Hunter attacked by dogs

"Hunter in Georgia recovering after three dogs attacked him 'in a complete frenzy'"

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/hunter-georgia-recovering-three-dogs-attacked-him-complete-frenzy

I never go into the woods without heat

**I never go anywhere without heat.

Feral dogs are bad bad bad. No one believes me, those dogs people drop off in the woods because they were a PITA go wild and they change!

They won’t even bark at you. They form packs. Will sneak up on you and try to get you, they stalk people!

Used to walk around with a big rock in my hand when I was a kid just for smashing those damn strays in the head. They will hurt you bad.

Read that on FOX this am. That guy is very lucky it did not turn out a lot worse, bet he will never leave his vehicle without his phone and pistol.

298 punctures!!! Dude truly escaped with his life.

We have to “deal” with them once or twice year because of the cattle. Seems like they only become a problem when their are 3 or more.

In the past I’ve mentioned my encounter with a pack of dogs here on the place. Short version is that I went to see what the barking and baying was all about. I had a rifle with three rounds in it. Found where they were, in thick cover. Big dog saw me about the time I saw him, and he came at me with teeth bared. I eliminated that threat, but here came a second dog, teeth bared. When he was down, and I had one round left, here came two dogs and moving fast. I reflex shot at the bigger one, and they veered off and disappeared. After that I was shaking. A neighbor found the carcass of the 3rd dog the next day.

If they had come at me in a group, they’d have had me.

Feral packs of dogs living on their own are the most dangerous animals I have encountered in the woods. We lost 2 calves to a pack one year, that pack before we got it killed at least 10 calves and over 20 pigs from neighboring farmers combined before we got them taken care of. 3 well cared for family pet dogs were also lost to that pack. There have been others over they years but that was the worst pack numbers wise and cost to farmers that I remember.

Edit to add that this and some others were taken care of per instructions from the Sheriff and Game Warden

A LONG time ago “somebody” shot a dog that growled and showed its teeth to somebody’s little grandson on his own land at the house in the country. The owners had an idea who did it and called the sheriffs office. The sheriffs deputy showed up and explained that it is illegal to shoot another persons dog for any reason and that somebody ought to call the law and file a complaint.

Somebody thanked the deputy for his time and opened a couple of beers.

An old farmer told us many years ago:

"You get more than two boys or two dogs together and they are up to no good."

Shooting dogs makes my skin crawl and I hate, hate, hate having to do it. There is not a single time that I have done it that I can't remember perfectly and I regret what I did even though it was necessary.

Had a lease on the Brazos outside of Seymour a few years ago. One afternoon I was still hunting along the river looking for bedded down hogs when I heard lots of barking around a bend and across the river. When I got to see where all the commotion was going on it was a big pack of wild dogs. The lead dog saw me about the same time I saw them. He ran towards me a few steps then stopped to look back at his buddies. I put him down and the rest ran off. If they would have come at me as a pack I would have been screwed. I ask the landowner if he ever had any trouble with them and he said he would usually lose a calf or 2 to them yearly. It was known to all the local ranchers to shoot them on sight when seen.

This SOB and 2 of his buddies killed 2 40 lb feeder pigs on our place in October 2019. They jumped in the pen, ran them down, and began eating them. I killed his 2 buddies but never caught up with him. In the weeks proceeding our attack they pulled down 9 brangus cows on a neighbors place 2 miles east of us. I was contacted by a Texas Cattlemens Association investigator to give a statement as to what took place and provide pictures.
Enlarge the picture, and you can see the blood on his face, chest, and for legs.

^^^ Is that a ferel dog or someone's pet run amuck?

It was a pack of dogs that killed my livestock. More than likely someone's dogs gone wild. A report was provided to Texas Cattlemen Association so no wrong doing on my part.

I wasn't questioning your actions. The dog just seemed really healthy and normally when I see feral dogs they're kind of scrawny. Wasn't sure if it was a local dog that was just no good and causing problems.

Many years ago when I lived in NJ. I went late season small game hunting in the North west corner of the state. Mainly dairy farms, I happened across a most gruesome seen.
I saw dog tracks on the snow ( which was about a foot and a half deep) with about 3-4 dogs who were light enough to suspend on the surface however a couple of deer that kept breaking through the crust were being chased by this pack. At the time we had very few if any coyotes so these were local pets who kept chasing and harassing these poor deer
I followed the tracks for about a mile observing clumps of fur initially then blood splatter which got more and more dense. Eventually I came across a yearling buck with chunks of his hind quarters removed and some of his entrails exposed and eaten. The dog tracks were concentrated here and then disbursed however the blood splatter from the other couple deer went beyond this point.

What a horrible way to die with these uncontrolled domesticated dogs reverting back to their predatory instincts and killing these deer in a horrible and valueless manner,

I called the local game warden but have no idea if any action was taken.

Any dog without a collar and on someone else's land is feral and should be shot on sight, IMO.

That may be true but you have to consider consequences, you tangle with the wrong dog owner and that might get you killed.

Might want to check the law .

I've seen feral dogs in the SHNF, and know others who have as well. I think people come up from Houston and turn dogs loose. There's also a herd of cattle in there, I assume someone has a federal grazing lease or something though and not actual feral cattle.

I’ve read it on the THF before; shoot, shovel, and shut up.

I'll bet it's that final S in SSS that gets some in a bind.

I remember when I was a little bitty kid and dogs would show up at the house sometimes. Dad would leash them and take a walk. We'd hear the pop and he'd return with just the leash. It's been decades so I feel safe talking about it now. We never talked about it at the time. We weren't told as kids to keep it quite, I guess it was understood.

I grew up on a 160 acre farm that was close to a subdivision.

Many people in the subdivision would let their dogs run loose in the neighborhood and about once a year, we would get raided. Dead ducks and chickens all over the farm yard.

We knew quite a few people who lived there and they could not believe that their beloved fido would have anything to do with such an act. They were adamant about it.

Absolutely. No dog’s life is worth the problems it will likely cause.

As for the owner, they didn’t care enough to keep up with their dog, and there’s no reason they need to know about it.

Agree: If they cared about their dog in the least little bit, it would have a collar with tags showing ownership and vaccinations.
No collar, no owner = Feral

No collar doesn't mean no owner. The type of work that I do allows me to bring my dogs with me to work and they're with me 24/7. I don't keep a collar on them because they're never more than 50 ft away from me for pretty much their entire life. The only time I put a collar on them is when I need to walk them on a leash. One of my dogs is a Corgi mix that isn't going to be a threat to anyone, the other is a pitbull that is the biggest pansy that has ever walked on four legs. I had a third but I had to put her down last Monday.

Well, if they don’t stray from you, then you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.

They don't and I work in the city anyway. The only problem I ever had was once a neighbor of one of my clients ran outside and told me that he was going to shoot my dog if it got on his property. I told him to go get his gun that we will wait for him. The house wasn't even his; it belonged to his girlfriend and he was just the flavor of the year. She was old and kept younger men for live in boyfriends but normally kicked them out after about a year. None of them worked and she would support them. He was a California transplant to TX and would yell at me for all kinds of nonsense twice per week when I showed up and he knew everything. He even called the police on me and made something up to get them there and once they were there he told them that he was really calling because he thought my plates were fake and he only fessed up to that once I pointed out to the officers that I had been in view of 4 security cameras and could get the recording from them in a few minutes.

