95XL883
Gold Member
First, this story has a happy ending, at least for now. I apologize that this is so long. The situation has been brewing for over a year. And if you read to the end, maybe you will pick up a tip that might help if you ever find yourself in my situation.
The very short version is one of my neighbor´s has a vicious dog that he lets run free. Today the dog confronted me again, I discharged my firearm, I'm safe, my wife is safe, we are both happy with the outcome and are finally hopeful that we can enjoy our property without worrying about the dog pack and the vicious dog.
Okay, the long version. We bought our 40 acres about two and a half years ago. It is an ell shaped piece of ground with a 25 acre hayfield on the northeast portion, 15 acres of woods and small clearings in the southwest, one spring fed pond and lots of turkey and deer. While the ground hadn't been cared for for a number of years, it´s our little slice of heaven and we love it. We had two immediate neighbors. (Irrelevant for now but we now have three as an apparently single guy bought the long vacant house.)
One neighbor is an 80 something old man, P. He is a little rough but basically a good guy. I like him. He has no pets but family that visits often. One son, Mo, lives about a half mile south of us, one grandson, T, lives about a mile south of us. Both are good folk and cattle ranchers.
The other immediate neighbors are Ma & K. They are a nice couple and very good neighbors with only one flaw, they let their dogs run and they don't run off, at least to my knowledge, any dog that comes by. (You can see where this is going.)
Both P and Ma & K live immediately to the north.
At first, Ma & K had two dogs. These two dogs are about 20 and 40 lbs. They're not particularly friendly but they certainly aren't aggressive on their own. Initially, they came up to smell me, let me pet them and now they don't get close to me unless Ma or K are near.
About a year ago, Ma & K got another dog. He was a young boxer/pit bull mix. He almost always barked at me (The only time he doesn't bark is when K is taking them on a walk or he is not out front.) and he took to leading a pack to challenge me whenever I was in the hay field. It didn't matter if I was directly across the street or 400 yards away, if he saw me he was barking and he and compatriots were coming. Initially, I didn't mind; if they got to a hundred yards or so, I'd yell "Go home!", the compatriots would turn around and boxer/pit bull would stop and would eventually follow in the retreat.
Then T´s dogs found their way to Ma & K. They basically took up residence and were there for at least three months (until the serious problems started and I started talking to the owners.) The pack, and they were a pack of seven, would routinely run through several surrounding properties at least once a day. (They were showing up on trail cameras, mine and two other neighbors' daily.)
Occasionally, the pack and I would meet in my woods. Even though I would call to them in a very friendly tone, the compatriots would scatter and the boxer/pit bull mix would saunter by me without a glance. Then, shortly before deer season, the boxer/pit bull didn't saunter. He tucked his tale between his legs, dropped to his belly and started crawling. While he was clearly being submissive, he was growling the whole time. He wouldn't pass me even when I moved 5 yards to my right. I had to turn my back before he would crawl by, growling all the way. While I was laughing at the funny site, I did keep an eye on him but I really didn't think he would come for me.
Deer season came and the behavior got worse. The pack was clearly running game. From my spot I watched them run deer and coyote. They were amazing to watch. The deer and coyote were fleeing in terror. The dogs coordinated their attack using a V pattern. The smaller dogs would come first taking the wings of the V. They were followed by the boxer/pit bull and T´s golden following in the center. If they could pen an animal in some woods, the smaller dogs would run the perimeter while the two big dogs would go in. I don't think they ever got a deer or a coyote but I did get several pics of the boxer/pit bull with smaller animals in his mouth. The deer stopped appearing during daylight and only came out between 30 to 15 minutes before sunrise and 15 to 30 minutes after sunset. I was not happy that my hunting time had been reduced to 30 minutes. I'm a meat hunter and these dogs were keeping meat off my table.
And then the real confrontation came. I was running late, entering my field 30 minutes before sunrise. I was 200 yards into my field. In the dim light, the boxer/pit bull saw me and started the charge. But this time, he was unfazed by his compatriots retreat. He kept coming. We faced off between three and five feet. I would have been bitten or mauled except for the walking stick and bow I was using to keep him back. (Bow in my left, stick in my right.) I have bitten by a couple of dogs in the past but none approached like this. He came in down low with back fur erect, snarling and teeth gnashing. The jab of my stick kept him back and the bow confused him slowing his charge. The stick got bit once but he quickly released when I shoved it farther into his mouth. If I had gone for my gun, he would have had me. The multiple charges lasted for probably only 15 seconds when he suddenly stopped and looked away. I used his distraction to take two steps back and catch a breath. When he looked back at me, he seemed confused by the extra distance and then suddenly and quietly walked off. I was shaking. I have never been attacked liked that. This wasn't going to be a bite, it was going to be a mauling.
