Big dumb jerk threatened Max!

OK - before I tell you all about this jerk, I'll kind of lay down a little background.

We moved wwaayy out in the country, and a huge reason we chose to move out here was for Max. When we lived in town, he kept getting outside. He would break out screen doors and everything. He just really, really loved to run. And when he ran, he was in danger of being hit by a car because he would have so much excess energy that he wouldn't look where he was going.

Since we've moved, he's a different dog. He's indoors most of the time now, and when he does go outside he stays in the yard 90% of the time. Today I got real proof of how much the move has changed him. I took him into town with me to do some work in the garden at the old house, and I accidentally let him out. Lo and behold - he didn't run off! He stayed right by me the entire time. He did go up and say "Hi" to the mail lady, but he was very polite.

So I was all happy about the move and the wonderful influence it's had on my dog, until this jerk came over today.

This guy owns a hunting camp across the street from me. He doesn't live there, but he has bait piles and I think he's illegally baiting bear and everything.

He came over to give me a "friendly warning" that a 450 lb bear has been hanging around his camp (Gee I wonder why :rolleyes: - Could it be the jelly donuts in his "deer bait" pile?). He says I'd better keep Max close to home so that he doesn't tangle with the bear or "accidentally" get shot while he's trying to shoot the bear.

Then he told me that "some hunter" might shoot Max if he gets anywhere near the deer at his bait piles. He said "Some hunters wouldn't think anything of shooting a dog who was chasing off his deer."

He said "believe it or not there are leash laws out here". And "there's not much you could do about it if somebody accidentally shot your dog."

He then told me how the former owners of our place used to chase his deer and he "put the fear of God into them".

I very nicely asked him if we could reach a compromise - perhaps he could tell me a certain time of day when he wouldn't be at his camp and I could let Max run off a little excess energy. If Max does go over there it's very rarely anyway. He said that he could be over there at any time of the day or night. "You just never know when I'll be there."

I politely thanked him for the warning and asked him to shut the door behind him so Max wouldn't get out.

:mad: You know - I wish there was a way to interview the "neighbors" before you bought a place.

Now I have to keep Max in all the time. I KNOW - I should have been anyway. Please dont' say anything catty about it.

Grr.

can you let him out on a couple of really long leashes? that way he could still run and play but you wouldn't have to be worried about him getting shot.

Yes, I think I will have to Orang.

He's whining his head off right now. He wants to go outside so bad. He has his nose up to the window and he looks just absolutely pitiful.

Sorry, but I have to say, although he may have seemed like a jerk, I have to agree with him. :)

well i have to say that i have had some of my dogs and me and my family have been warned of these kinds of things, but don't let those get to ya. one day, Spotter (love you always honey! RIP)
got off her chain or leash or something and she went missing for a few days and when she was gone, i heard gun shots from one of our neighbors places down the road. I was worried sick, I even went out looking for her. but finally she came home a few hours later!!:rolleyes:
I still am not sure if our nieghbor was shooting at our dog or not but still, people with common sense shouldn't shoot the other persons dog!:( they could atleast capture or put it on a leash or something and call you about it.


maybe even send the police to investigate, if he's doing something illegal like poaching, and you don't feel safe, call the cops, then that is kinda a way to get rid of that. not to be mean or anything.lol

I dearly hope nothing happens to max!

agree with him why would anyone shoot a dog!!! Sorry, I know dogs are supposed to be leashed but sometimes at night we let my dogs out around 7:30 ish in the front to run up and down the street there's grass... They love it!! they know the word car and that means stay where you are dont move a muscle...lol Anyways maybe he can get at you for the dog not being tied up but for shooting him. If he shoots your dog shoot him!

edit: I also wanted to put in that the boys next door to my grandmother shot one of her cats.... It was soo sad... They used to shoot all sorts of animals.. idiot kids

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Originally posted by Jods
agree with him why would anyone shoot a dog!!! Sorry, I know dogs are supposed to be leashed but sometimes at night we let my dogs out around 7:30 ish in the front to run up and down the street there's grass... They love it!! they know the word car and that means stay where you are dont move a muscle...lol Anyways maybe he can get at you for the dog not being tied up but for shooting him. If he shoots your dog shoot him!