And what do you do about a dog with collar chasing deer on the lease?

Call HR and schedule a reeducation seminar for the dog and it's owner called "Running deer is bad...and illegal" Initiate progressive discipline.

Step one, issue a verbal warning, in writing of course.

Step two, initiate and complete the reeducation process. Steps 1 & 2 can be done concurrently.

Make them watch the whole 90 minute power point presentation, then take and pass (80% correct to pass) a multiple choice test to confirm that the message was understood.

Make sure to print out the certificate of completion, suitable for framing of course.

Problem solved.

If by some miracle the problem persists, proceed to step 3, which is the first written warning, followed by the second written and final warning.

If the problem persists, then initiate and execute termination. But it won't come to that as education is the answer to all of our challenges.

Thanks to genius, Rick Perry , it is illegal in TX to shoot a stray dog (or cat) unless you felt that you, your pet or your livestock are in danger of being harmed by it. Keep in mind, you do not have to have been harmed. You only have to believe you/yours was in danger. If/when there are no witnesses to say otherwise, I promise the dead (or even wounded) animal won't contradict you.

What dog?

#330 Conibears don't care if they have a collar on or not.

You’re not keeping up.

Do not, I repeat do not, shoot a border collie on a sheep/goat ranch.

Shot a nice greyhound on our property couple years back, it was chasing deer, had a collar, don’t care, keep your animals put up, hung the collar on the fence post, it was gone two days later, hope they learned a lesson

Pack of feral dogs came at me once. I didn't have my gun. In a fit of genius or, more likely, insanity, I growled as loud and angry as I could and ran right at them. They made an immediate about face. I don't know how "feral" they were but it worked. It has worked with aggressive dogs a time or two since. Sometimes giving them the unexpected can have positive consequences. Though, probably not always.

The same is true about many parents and their kids.

I dated a girl back in high school who's father was looking for the dog that was attacking their cows and horses. We all came home from church one morning and their German Shepard had a calf down in the pasture. First dog I have seen shot by a deacon still in his Sunday best. Just because it is a well fed pet, doesn't mean it won't attack farm animals.

Family in east Texas just had an issue with a Pack of wild dogs. 6 or 7 dogs, (2 looked like coyote mix) killed their Llama. Friend of theirs, with Night vision gear, killed 3 few nights later over the carcass. Another family member killed 1 or 2 more few days later. Years prior, he had issues with wild packs killing calves. They live near the Sabine River bottom and seems folks are always dropping off/abandoning dogs out there.

Or it's own human family, especially youngsters.

Canines are predators and will chase anything that runs. My little Corgi will chase you and try to herd you if you run away. I had a German Shepherd mix once that was raised up with a billy goat kid and they were best friends. They chased each other all over the pasture for fun but from the outside it would have looked like the dog was trying to kill the billy goat.

I had a lease a few years back that was backed up to a subdivision, and we had a pack of around six dogs with an alpha male
German Shepherd that led the pack of mostly mid size dogs down to a couple yappers.
You could hear them from a long ways off barking and baying.
I had a doe run past me that looked like it's eyes were about to bulge out of her head and tongue hanging out, shortly followed by the pack.
I never went out there without my Winchester even just to check feeders.
One day I heard them coming toward me and I froze, and as they came out of the brush they started growling and exposing their teeth as they moved toward me.
Like I said, I carried my 30-30 model 94 and I discouraged them!
I would never go into the woods without a firearm!
You want the carp scared out of you, just have a pack of wild dogs come up on you!
Very rarely will a wild animal attack a person for no reason.......Not a feral dog, because you become sport!

'Had some feral dogs in our old neighborhood. They were taken care of quietly before things got out of hand. My dad's dog was killed by wild dogs; Austin 1920s.

I've seen these guys in Zimbabwe more than once. True wild dogs. Pretty cool to watch, actually.

We were on a lease that backed up to a subdivision and there were dogs there. More than once they would come on the property and chase the deer. I never shot one but there were several killed. I think if cattle had been on the place they would have chased them as well.

It’s usually pretty easy to get a sense of the nature of the dog. We’ve had plenty of loose dogs on the ranch over the years. 90% are lost, excited to see people (many are scared at first and need some time to warm up to you though), and we’re taken to the county shelter. Had several follow ups from the owners thanking me for not doing what many on here would advocate to do.

Doesn’t mean I won’t protect myself or others from a violent dog, but the little bit of time it takes to evaluate and handle the dog is worth the effort.

Same goes for livestock guard dogs on those same properties.

Very unlikely a single dog would be able to take down a deer. He is just learning that. No you just don't shoot collared dogs.

I was out filling my feeder and I heard a dog barking coming in my direction.
I paused to watch, and as the dog got closer I noticed it was collared as it was running down past me on a powerline.
The dog was obviously chasing, but I didn't see anything but the dog.
Shortly after the dog went by me a ranch hand on his horse came riding up and he told us that it was his dog.
He was rounding up a stray calf that was still in the pasture after he had hauled the other cows out a week earlier.
More often than not a dog with a collar will have it's owner not very far away!

Other than eating every single thing including the antlers how is a dog killing a deer any different than one of us killing a deer?

The dog doesn't pay for the opportunity.

They are incapable of doing so and neither is my 13 year old nephew but he has taken deer every year since he was 7 on land that I didn't have to pay to hunt on either.

Maybe some hunters just get irritated by extra competition. If they get old enough and cranky enough they may start to feel the same way about other hunters as they feel about dogs chasing "Their" deer.

maybe the burden of proof isnt to prove it was chasing live stock or attacking a human, burden of proof is on the state or dog owner to prove it wasnt chasing or not attacking.

we lived on our ranch near Fort Hood some years ago - people would get transferred and just drop their dogs off on the side of the road and I assumed many of them were from there. The dogs were running in packs and chasing down the livestock - not a safe situation IMO

From what I have seen, the dogs do it for sport. Kill one, then head out after another one, then another one. At least that is what they did to my chickens.

THIS. I run cattle and have many pastures. This is an unwritten rule among all the ranchers and farmers around me. Have personally seen dogs circling a few of my herds in pack behavior, especially if there is a fresh calf. They get "dealt" with in a final way. When city folk move out here a few of them think its ok to let their beloved pet run loose, They don't come home.

I have 4 dogs and they are in an acre of fenced in yard. My job as a responsible pet owner to kept them in that yard. They get out and get "dealt" with by another rancher or farmer, its on me.

Texas Statute Law Section 822.013.

It really is pretty simple.

I am trying to figure out how pertinent this to people who hunt on land they own or who pay handsomely for trespass rights to hunt.

Other than species how is it any different for me to shoot a coyote or a dog or bobcat or a snake? If I don't want them on my land, killing them is the most effective way to remove them permanently.

Folks put way too much value on animals.