For several hours I pondered what to do. I wasn't about to set foot on Ma & K´s ground. The boxer/pit bull had me truly scared. I didn't want to hurt anybody´s dogs but if the whole pack attacked, I would have no choice, if my wife or sons were with me I would have no choice, if I was getting mauled, I would have no choice. I went to Mo to vent and ask for Ma & K´s phone number. He was shocked. He didn't have their phone number. He said he had told T to get his dogs home several times. He said he wouldn't tell me what to do but he mentioned he had used SSS when a neighbor´s dog killed one of calves. He said he would tell T again to get his dogs home or they were going to disappear. He said that both T and he had noticed the change in deer patterns and that the dogs were also running his property. I thanked Mo and went back to my property.
I sat in my truck trying to think. I started walking back in 400+ yards from Ma & K´s when I noticed K come out to walk with the dogs. I hurried back to my truck and met her on the road. I wouldn't get out and the boxer/pit bull just watched me as we talked. I told her what had happened, that I was afraid of that dog and that, while I didn't want to hurt the dog, if he did that again I would probably put him down. She was very apologetic and very afraid of her dog getting killed. It was clear she thought of the dog as a child (even though the dog wasn't allowed in the house.) She said she would talk to Ma, that he would probably know what to do. The whole time the dog just watched me, not a peep out of him. I went home to take a break.
That evening Ma approached me as I returned. He was very apologetic. He begged me not to shoot his dog. He said he would figure something out. It was clear he thought of the dog as his child. He gave me his phone number and asked me to call him whenever I was coming to hunt so he could keep the dog inside when I was there. I thanked him and told him I didn't want to hurt the dog and that K and he were good neighbors. I said I would try to avoid hurting the dog, that I might even take a bite rather than hurt the dog but I wouldn't promise to that and that if a mauling started or if the dog approached my wife or child while on our property that I wouldn't hesitate to put it down. I made clear I didn't want to but that I would.
A few days later, Mo stopped to talk. T had taken his four dogs home and tied them up. I thanked him and told him the arrangement. He wished me luck with hunting.
Deer season dragged on with few sightings and always very close to dark. Each hunting trip, I called Ma and the dogs weren't to be seen while I was on my property but the boxer/pit and Ma & K´s other dogs kept showing on the trail cams. Several times they were joined by some dogs I hadn't seen before. The hunter of the 240 acres to the east stopped to talk. He was having no luck and complained that deer only showed close to dark. I told him my problem, his eyes lit up and said those dogs were showing on his cameras. He said he would be very tempted to fix that problem if those dogs ever appear in his crosshairs. I got shut out that season, no meat on the table.
After the season, Ma & K stopped me and in so many words said the boxer/pit start was going to start running again. I repeated that I didn't want to hurt any dog but I wouldn't guarantee that I would take a bite and that I wouldn't hesitate to protect my wife or sons. I told him that I had bought some mace and would try to use it if I could but I wouldn't promise. They both begged me not to hurt any of their dogs. Ma & K are good people and good neighbors but their willingness to let a vicious dog run unfettered concerned me. I was also concerned about P. At 80 something I don't think he couldn fend off an actual attack.
In February, Ma stopped me and asked if I had shot T´s golden. I was shocked and saddened to hear it had happened. I hadn't even seen that one since T took it home. Ma seemed to believe me but he was clearly angry over the claimed shooting.
I was becoming increasingly worried about crossing paths with the boxer/pit. He kept showing up on the cameras. It was going to happen. I did some research. In Kansas, it is only legal to shoot a dog in defense of life or livestock. In my county there is no leash law. I thought about trapping the dog and taking it to the pound but I was having trouble finding a pound in my county. Duh! No leash laws, no pound. I spoke with the sheriff. He reiterated the defense of life or livestock rule and stated that trapping could be construed as theft. He suggested rocksalt. I ruled out rocksalt as it has a very limited range meaning I would almost have to shoot the dog so close that it would most likely be coming straight at me. Blinding it would be a very real possibility, not something I was anxious to do. SSS was looking like the only real alternative. D***! I really didn't want to hurt the animal.