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Morally, he may be way off base in threatening to shoot a dog. However, legally, he has every right to. Any dog harassing wildlife, livestock, or interfering in the operation of a business ect can legally be shot.

My neighbor has horses and I'd guarentee you that if my dog was chasing his prize stallion, he'd do whatever he had to in order to protect his horse and legally if my dog is off my property, I have no right to complain about his treatment of the dog and certainly no legal recourse if he did kill my pet.

Now this guy sounds like a jerk and if you think he's illegally baiting--i'd be calling the Wildlife department or whoever administers such things as hunting in your area.

The thing is - he doesn't want my dog running off his deer, but he doesn't think twice about endangering my children by encouraging a 450 lb. bear out here. My son goes out to the bus stop at 6:50 every morning. That's prime time for bears to be out.

Plus, Max hasn't even been running deer. I think that the only time Max was ever on that guy's property was when Kamble came over to visit and they both got loose at the same time and went running over there. Max stays in the yard when Kamble's not here.

The guy just saw that I had a dog and decided to threaten us.

I see both sides but the guy if he is baiting hes in the wrong bad I'm with Glacier call the state game department and ask if it's legal and then ask for an investagation.

That seemed pretty threatening! If anything ever happened to Max... :mad: :mad:

My parents set up a "pulley run." Like a zip line, kind of. They anchored each end of a long metal line into two huge pine trees, one on either side of our backyard. I'd say the line was about 50' or so. Then they put a pulley-looking thing on the line, and attached a 15' rope to it. The end of the rope had a latch, like a leash. We hooked Dixie up to it via her collar, and she could run basically all over the place, but could never get out of the yard. It was great, because she had a lot more places to go than if we had anchored her line to just one tree, or dug it in the ground. My mom does the same thing now with Harley, using a 30' clothesline. They let the dogs go potty, run around, chase stuff, lay in the sun for an hour, whatever. Maybe something like that could be an option for Max. Anyone else ever done something like that? I guess the only problem might be if he could break it, or get tangled up in it, but we never had any problems with it.

Just trying to think of ways to keep you, Max and Mean Guy happy.

I am sorry this happened to you. :( Some people... :mad: my cat Sophie's mommy cat was shot by a hunter that lived in the area when Sophie was only 3 weeks old. The hunter's dogs chased the cat up a tree, and then the hunter shot her. :( At least, that's the rumor anyway. I wasn't there.

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Originally posted by Kfamr
Sorry, but I have to say, although he may have seemed like a jerk, I have to agree with him. :)

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Agreed. While I don't think it's right for him to shoot your dog. He does have every right to, and there are leash laws, so I can also see how he could be upset. I would be upset if my neighbors let there dog run loose, manly because of my life style. I haev small animals who are out on the porch all day long who I dont' want scared away (or hurt), just like his life style is to hunt deer/bear, he has deer/bear out on his lawn day and night who he doesn't want scared, this is his way of life, I think respecting it is the best thing a good neighbor can do.

On another Note: People letting there dog's off leash is one of my bigest pet Peeves, if a dog ever came on to to my property without it's leash on the owner would get a HUGE ear full (I have done it before) or I would call the Human Society and have them pick the dog up. (Even if I lived in the boonies I would still do this)

I hope you can work something out that is Safe for Max. :) He's such a sweetie!

Ashley

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Originally posted by stacwase
The thing is - he doesn't want my dog running off his deer, but he doesn't think twice about endangering my children by encouraging a 450 lb. bear out here. My son goes out to the bus stop at 6:50 every morning. That's prime time for bears to be out.

Plus, Max hasn't even been running deer. I think that the only time Max was ever on that guy's property was when Kamble came over to visit and they both got loose at the same time and went running over there. Max stays in the yard when Kamble's not here.

The guy just saw that I had a dog and decided to threaten us.