My point is that dogs are just dogs. They are completely dependent on people and if a person drops the ball it is not the dogs fault and they do what they can to survive. They have no concept of trespassing and if they knew they would be killed for it they would avoid doing it. I understand killing ones that are causing damage or are a threat but killing them just because you see them is uncalled for. If they can be helped then get them to a shelter, if they are causing problems kill them, if they are minding their own business and just passing through then just let them pass. The best dogs I have had are ones that I picked up wandering in the country or starving on the side of the road.

I didn't really see where anyone was advocating an indiscriminate shooting of all mutts out there, but considering your thinking, I find myself realizing the problems created by others should be forced upon us and that we should shoulder the burden of correcting them. Now I get how you have come up with your stance on decriminalizing drugs.

Whether you lease or own the land, chances are the deer are not yours, right? You are talking about whitetail that occurs in the area, naturally? Not your deer. They belong to the state. You don't have the legal right to shoot at somebody else's dog (or a stray) chasing deer. I know people make a big deal about whether or not a collar is on the dog(s) and it doesn't matter as collars don't determine status of the dog. The deer are the state's property and unless you are an agent for the state, you don't get to use lethal force protecting somebody else's property.

It is kind of like when you shoot a nice buck on your place and your neighbor goes wild because you shot HIS deer that he had been feeding and watching for the last 2 years...when neither of you ever owned the living deer, but your neighbor thinks it was his.

You can't shoot at dogs simply because they are on your property and might chase the cattle. If they are actively trying to harm your cattle on your land, you can shoot them whether they are your pet, your neighbor's prized bulldog, or a stray.

At least this is what I have in my notes from going through Hunter's Ed with my daughter. We had some guy that was bent on shooting dogs that crossed his property (didn't even own livestock or pets). The game warden teaching the class said that if he was called out to his house because he was shooting dogs, the homeowner would probably have a hard time coming up with an "articulable justification" for shooting the dogs for simply being present.

With that said, people do it all the time. Getting caught is rare. All I am saying is that you could be in trouble for shooting dogs and that the justification for doing so being that they are chasing deer or might have chased cattle in the past isn't going to fly as a legal justification if you are caught.

My views on drugs are mostly selfish; I care about civil liberties and limiting the power of government. My civil rights have been eroded in the name of fighting the war on drugs and so have yours even if you won't acknowledge that. There is absolutely no abuse of power by government that cannot be excused when they are trying to do something for your own good. Haven't you heard the phrase that the path to hell is paved with good intentions?

My view on how to handle wild dogs stems from my humanity and desire to help things that are innocent and helpless by themselves. Dogs have been beside mankind since before recorded history and they have earned our consideration and sympathy. Druggies on the other hand were perfectly capable of making up their own minds and chose to do something stupid, screw them. They can have as much dope as they want until it kills them.

Let me get this straight, feral dogs deserve more respect than human druggies? Is that right?

Absolutely. I will shoot a human druggie that's trying to cause me harm a lot quicker than I will shoot a dog. One got themselves into that circumstance by choice and the other is a victim of circumstances outside of their control. I don't have much sympathy for addicts or any at all because their actions have impacted my life and everyone's life that lives in the United States. Were it legal to do so I would walk around killing all of the methed out lunatics that live under bridges by my house but I pick up stray dogs and try to find them homes. I also donate a few thousand dollars per year to various animal shelters but I won't give a cent to homeless shelters.

The hope here is I never fail you.

Also hope you never ever run across my meth smoking former city councilman friend. Graduated scotch to smoking meth and never did the weed thing. Don't know how it happened. We no longer communicate cuz I don't trust a druggie. I'd help him before I helped a dog.

Dogs before humans, what is this society coming to?

Dogs I can deal with, their problems are very very very very simple and there's usually hope for all of them. I've had my fill of trying to help druggies, it pretty much can't be done and at some point they're beyond recovery and just need to be killed. Don't get me wrong though, I do help people that are down and out. I have a woman living in my guest house as I type this because she got kicked out of her apartment and has nowhere to go. At the moment I'm trying to get her a new green card and a passport and I've lent her one of my cars and she receives some financial support. . Please don't let me give you the impression that she is a stranger, she's someone I've known for the better part of 15 years.

Is she hot?

^^^^ She was when I met her. She's a cute Scott's woman and I met her when she was dancing at The Lodge. I'm married now and my wife knows that the two of us have history but she's also someone that was invited to our wedding and is a friend to both of us.

My Man.

Looks like I was successful at changing the direction of this thread.

You’ve got to be kidding me…..

Well trained dogs pay for hunting licenses and abide by the tag limits

Back on point here. Please try not to shoot dogs if you can avoid doing so. They are worthy of being given the benefit of the doubt.

It's not my responsibility to keep dogs off of my ranch. The dog's owner has that job. Anything pit or a pit mix dies. I don't consider those dogs because they have been bred to be weapons.

Have you ever listened to the gun control groups screeching about horrible weapons of war on our streets? What is wrong with a weapon of one type but not another? I am not conceding that a pit is weapon but they are tough dogs. I have one now and he is a pansy without an ounce of malice or meanness in him. Not much in the brain department either but he is very sweet.

A dog is also not remote controlled toy that the owner sends onto your property just to get under your skin. It is a domestic animal that as likely as not is just wondering around playing.

When I was growing up the town did not have leash laws and when I got off of the school bus every afternoon a bunch of dogs were waiting to go play and I had a blast doing so. Them wandering around never really caused any problems except one occasionally knocking over a trash can. I had a golden and a mutt thay looked like a big weiner hound. During the day they would wander around and go visit all of our neighbors who they knew.

I dealt with pits attacking people for many years. They are weapons that can go off without anyone needed to pull the trigger. That’s the difference.

You just can’t reason with some people.

I deal with aggressive dogs on a regular basis and you will laugh when I tell you this. The only dogs that I can consistently count on being bit by are a Bichon Frise. For what ever reason those little S-Heads bite me every time and you would be hard pressed to call one of those fluff balls aggressive. Nothing else bites me, not pits, Akitas, shephards, dobermans, rotties, nothing.

Pits are not necessarily a bad dog but they are powerful and can mess things up when they do start tearing into things. Personally I have never had an issue with one and I have picked up feral strays off of the street before and found them homes or kept them as pets. Can't tell you why but dogs love me and that has been the case since I was a little kid sneaking out of my room at night to go sleep with my next door neighbors coon hunting dogs in their kennels. I was doing that a 3 or 4 years old.

Yep. Soundness of heart doesn’t make up for softness of head.

Amen brother....

As some know, I do a lot of farm & ranch insurance. I often find myself in rural environments and am constantly on the look out. I have gotten into it with many a dog. I am aggressive and go after them if they show any type of attitude. As someone said earlier, they just don't know how to take that. Have learned you've got to watch the quiet ones. I am not going near a pit, plain & simple. No need. Ain't gonna happen. We've gotten away from wild dogs out in the pasture, but realize personal liability lawsuits paid out by insurance companies are dominated by dog claims.

Didn't buy a license from the state.

The more people I meet, the more I like my dogs.