In March, P stopped me. The boxer/pit had pinned him while he was in his garage. The event was scarily similarly to my encounter. P had used a shovel to keep the dog back. He said next time he would just get his 22 and shoot the dog. I admire the old guy´s spunk but if he is caught in the open, he'd never make it to the 22. I prayed that the Lord would keep him safe.
The dog kept showing on my cameras. The confrontation was coming. I kept hoping somebody other than me would have to do it.
Today came. I was going to have to trim and mark the culvert across the street and down from Ma & K´s. I was so worried about the possible confrontation that I didn't even think to call Ma to ask he keep the boxer/pit in today. While I was trimming I could hear him barking but it was clear he was staying back. When I turned off the trimmer and went to mark, the boxer/pit started to approach. Barking, he got to the property line and started into the road. He was 100' away and approaching. I didn't want to back down to a dog while on my property but I didn't want to hurt him either. Besides Ma & K were good neighbors and think of the dog as their child. Then it dawned on me, I don't have my stick or any tool to keep him at bay. If he gets close, I'm getting bit. Now it was 75' I drew my 9mm and took careful aim. BOOM!!! A 9 with +P ammo is very loud. The boxer/pit jumped straight up. I looked at my wife in the truck. She was laughing hard. I hit exactly where I aimed, 5 to my right, where I knew I wouldn't hit the dog. The boom so scared the dog it bolted for home. I finished marking the culvert, got in the truck and drove to my gate. The boxer/pit was in a corner by their front door, shaking and looking at me as I drove by.
I called Ma and told him what had happened. I apologized for scaring his dog but pointed out that I had to do something. Ma was very appreciative of what I had done and thanked me sincerely. He said he had heard the shot. He hopes that the boxer/pit is now too scared to ever approach me again. I do too.
I really didn't like scaring the dog but I had to do something. The confrontation was approaching and I shouldn't have to run or avoid maintenance on my property because a neighbor won't control his pet. I don't want to shoot any dog but if any dog approaches me like that again or approaches my wife and sons like that while we are on our property, I will put that offending animal down. Here´s hoping the boxer/pit is forever scared of me and mine while we are on our property. He better, my wife and son´s also carry when they are on the ground.
Hopefully no animal worshipers are upset that I scared the dog. I had to do something. The dog is vicious. Around here, SSS is apparently the method used with problem animals. I may have very well saved that dog's life in the long run.
The very short version is one of my neighbor´s has a vicious dog that he lets run free. Today the dog confronted me again, I discharged my firearm, I'm safe, my wife is safe, we are both happy with the outcome and are finally hopeful that we can enjoy our property without worrying about the dog pack and the vicious dog.
Okay, the long version. We bought our 40 acres about two and a half years ago. It is an ell shaped piece of ground with a 25 acre hayfield on the northeast portion, 15 acres of woods and small clearings in the southwest, one spring fed pond and lots of turkey and deer. While the ground hadn't been cared for for a number of years, it´s our little slice of heaven and we love it. We had two immediate neighbors. (Irrelevant for now but we now have three as an apparently single guy bought the long vacant house.)
One neighbor is an 80 something old man, P. He is a little rough but basically a good guy. I like him. He has no pets but family that visits often. One son, Mo, lives about a half mile south of us, one grandson, T, lives about a mile south of us. Both are good folk and cattle ranchers.
The other immediate neighbors are Ma & K. They are a nice couple and very good neighbors with only one flaw, they let their dogs run and they don't run off, at least to my knowledge, any dog that comes by. (You can see where this is going.)
Both P and Ma & K live immediately to the north.
At first, Ma & K had two dogs. These two dogs are about 20 and 40 lbs. They're not particularly friendly but they certainly aren't aggressive on their own. Initially, they came up to smell me, let me pet them and now they don't get close to me unless Ma or K are near.
About a year ago, Ma & K got another dog. He was a young boxer/pit bull mix. He almost always barked at me (The only time he doesn't bark is when K is taking them on a walk or he is not out front.) and he took to leading a pack to challenge me whenever I was in the hay field. It didn't matter if I was directly across the street or 400 yards away, if he saw me he was barking and he and compatriots were coming. Initially, I didn't mind; if they got to a hundred yards or so, I'd yell "Go home!", the compatriots would turn around and boxer/pit bull would stop and would eventually follow in the retreat.
Then T´s dogs found their way to Ma & K. They basically took up residence and were there for at least three months (until the serious problems started and I started talking to the owners.) The pack, and they were a pack of seven, would routinely run through several surrounding properties at least once a day. (They were showing up on trail cameras, mine and two other neighbors' daily.)