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The odds of a bear attack are actually very low. A normal healthy bear, even one that is habituated to people rarely attacks, although they are often destructive to property. Black bears are more dangerous than grizzlies. Momma bears are the most dangerous of all, of course. The only bear that will actively hunt humans is a polar bear and I don't think you have those around! ;)

I live out in the boonies too. I figure I moved here, I'm in the wildlife's territory. As long as they aren't hurting my family, I won't hurt them. If that wolf that tried to eat Hobo last winter comes back this year, it's dead. If it leaves my dogs alone, I won't even report to Renewable Resources that I've seen it. Technically, we are supposed to report any sightings of wildlife around here--especially bears and wolves. I refuse to do it as I know the animal will end up dead.

We have a bear that regularly cruises through our property. He's a two year old brown bear. He's been around here since he was a cub--he's a twin actually, but momma and the other cub have moved on. This was his first summer on his own--bears stay with their mother until she has another cub. He's never bothered the dogs. My dogs bark at him when they are behind their fences, but they don't make a peep when they are out and we run into a bear.

I had to make special lids for my dog food freezers to keep them bear proof. Lock up all your garbage, don't compost unless you can do it at a safe distance from your house. Bear proof your property as much as you can. Teach your kids what to do if they do have an encounter with a bear. My husband is a Cree Indian and according to his medicine man he has a bear spirit so he actually attracts bears. I learned fast when we started hiking together what to do when a bear is around!

Do you have an area you could fence so Max can run and still be safe? Your neighbor sounds like he could be dangerous to Max given even the slightest provocation. I hope you can find a way to keep him happy and safe!

I can understand how awful/angry it made you feel, but you also have to think of this, he's probably really had some run ins with bad dogs and just can't get it off his mind. In the country here where I live people threaten that all the time to others, at this time there's huge dog coming over to my house, peeing on my tires, our carport wall, taking huge poos in our yard, but me and my mother aren't the type to threaten to shoot, but alot of other country dwellers will in a heartbeat and it's a shame, really, and I hate it. :( Mom usually just calls animal control and has them go talk to the owners, I'm just scared I'll walk out with the dogs and there will stand this huge dog who may be mean and attack them, a large dog could kill Rebel or Claire. :( Anyway, could you train Max to an invisible fence or buy a fence? I know they aren't cheap though, I'd love to get a fence. It sucks so bad, I totally understand why you want Max to be able to run, I want my pups to be able to run too, but saftey concerns me most. I wish you the best of luck whatever you do, you know the situation better than us and I know you'll do what's best for you two. :) {{Hugs}}

If you do consider the pulley thing, I'd buy Max a harness and hook it to that, instead. That way, it would be a lot harder to slip off than a collar. I would definately call Fish and Game about that guy. He sounds like a lovely neighbor. What a jerk! I hope he gets what he deserves.

Call me the dumb Canadian but I don't see how any of this can be going on. I'm very scared for your family and Max. If someone is going to shoot at a dog, they could also shoot at a person, accidentally. I hope and pray that all of you remain safe. :(

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Originally posted by Aspen and Misty
Agreed. While I don't think it's right for him to shoot your dog. He does have every right to, and there are leash laws, so I can also see how he could be upset. I would be upset if my neighbors let there dog run loose, manly because of my life style. I haev small animals who are out on the porch all day long who I dont' want scared away (or hurt), just like his life style is to hunt deer/bear, he has deer/bear out on his lawn day and night who he doesn't want scared, this is his way of life, I think respecting it is the best thing a good neighbor can do.

On another Note: People letting there dog's off leash is one of my bigest pet Peeves, if a dog ever came on to to my property without it's leash on the owner would get a HUGE ear full (I have done it before) or I would call the Human Society and have them pick the dog up. (Even if I lived in the boonies I would still do this)

I hope you can work something out that is Safe for Max. :) He's such a sweetie!

Ashley

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^ what she said.