Yep. Put your dog and your wife in the trunk of a car, leave them in there for a few hours and see which one is happy to see you when the trunk lid is opened.

Said every pit owner whos dog just bit the face off a kid or tore into/killed another human without cause. Along with: " He's never done that before."

You act like he hasn't been around infants before. My wife is pregnant with twins and my dog will be a part of their life once they are born. He found a litter of kittens and played with them. Any dog has the potential to cause harm the same way a person has that potential.

Feminist make the same claim about men using your logic. Many of them believe that all men are rapist even the ones that haven't raped anyone yet. It is much safer to say that more men are rapist then dogs are killers of people so who should people be afraid of more?

Yep, you sound like a pit owner. Hope it works out for you.

Yes, I do own a pitbull. I've commented on that fact multiple times through this thread. A child, your child, or anyone's child has a much greater probability of dying in a car crash than being attacked and killed by a dog. And yet as I drive around every day I see children riding in cars. Some people are bad drivers and they still drive with their children, some people drive drunk with their children, some people drive cars that are not in a safe mechanical condition and they still drive with their children in them. Some dog owners are also irresponsible.

When I was in my early teens a neighbor had their infant mauled to death by a golden retriever. I don't hear people bad-mouthing golden retrievers because of that. One of the people that made national news had to have a face transplant because of a mauling from a black lab. No one talks bad about black labs. Another woman who oddly enough had to have a face transplant was mauled by a chimpanzee that was a pet. The chimp had a history of aggression and Animal Control kept returning it to her. She won a near 8 million settlement against the state for failing to euthanize the chimpanzee even though she fought tooth and nail to get it back from them. Don't recall anyone getting upset about chimpanzees. When I was about 7 years old I got absolutely shredded by an alley cat that I was trying to help and left a dripping blood trail all the way home. To me cats are more unpredictable than a dog is, their body language is much harder to read. Dogs on the other hand are extremely easy to read and if you understand the cues that they are giving you even the most aggressive dog assuming that it wasn't trained to attack and being ordered to do so you can get to back off, or at least I can.

I have a wealthy client and they have a fleet of pitbulls. When their daughter was four or five she would come out to see me when I was there to clean their pool and the dogs would basically surround her and protect her. They would watch me and they were absolutely trembling waiting for me to show some signs of aggression to that little girl. It was like watching a toddler walk around with a loaded shotgun. After a while the dogs realized I was basically family and they loved me like they loved their actual family. That little girl is now in her twenties and is quite successful despite living amongst a bunch of pit bulls from the moment she was born. Golly gee, it must be a miracle that she survived.

Males can live in fear, men don't.

Edit: Now that I think about it it's probably a pretty safe bet to say that more parents or guardians kill their children every year then children die from dog attacks. I'll have to do some research when I'm at home on my computer instead of on a phone to find out if that is actually true.

Good for you. I am trying to understand why so many insurance companies place automatic canine exclusions on pit bulls and other dog breeds with a tendency to generate large claims. I wonder what they are thinking?

Oh, I forgot. Actuaries don't rely on their feelings and rely on numbers (proven performance).

Yes, and last year insurer's paid out 797 million dollars in claims for dog bites in 2022 in the US.

FYI: There is no such dog as a pitbull. The AKC doesn't recognize it as a breed.

Who the heck cares (rats arse comes to mind) if it is a recognized breed, big deal and an irrelevant smoke screen. Someone else said it about porn, I know it when I see it.

Look up Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

My point was people referring to pit bulls when what they're actually describing are physical characteristics of certain breeds of dogs. Broadhead, muscular build, significant taper to their bodies, Etc.

American bulldogs, American Staffordshire terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers, English terriers, boxers, these are all dogs that frequently get categorized as pitbulls. I DNA tested my dog to find out exactly what he was. Considering that all of the dogs that are categorized as pit bulls are probably the most abused animals in the United States it's no wonder they have a bad reputation.

Born and raised in the Country. It was an understanding that Any dog on your property was there to kill your livestock. Heck we would put down our own dogs that couldn't learn to not kill chickens. That happened only once that I can remember. If they killed one chicken my father would tie that dead chicken to the dogs neck in a way they couldn't get to it. He would leave it there for 2-3 weeks. After that most dogs would let a chicken stand on their back without showing any signs of aggression, or they would just walk the other way. Same dogs knew they could hunt and kill rabbits and racoons. Most learned to leave skunks and porcupines alone after one encounter.

Yep

I’m confused… dogs attacked a hunter and somehow we are being lectured about using selfdefense on a dog.

Only by one idiot….

That's how it started. I mentioned that I've had to shoot dogs before and didn't like it and wish that I hadn't had to do it. Then everyone started bragging about how they'll shoot any dog that's on their property blah blah blah blah blah and I said that restraint should be used in shooting dogs and it kind of spun off from there. Now we're at a point where some retired curmudgeon is calling dogs that are muscled with broad heads deadly weapons that he will shoot on sight and I said that's ridiculous and laid out my case for not killing them based on their looks alone.

I'll lay out my case one more time. Kill problem dogs, it's perfectly acceptable. Don't kill a dog just because you see one. Utilize restraint.

Add me to the list....all get dispatched if I encounter. To each his own...

Question for all you dog killers……do you let your neighbor know you killed their dog, or do you act like a sissy and pretend you don’t know anything about it after you do it? Just wondering what is proper etiquette when shooting dogs?

We do have laws that permit killing of nuisance animals but we also have laws that prevent killing them if they are not a threat. It's called animal cruelty and it's been the law of Texas for a few years. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your perspective whether or not that animal is a threat is up to your discretion. All that I ask is that you truly utilize discretion and only shoot animals that are a real threat. You're free to do as you choose and I'm free to try to influence you to do as I would do. It doesn't mean I'm going to influence you and it doesn't mean that you're going to change my mind either.

They all keep it to themselves except for my mean [censored] old stepdad. He'll go pounding on someone's door yelling at them that he had to shoot their dog for getting after his cows, or horses, or chickens. He even got in trouble once for blasting a dog when a school bus was picking up some kids. I say he got in trouble, they just sent a deputy out and I was the one that talked to the deputy.

I have a former friend and just heard through the grapevine that someone shot his dog and he lives out in the middle of nowhere. I know the man and I've known him for 25 years. If he finds out who shot his dog he's going to kill them no ifs ands or buts about it. I also know him well enough to know that he's probably just going to pick someone that he thinks killed his dog if he can't nail down exactly who did it and he's going to kill them and I have absolutely zero doubt in my mind that is going to happen and for all I know it may have already happened.

Dude...this was about shooting dogs attacking a person....

Do you kill venomous snakes (or any snakes for that matter)?

I fully support killing dogs that are attacking a person and I voiced that on the first page of this thread I believe. Other people chimed in and said that they would shoot every dog and I asked that they only shoot dogs that are posing a legitimate threat instead of just walking by.

Snakes don't bother me and I come across them almost weekly during warm weather. I don't normally kill them, I usually just pick them up and relocate them away from where I'm trying to do work. If God thought snakes weren't useful he wouldn't have made snakes. I've had the pleasure of traveling down to Argentina and the Gauchos on the ranches down there will not kill rattlesnakes because they know that if they do they will be overrun with rats.

