20') with a carabiner on the trailing end. We walk leashed and then I let them lead to the end of the cord. When I want I release the cord and give the command to go. The cord trails behind and will hang on brush rocks and stuff. This stops the dog till I get there. It doesn't take them long to understand not to go far from me.

Other trainers use electronic collars which are very effective.

Ron



------------------
Learn Life Extension at:

http://www.survival.com ]
 
If someone shot my dog while he was on a leash, I would have to assume he was shooting at me and return fire.
Self defense your honor...
 
My Catahoula Cur goes with me usually, except during deer season. He is a great camp alarm, a fine companion, and has fed me more than once.
 
I've been on many canoeing trips with dogs. Not mine, though. They seem to love it, although they can be a bit of a pain running down the portages and balancing in the canoe.
But where I go there isn't much hunting of the kind that could pose a serious risk to the animals.
[corrected for very stoopid typos]

[This message has been edited by HJK (edited 05-31-2001).]
 
Always. In hunting season I'm working steady but when I can get out she goes and scares up some grouse for me..Summer she hikes alot, winter sking.Canoeing she sleeps in the canoe.

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Yours in Conservation
Ken
 
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