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Originally posted by Queen of Poop
Call me the dumb Canadian but I don't see how any of this can be going on. I'm very scared for your family and Max. If someone is going to shoot at a dog, they could also shoot at a person, accidentally. I hope and pray that all of you remain safe. :(

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The situation would be the same in Canada. I'm a Canadian too and it's perfectly legal here to shoot a dog who is on your property and/or threatening your livestock, wildlife, business, family ect. You don't even really have to prove the dog was threatening or harassing..if it's on your property you can get away with shooting it. It sucks, but it's true!

I think the cable idea would be the most practical for us. I can't build a fence by myself, and my husband is in Iraq. We also live right on bedrock, so the fence supports would have to be set in rock, which would be very expensive to hire somebody to do.

I just hate it. We're in the freakin' middle of nowhere! We're down a pothole-filled dirt road and everything. Our only neighbors besides Big Dumb Jerk are way across the hayfield, and I talked to them before we moved in to see how they felt about dogs. I didn't think he would be there often enough to worry about him. The neighbors have really old dogs, and they said they've never lost a dog to an accident or an animal attack, so it did seem pretty safe here.

My stepdaughter works for a guy who knows the jerk, and he says "Be very careful of him, he's mean." Grr.

I know bear attacks are rare, and normally I wouldn't even worry about them. We've had them in our campsite and night and everything. But the bus stops at the same place where we're supposed to set out our garbage and they do love to get into the garbage. I'd hate for him to accidentally take one by surprise - or scare a mother with her cubs. It stinks that this guy is deliberately attracting them.

I'm just being a big baby, I know. But Max doesn't even chase deer.

Sorry for blabbering on and on. It's just that we bought this place with Max in mind.

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He's indoors most of the time now, and when he does go outside he stays in the yard 90% of the time.

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So there's a 10% chance every time he's loose that he'll run off. That's a risk that in my opinion, shouldn't be taken. I do not appreciate dogs off leash coming and bothering me or my dogs, it doesn't matter if I'm in the country or the city. While there are some dogs and some situations where off-leash is OK, most of time it is not, especially if you are bothering others.

No I don't think how he acted is ok, nor do I think whatever illegal activities he's doing is ok. But if you want to keep Max safe, don't let him loose.

I don't know about the usa but in Canada its illegle to bait wild game!!



How about getting one of those underground wires to keep Max in ur yard??

All I know is do not get the ones out of pet stores, they tend to rust & break underground. Get a pro. to put one in with thick wire, that should last over 10 years.

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Originally posted by stacwase
I think the cable idea would be the most practical for us. I can't build a fence by myself, and my husband is in Iraq. We also live right on bedrock, so the fence supports would have to be set in rock, which would be very expensive to hire somebody to do.

I'm just being a big baby, I know. But Max doesn't even chase deer.

Sorry for blabbering on and on. It's just that we bought this place with Max in mind.

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I have five cable trolley style tie-outs in my yard. They work great. I use them for the dogs that can't live in the pens with other dogs--my blind guy, my dog aggressive girl. Never had any trouble with them and it gives the dogs plenty of room to run and play.

Is your property treed? Our house is built on permafrost so we can't really set in posts in most areas--at least not easily. We use trees as fence posts and then added sections of wire along the ground so the dogs can't dig under. Maybe when your hubby gets home you could try that? (I hope he will be home soon, safe and sound BTW)

Yes, Glacier - my property is treed! what a good idea. It would blend in so much better with the nature, too. Until my husband comes home, I could do the trolley thing between trees, rather than trying to set in posts to attach it to.

Why didn't I think of that? It's so obvious!

Now if I can just find a way to keep him from bolting.

I was talking to the lady with the life estate about my problem, and she says that she has solved the problem with her dogs' extremely high energy levels by setting aside two hours very early in the morning, before anybody else is up, when they are allowed to run. At that time, the only real risk is a porcupine - and she feels that by letting them run off the energy she's actually decreasing the chance of them getting injured, because they don't bolt out the door during the daytime when Big Dumb Jerk is next door. She's 82 years old and been raising dogs on this property her entire adult life. They've all lived to ripe old ages (except the ones who have died of cancer), so she must know what she's talking about.