These threads always smoke out the folks who have zero knowledge or experience about owning and managing a ranch for livestock as well as wildlife.

I assume you're directing that at me and while I've never worked a ranch for a living I have had quite a bit of land that I put cattle on for an AG exemption and sold them when they hit about 3 years old or a bit less. Never did the auction thing but instead sold them to butchers around Dallas at a price that we thought was fair to both of us. After about 8 years of messing with that I decided it was easier just to lease out the grazing rights and that's what I've been doing for quite a while now. Never had a problem with dogs but coyotes would attack calves so I bought a donkey to keep guard and they killed coyotes pretty regularly. Dogs would get dumped out there occasionally and I found a lady that does a pitbull rescue out by Lake Worth that I would more often than not take them to even though it was quite the drive for me. I mentioned that I support animal shelters or rescues earlier in this thread and hers is one of them. The other one is out by Cedar Creek Lake.

Oh, you take them to a shelter so they can kill them.

A trio of local dogs (to my hunting area) ran in one afternoon. I killed the Pit Bull, scared the hound within an inch of his life & I had no idea a Weenie dog could run so fast.

Ok. You must get a lot out of the grapevine.

Is that an implication that I drink? I grew up Mormon although I'm not one today. I'm a very moderate drinker.

The Grapevine I'm referring to was me talking to someone I haven't spoken with in a year and they mentioned that the other guy's dog had been shot.

They are both no kill shelters and when they come up short on funds to feed the dogs I'll have a local feed mill deliver a pallet of dog food to them.

Just let me know when your ex-friend kills some guy. Anybody. Sounds like it’s imminent. Frankly, it really sounds like yet another load of crap.

1). Legalize drugs
2). Pits are undeniably good
3). Watch out my ex-friend is gonna go postal.
4). Who knows what is next.

The ex friend hasn't spoken to me in about 4 years because he was convinced I was a federal agent out to get him because a couple of my shooting buddies work in federal law enforcement. He is a lunatic. I shouldn't have antagonized him. When he accused me of being a Fed I told him that I was a contractor for the FBI and that I was in charge of "Operation piddle sniff" where I installed special sensors on rich people's toilets so we could find out what kind of drugs they use to blackmail them. I shouldn't have said something like that but I really couldn't help myself because it was hysterical when I was doing it.

I never said pits are undeniably good. They are as bad or as good as they are raised up to be. The majority of them out there in bad home environments are extremely abused and because of that they become quite aggressive and dangerous. When I find one like that is redeemable I do my best to get them into a good home. It really doesn't take much effort to rehab a dog.

The ex-girlfriend I was referring to sometime back Works under the professional name Mistress Daria. Feel free to look her up but make sure your wife doesn't check your computers history when you do so. We split 11 years ago and I haven't spoken with her in several years. She wasn't the only woman in that industry that I've dated, it's kind of a small group of men who can deal with someone like that and it makes you quite popular and a commodity.

What's next? Who knows. Keep posting topics that are near and dear to my heart and something might pop out.

Enough.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SXjX-9DvrLo

Haven't you heard? There's no such thing as a pit...



And those ^^^^^ are just "fatalities"...not attacks and injuries....those two categories are clearly chihuahuas....

So true!

When people say Pitbull they're usually describing the physical characteristics of the dog, muscled build, short nose, broad head. Even though there is no specific breed of pitbull I along with everyone else refers to dogs like that as pit bulls. The dog I have now that I call a pitbull is really a mix of three different types of dogs and that was verified through DNA testing. Unless every dog on that list that is called a pitbull had a DNA test then we don't really know what they are and we just throw them in the category called pit bulls.

Now break down deaths of Americans who are murdered by the race of the murderers and after that break down the deaths of Americans killed in car crashes by the make of the vehicle that killed them. Given what you did for a living for a long time I know you have a pretty strong opinion on the part that I highlighted that is backed up by a lot of experience and I ask you if we should just shoot them on sight as well or if we should just look at every case as an individual case instead of catching everyone in the same net. Please remember the definition of prejudice. One of it's meanings is prejudging something based on appearance.

When I'm looking at that chart I see less than 400 people that have died from dog attacks in a 12-year time frame. Probably 3 times that amount have died choking on their own food in the same time frame. If you're really worried about people dying we can save nearly a million people per year if we outlaw alcohol, tobacco, the wheel, and firearms. I've often seen it quoted that doctors accidentally kill anywhere from 250,000 to 300,000 people per year by medical mistakes so maybe we should outlaw doctors at the same time.

Y'all made my day with this.

Most if not all dog problems begin as people problems. Most people that own dogs have no problems with their animals. Some people do not need to own dogs or have kids, but this does not slow them down. And of course there are some that cannot control their dogs or their kids. We have prisons for their kids, which are overflowing as we all know. Have you ever noticed that people that do not have very many earthly possessions seem to have numerous kids and numerous pets? It is like they may not have very much, but they try to make up for it in kids and pets. I wonder if there is any correlation between a pack of feral dogs and the gangs that are present in any of our large cities?

No batteries required…..

I think you are way way way more right than you are wrong. The packs of wild dogs are from neglect of the dogs because dogs really don't have a choice in how they're treated. The gangs are more of a cultural issue. There's just some groups if you put them together in mass they will start to divvy up into gangs even if they're killing their neighbors who they grew up with. Just something wonky about the culture. It's sort of like dogs hiking their legs on fire hydrants.

I don't know why you're calling me a troll. At the end of the argument I'm agreeing with almost everything that everyone else is saying. There are laws on both sides of shooting dogs. One set of laws is designed to prevent animal cruelty and the other set of laws is to protect property. My only argument is that I believe killing should be done selectively instead of indiscriminately. If you believe that selective killing is killing them all then that is up to the individual and I'm just voicing my opinion. Not every dog that wanders by is deserving of a death sentence, I know it's work but there are animals out there that are worth preserving. As animals go dogs have a special place alongside people and we have an extremely long history with them. When in doubt err on the side of preserving life even if that life is your livestock that you are protecting by killing a dog.

You guys are 6 days into arguing about this, on the internet. Either pull your skirts up and duke it out in person somewhere or STFU. No wonder this forum is losing good members.

Should we call the police and report that someone is forcing you to read this thread?

Considering how many people I've met off of this forum that I really like I would be happy to meet any of y'all for lunch one afternoon, on me. Y'all could even show up wearing a skirt and while I might rib you a little bit about wearing something like that it wouldn't bother me all that much.

Hang on a minute, are these HF or LF pit bulls we're talking about? I may need to jump in here.

Aka….”AB Assault Dogs”

This one is lame compared to the shooting turtles thread that was on here years ago.

That one was epic….right up there with “Cody’s Llama”…

Yes, it was! I so wanna post a quote or two from that thread!

I remember the guy saying turtles were a keystone species and was appalled that I was shooting them. I told him Texas is the patron state of shooting turtles in a tank. I’m pretty sure he would have killed me through my computer if he could have.

