To me, depends on what you are debating... Are you debating the legality? Or are you debating getting caught and prosecuted? Those are two different debates.... You can charge someone with a felony for shooting a dog...Right... Now prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt..... That is what I can never see happening in a court of law.. The dogs and deer are so far ahead of the hunters and dog drivers.... It would be a 1 in 1 million chance that the dog owner or a stander or a driver actually witnesses this happen. This is why I think the dog/felony/shooting a dog is completely irrelevant. I am not saying it is right... but Right/Wrong/ Burden of Proof are completely different.

I doubt I'll ever have another pack of deer running dogs, but if I did I would do my best to train them to come to a whistle or horn when I wanted to catch them. I've seen two packs of dang good dogs in the past that would stop immediately when they were called. The best pack were a catahoula x australian shepard cross, but they would run to that truck as fast as they ran a deer. If dog owners would try to catch up their dogs and train them when they were young it would help a lot of the problems.

I fell into the hair-splitting.....again!

Sorry.

My stance is still the same. But, it looks like the Law is changing and the penalties for breaking it getting stiffer.

Now, carry on with the rest!

I really dont care either way. I, personally, would NEVER shoot a hunters dog. But, if on MY PRIVATELY OWNED LAND, I would make sure it never made it back to the hunter. If on land I was leasing, the dog would walk and the club head would be informed of the situation. I wont condone shooting an animal for doing what it has been trained to do. I will just make sure it has a better home, far away from me.

The laws mean nothing....... if they can't be enforced.... and THIS can't be enforced... I don't care if it's death by torcher.... Any new law means nothing when there is no way to enforce it.... PERIOD.

Actually, it can and has already been enforced numerous times.

But, don't let that deter your stance.

I think we need a giant aldeer group hug.

When... and Where... It won't deter my stance.... I would like to see this posted... I haven't heard of it happening... up here anyway.. I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see this....

Google it.

Heck, one member on here even posted recently that he was caught and had to pay restitution.

I googled it... No results on anyone being convicted... Just lots of speculation and reward money... but no convictions...Next...

Look harder.....

Exactly!! If I have to look that hard obviously it's not that big of a FELONY. Or it would be all over every google search. I am willing to bet for every 10,000 dogs killed... there might be 1 conviction..... And that I have yet to find.....

Hogwild, I am not trying to argue with you. I am just pointing out that catching the dog shooters and prosecuting them is far different than making laws to stop them.
You may not agree, but I am willing to bet far too many hunting dogs die, than the hunters that shoot them get justice for their actions.
Is that a fair statement?

Yes, I agree with that.
But, that does NOT make it legal.

What percentage of Night Hunters do you think get caught and prosecuted? I can assure you that around here it is LOW!!!!!

So, does that mean that everyone should start Night Hunting for deer?

No. I agree with that as well.... I hunt in an area that is constantly staged with dummy deer due to the night hunting and poaching. We also have problems with poachers. Someone has already poached a turkey off our land last week due to the number of breast feathers I found in one of our fields this past week. Neither is right... but controlling it is not in my hands or yours.... We can only hope that the law will do their part. But I think you and I both know that is a far stretch to control. We don't have enough Wardens to patrol the area to keep it under control. And with your point about Night Hunting..... Is my exact point about dog killing.... We can't stop it.... we can't control it....the prosecution rate will be low even if it goes to a felony. That is all I was trying to get across was the same point you just pointed out about the night hunting.
Just so you know... I am hunting in Bullock County.. Very good deer.... And very good deer population where my lease is...

Wow...just read all......dogs are just animals.....then go find you a seeing eye deer or maybe a drug sniffing rabbit.....oh yeah ....some of you go ahead and call someone to bring their tracking possum to look for your deer....btw...dominion over the animals means "not thinking or acting like one" IMO...

Apparently you didn't read that well.... on this forum dogs are coveted gods... They are worthy of a felony charge if you shoot one...