Occasionally, the pack and I would meet in my woods. Even though I would call to them in a very friendly tone, the compatriots would scatter and the boxer/pit bull mix would saunter by me without a glance. Then, shortly before deer season, the boxer/pit bull didn't saunter. He tucked his tale between his legs, dropped to his belly and started crawling. While he was clearly being submissive, he was growling the whole time. He wouldn't pass me even when I moved 5 yards to my right. I had to turn my back before he would crawl by, growling all the way. While I was laughing at the funny site, I did keep an eye on him but I really didn't think he would come for me.
Deer season came and the behavior got worse. The pack was clearly running game. From my spot I watched them run deer and coyote. They were amazing to watch. The deer and coyote were fleeing in terror. The dogs coordinated their attack using a V pattern. The smaller dogs would come first taking the wings of the V. They were followed by the boxer/pit bull and T´s golden following in the center. If they could pen an animal in some woods, the smaller dogs would run the perimeter while the two big dogs would go in. I don't think they ever got a deer or a coyote but I did get several pics of the boxer/pit bull with smaller animals in his mouth. The deer stopped appearing during daylight and only came out between 30 to 15 minutes before sunrise and 15 to 30 minutes after sunset. I was not happy that my hunting time had been reduced to 30 minutes. I'm a meat hunter and these dogs were keeping meat off my table.
And then the real confrontation came. I was running late, entering my field 30 minutes before sunrise. I was 200 yards into my field. In the dim light, the boxer/pit bull saw me and started the charge. But this time, he was unfazed by his compatriots retreat. He kept coming. We faced off between three and five feet. I would have been bitten or mauled except for the walking stick and bow I was using to keep him back. (Bow in my left, stick in my right.) I have bitten by a couple of dogs in the past but none approached like this. He came in down low with back fur erect, snarling and teeth gnashing. The jab of my stick kept him back and the bow confused him slowing his charge. The stick got bit once but he quickly released when I shoved it farther into his mouth. If I had gone for my gun, he would have had me. The multiple charges lasted for probably only 15 seconds when he suddenly stopped and looked away. I used his distraction to take two steps back and catch a breath. When he looked back at me, he seemed confused by the extra distance and then suddenly and quietly walked off. I was shaking. I have never been attacked liked that. This wasn't going to be a bite, it was going to be a mauling.
For several hours I pondered what to do. I wasn't about to set foot on Ma & K´s ground. The boxer/pit bull had me truly scared. I didn't want to hurt anybody´s dogs but if the whole pack attacked, I would have no choice, if my wife or sons were with me I would have no choice, if I was getting mauled, I would have no choice. I went to Mo to vent and ask for Ma & K´s phone number. He was shocked. He didn't have their phone number. He said he had told T to get his dogs home several times. He said he wouldn't tell me what to do but he mentioned he had used SSS when a neighbor´s dog killed one of calves. He said he would tell T again to get his dogs home or they were going to disappear. He said that both T and he had noticed the change in deer patterns and that the dogs were also running his property. I thanked Mo and went back to my property.
I sat in my truck trying to think. I started walking back in 400+ yards from Ma & K´s when I noticed K come out to walk with the dogs. I hurried back to my truck and met her on the road. I wouldn't get out and the boxer/pit bull just watched me as we talked. I told her what had happened, that I was afraid of that dog and that, while I didn't want to hurt the dog, if he did that again I would probably put him down. She was very apologetic and very afraid of her dog getting killed. It was clear she thought of the dog as a child (even though the dog wasn't allowed in the house.) She said she would talk to Ma, that he would probably know what to do. The whole time the dog just watched me, not a peep out of him. I went home to take a break.
That evening Ma approached me as I returned. He was very apologetic. He begged me not to shoot his dog. He said he would figure something out. It was clear he thought of the dog as his child. He gave me his phone number and asked me to call him whenever I was coming to hunt so he could keep the dog inside when I was there. I thanked him and told him I didn't want to hurt the dog and that K and he were good neighbors. I said I would try to avoid hurting the dog, that I might even take a bite rather than hurt the dog but I wouldn't promise to that and that if a mauling started or if the dog approached my wife or child while on our property that I wouldn't hesitate to put it down. I made clear I didn't want to but that I would.
A few days later, Mo stopped to talk. T had taken his four dogs home and tied them up. I thanked him and told him the arrangement. He wished me luck with hunting.