Yes, it was! I so wanna post a quote or two from that thread!


-Cody "He rapes goats"

The Shooting Turtles thread, Cody's Lama and Dustin shooting the paint cans are all classics. There was a good one about Emus as well.

Well, this thread took an interesting turn.

I just reread the turtle thread. Classic!

Link please sir!

https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-el...neighborhood-walk-ends-being-dragged-dog

Staffordshire Terriers, Aka pit bulls.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/moments-fatal-florida-gator-attack-183316920.html

All animals are dangerous, even humans.

Posting about alligators killing people is a much more acurate comparison than I think you intended.

I kill the alligators too. If some rabbits show up that have been bred to be killing machines, they will be next.

If the rabbits show up please message me and I’ll bring the ammo and beer, I want to watch

81 year old San Antonio man killed yesterday by a couple of dogs who strongly resemble a breed not recognized by the AKC.

Edit added - paper indicates the dogs were Staffordshire Terrors. Firemen had to fight off the dogs with picks and shovels with their attempt to aid the victim. Only three of them were bit.

It was done deliberately to be funny.

I have a gater hide hanging on my wall; legally harvested a few years ago. It was killed because it ate a few dogs.

Pits haven't been bred to be killing machines and if they were a piss poor job of doing so was done considering how few people get killed by them. They don't get very big and compared to many other breeds their bite isn't anything remarkable. If they were not abused by the tens of thousands we would never hear a thing about them.

In 2020 4,693 died from choking on their food in the US. 5,228 died the year before, and 5,084 the year before that.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/527321/deaths-due-to-choking-in-the-us/

So I am getting pits are not the problem, it is the people that are attracted to them which is the issue. Hmmm . . . .

I would say that it's 15% the dog and 85% the people. If you treat any animal bad they can cause harm.

I ran across the lady out by Lake Tawakoni that breeds pitbulls and sells them and her dogs are little angels and complete sweethearts. Just a few blocks away from her there's some people that have quite a few pit bulls and you're taking your life into your hands going around them.

Some people screw up everything they touch, their neighborhoods, their families, their friends, their acquaintances. It's not exactly shocking that they screw up their dogs as well.

As I mentioned earlier in this post I have a very wealthy client and they have had nothing but pit bulls in the 20 plus years I've known them. One of them they loved so much that when he died they built a tomb for him and have a life-sized cast bronze statue of him on top of it. If anyone wants a bad mouth pitbulls y'all need to ask yourselves what the people I'm describing know that you don't. They can have absolutely any dog their heart desires and what they pick are pit bulls.

My mind has been changed. I got this one. I named him snuggles.

One dead or wounded person by a dog is one to many regardless of circumstance. No excuse.

Bears kill about 1 or 2 people per year. Would you argue they are not dangerous because more people die of cancer?

That's exactly what the gun control group say about AR-15s or any guns for that matter.

Pits aren't the only type of dog that kills people. Once you get rid of the pits where do you draw the line? Earlier in this thread I mentioned that someone in my neighborhood had their infant mauled to death by a Golden Retriever when I was in my early teens. You want to get rid of them too? I have a client who's in her early seventies with a scar on her face from when she was attacked by an Irish Setter in her mid teens. Get rid of all of them also?

I've walked right up on black bear before and they didn't give me a second look. I might not have been that lucky if I did that a few more times but they didn't get me those times. There's also difference between a domesticated animal and a wild animal. I know someone that was killed by their horse but it doesn't mean I'm afraid of horses. You just have to be cautious around any animal and dogs are no exception.

AR-15's don't kill people by themselves, pit bulls do though.

Assuming the dog had a good temperament I would take a dog like that in a heartbeat. I had one similar and named him Kitty so I guess Snuggles would be just as appropriate.

I have a neighbor with a female pit of similar build named Billie and she is adorable towards people but she's dominant aggressive towards animals. She doesn't harm them, but she will tackle them and flip them so he's very cautious when walking her. She loves my pit and my Corgi though.

Wow. Just read this thread after being delayed 3 hours at dfw. Observations:
* ranchers do what is needed
* always carry heat
* take out the leader first
* yes, shelters kill puppy dogs
* pits have a passionate following (majority of folks like me will never understand taking on the risk of having one in our homes)
* some members love to argue

You are parroting the talking points of gun control groups when you say things like this.

Those rabbits have a mean streak a mile wide.

Pits lead the way. Apparently its a great honor to hold that statistic

all breeds have been bred for a purpose, play with fire you get burned eventually

I was around a pit a lot for 5+ years, hauled her from Garland to Lampasas county for a friend. One morning headed in the house same dog attacked, I was able to kick her back several times before My boot hit the side of her head and she grabbed my leg then when she let go got my hand, broke the little finger about that time he got out the door and got the dog. Next morning I went in for my coffee and he ask if I saw the dog and I had not and he ask what I would do if I did and she came at me again. Pulled the pistol out and said kill her.

Later in the day he ask if I would really shoot the dog and I said if she attacked again hell yes. Might not ever be invited back but ok. His wife spoke up and said it would be the best thing she ever got for Christmas which was a week or so away if I did kill the dog.

You're doing the exact same thing the gun control groups have been trying to do. They've been wanting to publish pictures of all the kids shot in school shootings in an effort to get their point across. The world sucks, innocent people die, sometimes bad things happen to good people. If you really want to see horror go visit a pediatric oncology Ward.

No amount of rationalizing, getting upset, pointing out how horrible things are or how dangerous they are is going to change my mind anymore than I let the gun control groups tell me that I shouldn't be allowed to have a semi-automatic rifle chambered in an underpowered varmint cartridge. More children are killed by automobile crashes every year then have been killed by dogs in the past 30 years. Want me to show you some pictures of dead kids?

No, you are comparing an Inanimate object to a living organism that was bred for a specific disposition to attack and kill. Inanimate objects dont do that on their own.


justify your need for a pit all you want, play with fire long enough you get burned, i hope its not someones kid when you do.

The being anti pit bull is somehow supporting gun control analogy is pretty dull.

I'm comparing the rhetoric and the tactics being used to the ones being used by gun control groups. The words being used by people advocating against pitbulls and the words being used by people advocating against Firearms are the exact same and the arguments are the same.

You can make the same argument about playing with fire for anything. Drive enough and you're going to get in a car crash. Be an unescorted woman walking in a bad area enough times and you're going to get raped. Drink enough by yourself in a bar if you're an attractive woman and eventually you're going to get roofied. Take enough plane trips and eventually the planes going to get hijacked and crashed into some buildings. Every single thing in life is a calculated risk. Do you hand load? Eventually you're going to have something go wrong. Hunting? Eventually you're going to have a mild heart attack while out in the field by yourself and you're going to die because no one is there to help you. I could go on and on and on Ad nauseam but it's kind of pointless. I'm always going to own dogs and some of them might be considered pit bulls.

Go into the bad parts of South Dallas and walk around. It will take you 2 minutes to find a homeless, starved, and abused pitbull. It's not shocking that a dog in those circumstances can behave aggressively and hurt someone. You could make the same claim for the people living there as well.

https://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4271015

I love dogs more than many humans. And terrible people are good at dropping dogs off on our county roads.