She told me about why she got dogs. She used to live in the house we live in now, and one day she walked out in the garage and found herself in there with a mama bear and her two cubs! Through the garage is the only way out in the winter, as the snow gets so deep that it's not feasible to keep both doors free of snow. Every morning after that, she would find them in her garage and she just couldnt' get rid of them. So - she got dogs and never had a problem with bears in her garage or deer in her garden again. Her dogs have always been indoor/outdoor. They sleep inside and come in and out whenever they want. She says she doesn't know if it was the smell of the dogs or what, but the dogs never actually had to tangle with the bears.

I thought that was an interesting story.

Anyways - back to Max. I think a combination of a trolley (I'll keep it near my garden!) and limited run time would probably be the safest option.

I feel bad for you!
You bought the house and land, thinking that Max could have a wonderful life, running his little head off... but then you have this jerk doing this to you.

I know how you feel! We fenced in our yard and still have to sit outside and babysit because the stupid neighbor doesn't watch their dog when she's loose. (they have no fence, leash... nothing! The dog doesn't even wear a collar!!)
grrrrr!

So, it may not be bears and guns I have to worry about but I do know how you feel!

If I were you I'd feel bad having to tie him up when you have all that land! I sure hope things work out for you and Max!
I also hope your hubby comes home safe!!!

Stacey....can you see this bait pile from your house? My dad hunts and he's always told me that if a house is in sight, you do not shoot. It's illegal to discharge a firearm within so many yards of a home. And I think it's also illegal to bait in MI. I'd definately contact the DNR or something....

Hugs to you and Max.

Thanks for the kind words, Pitc!

Ramanth, I can't see his bait pile. I just got the impression that he was attempting to attract the bear from some of the things that he was saying. He was very excited about the opportunity to kill this bear. Personally, I think that's absolutely terrible but that's my own opinion.

I need to get a platt map, but I think he owns like 40-80 acres. His "camp" (the garage he stays in while he's there) is right across the street from our house, but his deer blinds are further into his land.

He kept saying things like "I know what he's like. I know what he eats."

He also made a point of telling me that he has cameras pointed at his bait piles. He just sits inside and watches the bait piles on his cameras. What - was he afraid I was going to do something to them?

Then he made a big deal about the wood he had stacked up for his wood stove - making sure he mentioned that it was his, and he was using it. Like I was going to steal his freaking wood!

It's legal to bait deer here. It's so easy to just throw some bear bait into your deer bait pile. I know he's baiting the bear - because he made such a point of telling me he had the cameras pointed at the piles and he was hoping to snap a picture of him there.

He likes to shoot at night, which is also illegal. But he turns other people in for hunting out of season.

I would turn him in to the DNR, but he's scary. I don't want to make him mad.

I hear ya. :(

Despite it not being hunting season yet, as far as I know..., hopefully he won't be around much in the winter and in the summer.

*hugs*

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Originally posted by stacwase
I would turn him in to the DNR, but he's scary. I don't want to make him mad.

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Can't you make an anynomus call? I sure would! Here (in NV) it's illigal to shoot within so many feet of developed property, and you can't hunt unless its A season and B you're in a designated hunting zone owned by the BLM. I'm not sure what the hunting laws in MI are though. I would go online and see what the laws are, and if he is breaking them I would inform somebody. I understand if he came over and said "I'm worried that someone might shoot your dog if he was over here" but from what you discribed, he seemed really rude and threatning.

Be careful and keep Max safe!

Wow what a scary guy:eek: Keep your babies safe...I can't imagine someone shooting a dog.

What a shame. Neighbors make all the difference, and yours just sounds like jerk. Keep an eye on him and learn the laws regarding hunting. Make sure he knows you have your eyes on him - don't let him bully you around! Max is an easy target for people like him since dogs don't have many rights, but Max won't be his only target. I understand not wanting to complain but I think he will give you a hard time about anything and everything no matter what. You need to show him that you are the alpha neighbor on the block now!