Deer season dragged on with few sightings and always very close to dark. Each hunting trip, I called Ma and the dogs weren't to be seen while I was on my property but the boxer/pit and Ma & K´s other dogs kept showing on the trail cams. Several times they were joined by some dogs I hadn't seen before. The hunter of the 240 acres to the east stopped to talk. He was having no luck and complained that deer only showed close to dark. I told him my problem, his eyes lit up and said those dogs were showing on his cameras. He said he would be very tempted to fix that problem if those dogs ever appear in his crosshairs. I got shut out that season, no meat on the table.
After the season, Ma & K stopped me and in so many words said the boxer/pit start was going to start running again. I repeated that I didn't want to hurt any dog but I wouldn't guarantee that I would take a bite and that I wouldn't hesitate to protect my wife or sons. I told him that I had bought some mace and would try to use it if I could but I wouldn't promise. They both begged me not to hurt any of their dogs. Ma & K are good people and good neighbors but their willingness to let a vicious dog run unfettered concerned me. I was also concerned about P. At 80 something I don't think he couldn fend off an actual attack.
In February, Ma stopped me and asked if I had shot T´s golden. I was shocked and saddened to hear it had happened. I hadn't even seen that one since T took it home. Ma seemed to believe me but he was clearly angry over the claimed shooting.
I was becoming increasingly worried about crossing paths with the boxer/pit. He kept showing up on the cameras. It was going to happen. I did some research. In Kansas, it is only legal to shoot a dog in defense of life or livestock. In my county there is no leash law. I thought about trapping the dog and taking it to the pound but I was having trouble finding a pound in my county. Duh! No leash laws, no pound. I spoke with the sheriff. He reiterated the defense of life or livestock rule and stated that trapping could be construed as theft. He suggested rocksalt. I ruled out rocksalt as it has a very limited range meaning I would almost have to shoot the dog so close that it would most likely be coming straight at me. Blinding it would be a very real possibility, not something I was anxious to do. SSS was looking like the only real alternative. D***! I really didn't want to hurt the animal.
In March, P stopped me. The boxer/pit had pinned him while he was in his garage. The event was scarily similarly to my encounter. P had used a shovel to keep the dog back. He said next time he would just get his 22 and shoot the dog. I admire the old guy´s spunk but if he is caught in the open, he'd never make it to the 22. I prayed that the Lord would keep him safe.
The dog kept showing on my cameras. The confrontation was coming. I kept hoping somebody other than me would have to do it.
Today came. I was going to have to trim and mark the culvert across the street and down from Ma & K´s. I was so worried about the possible confrontation that I didn't even think to call Ma to ask he keep the boxer/pit in today. While I was trimming I could hear him barking but it was clear he was staying back. When I turned off the trimmer and went to mark, the boxer/pit started to approach. Barking, he got to the property line and started into the road. He was 100' away and approaching. I didn't want to back down to a dog while on my property but I didn't want to hurt him either. Besides Ma & K were good neighbors and think of the dog as their child. Then it dawned on me, I don't have my stick or any tool to keep him at bay. If he gets close, I'm getting bit. Now it was 75' I drew my 9mm and took careful aim. BOOM!!! A 9 with +P ammo is very loud. The boxer/pit jumped straight up. I looked at my wife in the truck. She was laughing hard. I hit exactly where I aimed, 5 to my right, where I knew I wouldn't hit the dog. The boom so scared the dog it bolted for home. I finished marking the culvert, got in the truck and drove to my gate. The boxer/pit was in a corner by their front door, shaking and looking at me as I drove by.
I called Ma and told him what had happened. I apologized for scaring his dog but pointed out that I had to do something. Ma was very appreciative of what I had done and thanked me sincerely. He said he had heard the shot. He hopes that the boxer/pit is now too scared to ever approach me again. I do too.
I really didn't like scaring the dog but I had to do something. The confrontation was approaching and I shouldn't have to run or avoid maintenance on my property because a neighbor won't control his pet. I don't want to shoot any dog but if any dog approaches me like that again or approaches my wife and sons like that while we are on our property, I will put that offending animal down. Here´s hoping the boxer/pit is forever scared of me and mine while we are on our property. He better, my wife and son´s also carry when they are on the ground.
Hopefully no animal worshipers are upset that I scared the dog. I had to do something. The dog is vicious. Around here, SSS is apparently the method used with problem animals. I may have very well saved that dog's life in the long run.
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