One pit bull came up to the house and wouldn't ya know it, got a hit aggressive with my German Shepherd. That one is not with us anymore. The next dumped dog was a sub-year old yellow Labrador. Nice squared up sit right at the front door. Timid and scared. They know that I'm not out to hurt them, so that one was comforted by me trying to get it water and I was very easy with it. The Lab went to the pound to try and give it a chance.

Statistics are statistics. And I've spent way too may years around Labradors to know their norm. I also know the norm on the Pit Bulls. Real easy evidence to sift through.

so would you buy a kid a a bucking horse colt or fighting Bull calf that has a long linage of documented genes with a high disposition in wanting to stomp your head in? Bet that FFA show is intetesting

^^^ That is funny.

My friend had a red nose pit female and he was big into wake boarding. He couldn't take her on the boat because she kept trying to rescue everyone when they fell.

In 09' I got an American Bulldog chocolate lab mix puppy from a board member and she was quite the aggressive little lady but had huge mommy instincts. The first time she saw some kids yelling in a pool while they were swimming she freaked out, jumped in and started pulling them out one by one. She was frantic and had thought that they were drowning.

I don't know anything about the 2 animals you mentioned.

They arrested the pit bull owner in San Antonio.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...oodthirsty-dogs-mauled-man-81-death.html

In the face of numerous examples and contrary opinions, the ardent digging in showing so much virtue in the ignominious positions gets me to thinking someone here could well be very good as the next White House Press Secretary.

My family grew up with chows. My granddad my uncle and our family. They have a reputation for biting strangers that come into the house. I think in all three of our families, that may have happened once over 8-9 dogs. But I'm definitely not going to defend the breed to anyone by stating how great they are, my fansastic experiences with them or, no, their reputation is incorrect for x, y and z reasons.

Breeds have earned their reputations. For our chows, maybe one or two of those eight or nine dogs would tolerate strangers coming to the house. It's what it is and aligns with the breed's inherent chacteristics.

I would recommend we stop trying to argue the virtue of pitbulls. Instead, accept that 95% of folks have a strong dislike and distrust of them, and may even wonder about the owners. It's what it is.

Back to the point of the original topuc. Lesson is we have to be careful in the woods and anywhere around loose dogs or breeds with reputations, like chows or staffies. You just never know. Just always be ready.

I’ve HAD to kill a couple of dogs that were overly aggressive to me, other family members, livestock, etc. It’s not something I look forward to but is also not something I’ve regretted.

I once told a neighbor to keep his dogs off my land and away from my house. His dogs came up missing and we haven’t spoken in over 20 years. OK

There was a case in north Texas some years back where a dope dealer had his door kicked in during a raid and his pits attacked the officers. The officers claimed that he had specifically trained the dogs to attack police and he got charged with aggravated assault on a police officer. He got 40 years for it. I thought the claim that he trained the dogs specifically to attack officers was preposterous because any dog that is of an aggressive breed will challenge an invader into their home turf.

There was also a case out of Northern California where a man was in prison and left his two Pitbulls with his attorneys to watch. The attorneys and did not know how to handle the dogs and let them out their front door without a leash on when the dogs were making a commotion. The dogs attacked a small dog that was on a leash and when the woman who owned the dog tried to intervene the dogs attacked her and killed her. The owner of the dog who had not seen the dogs in 2 years because he was in prison was charged with the woman's death and was convicted. Because of his prior convictions California was able to enhance the sentence and he is serving life. I do not specifically recall this to be the case but I think the attorneys were also convicted in the woman's death.


Edit: Dig a bit deeper into the article you posted a link to and read the details posted in other stories about the event. How he keep the dogs is text book abuse and it pretty much guarantees an aggressive and unmanageable animal. Unfortunately many people believe that keeping a dog chained up in a yard is appropriate. There is a reason it is illegal to do so in Texas.

There was a case in north Texas some years back where a dope dealer had his door kicked in during a raid and his pits attacked the officers. The officers claimed that he had specifically trained the dogs to attack police and he got charged with aggravated assault on a police officer. He got 40 years for it. I thought the claim that he trained the dogs specifically to attack officers was preposterous because any dog that is of an aggressive breed will challenge an invader into their home turf.

There was also a case out of Northern California where a man was in prison and left his two Pitbulls with his attorneys to watch. The attorneys and did not know how to handle the dogs and let them out their front door without a leash on when the dogs were making a commotion. The dogs attacked a small dog that was on a leash and when the woman who owned the dog tried to intervene the dogs attacked her and killed her. The owner of the dog who had not seen the dogs in 2 years because he was in prison was charged with the woman's death and was convicted. Because of his prior convictions California was able to enhance the sentence and he is serving life. I do not specifically recall this to be the case but I think the attorneys were also convicted in the woman's death.


Edit: Dig a bit deeper into the article you posted a link to and read the details posted in other stories about the event. How he keep the dogs is text book abuse and it pretty much guarantees an aggressive and unmanageable animal. He had been having behavioral problems before the deaths. Unfortunately many people believe that keeping a dog chained up in a yard is appropriate. There is a reason it is illegal to do so in Texas.

my daugher wants to show steers or heifers… Does anyone have any Mexican fighting bull calves or heifers for sale?

I am too ugly for that and am not a Democrat.

Apparently the San Antonio guy with the pit bulls is charged with 2 felonies. I’m going to have to look that up. Must be something somewhat recent from the legislature.

Wonder if that can stem from the history of the dogs and owner. There are other instances of dogs from that residence being involved in aggressive behavior one in January.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...woman-bite-2-others-texas-atta-rcna72290

Dumb question but are fire fighters prohibited from caring a handgun while on duty? I pretty much don't go anywhere without packing and even if I'm going somewhere formal and have to wear a suit I'll drop an airweight j-frame in my pocket.

If I was around pits, I’d always be packing too.

I am just around one all day and he worships me. Even if he decided to break bad I can subdue any single dog without too much of a problem. Two becomes a huge problem and for that I have a knife available to each hand.

Get me a big stick. I wanna give him a big wack.

Texas Heath and Safety Code 822.005

(a) A person commits an offense if the person is the owner of a dog and the person:

(1) with criminal negligence, as defined by Section 6.03, Penal Code, fails to secure the dog and the dog makes an unprovoked attack on another person that occurs at a location other than the owner's real property or in or on the owner's motor vehicle or boat and that causes serious bodily injury, as defined by Section 1.07, Penal Code, or death to the other person;  or

(2) knows the dog is a dangerous dog by learning in a manner described by Section 822.042(g) that the person is the owner of a dangerous dog, and the dangerous dog makes an unprovoked attack on another person that occurs at a location other than a secure enclosure in which the dog is restrained in accordance with Subchapter D   1 and that causes serious bodily injury, as defined by Section 822.001, or death to the other person.

(b) An offense under this section is a felony of the third degree unless the attack causes death, in which event the offense is a felony of the second degree.

(c) If a person is found guilty of an offense under this section, the court may order the dog destroyed by a person listed in Section 822.004.

(d) A person who is subject to prosecution under this section and under any other law may be prosecuted under this section, the other law, or both.

I wondered if it could be under criminal negligence, started to loo that up then saw that NBC link.

A person acts with criminal negligence, or is criminally negligent, with respect to circumstances surrounding his conduct or the result of his conduct when he ought to be aware of a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the circumstances exist or the result will occur.  The risk must be of such a nature and degree that the failure to perceive it constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care that an ordinary person would exercise under all the circumstances as viewed from the actor's standpoint.

In the San Antonio case the man deserves whatever is coming. He had a very long history of problems with those dogs and had ample opportunity from the moment he brought them home to get them under control. His negligence beyond simply being abusive to the animals also cost an elderly man his life. That can't be let go, there needs to be consequences. Be it a powerful animal or a powerful weapon you need to be responsible with both.

Yes, I concur. The people attracted to pits are a part of the problem.

"Animal" people are weird. You got your tiger people, snake people, monkey people, old cat ladies, pit bull dudes..... I'm not sure what it is about a person that attracts them to the animal they want to be identified by, but I'm sure there's a study out there.

In my case I just like dogs and I pick up strays and if I have a spot for them I will keep them. Most of the strays that I see now are pits. When I was younger I never saw pits and now they are everywhere. In truth I prefer a more useful dog like a retriever of some sort but I will take whatever fate sends my way. The only real "Pit" that I have personally owned is the one I have now; he was a starving probably 10 week old puppy when I found him. Prior to him I had a very aggressive American bulldog mix that I got from a member on here as a puppy. She mirrored my personality in that she was murderously hostile to strangers and incredibly loving and loyal to people that she knew. I understood the danger that an animal like her could pose and she was extremely well trained. She felt like an extension of my hand and I swear she could read my thoughts. You don't realize how comforting it is to have something that guards you every moment of every day until it is gone. For 11 years she never left my side and no one could get close to me without her getting between myself and a stranger. It was like being followed by a violent shadow. She was also incredible with children and I didn't find out until later that American bulldogs bond with children like few other dogs. A lot of my clients have children and when myself and Daisy showed up each week the kids would rush outside to play with her and she loved them all.

There's a fairly typical stereotype for a few of those.

Joe Exotic comes to mind.

Think about most of the people that own pits. Many are socio-economically challenged and allows their dogs to run wild and procreate at will (much like their children). Then, they pawn off the puppies to family members who do the same. Couple that with the huge push for 'no-kill' shelters and you have a giant population explosion of these dogs.

You are right I believe. I found a skin and bones nursing mother Pitbull in the Bluffview neighborhood about 15 years ago and she was wandering around trying to find food. She was from an adjacent neighborhood that were all rentals and typical ghettos trash lived in them. I had to go back over several days feeding her until I could find her litter and I took all of them in. All of her puppies and her were adopted by my pool clients and grew into wonderful well-behaved dogs. I got to see them weekly until they all passed from old age and there wasn't a bad one in the bunch and the starving mother was sweet and very submissive. She would rollover if you even gave her a stern look.

Originally, what were pits bred for? I think that pretty much answers the question of their potential for destruction. Add in the fact that a few pits and other dogs get together with no discipline, no fear of humans, and antagonize each other and destructive behavior occurs. No difference than the gangs in big cities or the way the cartels act in Mexico. There has to be fear of a consequence in animals or people for civilized behavior to occur.

Cannot believe this is still going. I abide by SSS

Lost 18 head of registered Boer goats to 3 pit bull looking dogs a few years back and it ended up being pretty costly. I showed up as the event was winding down and killed 2 of the 3 with the other one making an escape. I did not follow the SSS method. I called the police and had them come out and survey the damage. I also took numerous pictures of dead and dying goats and of the dead dogs. I found out who owned the dogs, went to their house and saw dog that escaped. Finally got in touch with dog owners and met them in a public place. Showed them their dogs and they got all hot and bothered about me shooting their dogs, then I showed them all of my dead goats and they calmed down a bit. Took them to small claims court and police could never find them to serve the papers because they split their time between here and Mexico, with more time devoted to Mexico after this event. Ended up being my tough luck, so I am not too impressed with pit bulls or worthless people that use Mexico as a badlands hideout. Probably would have never received any money, but would have enjoyed seeing them squirm.

In 1977, while in college, I was an electric company meter reader. I worked in the fair-sized city of Victoria and the surrounding metro area. I was bit about two or three times but I don't recall ever seeing a dog that we would now call a pit bull. They really started to get more popular later.

This thread has been interesting, and perhaps mildly entertaining in some respects. The fact is, it's okay to have differing opinions.

It sucks what happened to the hunter. I can't even imagine.

i think you are much more apt to be attack by this than a dog

This weeks podcast was about wild dogs going on a killing spree: Wild Dogs

I am sure the high fenced property will be blamed and not the dogs.

yep, when they form a pack they go into a killer frenzies

Even here we have fools who ignore the HORRIFIC statistics that PITS, who are only 7% of the total dog population, yet are responsible for 75% of ALL human maulings and deaths.

How sad that the poor pit is the only breed who is cursed to have bad owners.

Also insurance agents and companies are just heartless and mean to this poor breed!!!

Take a walk in the hood and tell me what dogs you see and the conditions they are kept in and then ask yourself why we have a statistically lopsided problem with that type of dog. The same thing can be said of the residents in the same neighborhoods.

Domestic dogs have been bred for thousands of years to not think for themselves and without responsible ownership they run amok.

Packs vs. Gangs (point well taken)

I have enjoyed this thread, I went back and read the entire Turtle thread, Very Very entertaining. I have seen pits that are as gentle and responsible as lassie. I have been attacked by a pit in Killeen Tx on my own property, I had to slam my front door on its biting face as it tried to come into my home, I called every authority I could. Nothing was done. A 11 year old boy was killed 2 weeks after by a Pit in that neighborhood, I assume it was the same dog. I bought a home in Belton several weeks later. When I was in the country, we shot dogs that came onto our land. We had livestock and all kinds of free-range birds, over 100 of Chickens, Guineas, Geese, turkeys and even a peacock, It was a known thing to do. Most were dumped by people from a nearby city. Farm dogs for the most part knew the rules. Most neighbors understood this fact and taught their dogs to stay on their land. It didn't hurt that most parcels were 160 acres or more. I have seen dogs in packs tear deer apart when the snow was deep or harass them so much it caused death. I know people in Texas that have shot dogs harassing livestock and deer on their property. They bury the collars and tags and let the Coyotes and buzzards take care of the rest. Protecting yourself, your livestock or property should not be a crime. So many people buy puppies or adopt dogs that they have no business owning. Raising a dog is about a 15-year responsibility. Today a lot of people don't seem to have much responsibility for their dogs, their children, their marriages, their community or their country. It is all part of a sad decline. Thank God protecting yourself in Conservative parts of Texas is not a crime. If you go to many liberal cities in Texas, you would be the criminal. PS, we shot red ears in ponds also, heck we shot everything to include mosquitos. Without predators they can overpopulate any water source.

That guy is lucky to have gotten out alive.