Bear baiting

[borzoimom]

Every year, we go through the same thing. These people come up with hound mixes to trail on a bear. First of all- its cold up here- and these are short haired dogs, second- they get lost- and end up on our property. Today started out with a amer.staffy/beagle as got in the house, then as we waiting for them to come waiting outside- the dog started to bark as another one showed up- this one obviously a coon hound.
I am glad they had id, but I also know, the dogs are not supposed to cross private property. I will NOT even get into the " sport" of this- some sport- the dog has the nose, not to mention harassing a bear, and for what???? Meanwhile we end with having some dogs show up here, unsure of vaccines, but I cant let them stay out in the cold. They are usually dehydrated and cold. This is just flat out barbaric, and when they come to get their dogs, its always the same thing- the dog should have followed the trail of the bear. UH HUH- bears do not know property lines either..
I am sorry to vent- but today- TWO DOGS- good grief!!! Thank goodness for the dogs someone would try and help them. Every year, our shelter gets full of these lost " hunting dogs"... There has to be someone we can write about this, because this is just sick!!!

[gemini9961]

My husband and I were up in NC and TN in late October riding along the Blue Ridge Parkway and we stopped at an overlook and there was a dog running around with a radio collar on. Another couple called the number on the collar and sure enough the people and their dogs were hunting on the other side of the mountain and this poor dog had gotten lost. They didn't seem too concerned about it either. Another stop the same day we saw a few hunters with dog cages in their trucks and they were trying to round up the rest of the dogs that got lost. I felt horrible for the dogs but the people just didn't see too concerned. The dogs were a little on the thin side too. I would do the same thing you are doing and let them have someplace warm to stay until their "owners" come pick them up. I can't imagine letting my dog run so far ahead and then get lost.

[Argranade]

That's so sad poor dogs, glad they ended up near your home tho safe and sound.

Why are they hunting bears? is there an over population?

Poor dogs and bears either way.

[applesmom]

What was the response of the owners when they showed up to get their dogs?

[borzoimom]

"should have been trailing the bear" was the response- the joke is- yea probably so- ... Toss in the back of the pickup- thanks- and take off again-.. My husband is pointing out- this is private land here, and the dogs should not be here but in the National Forrest they can not use dogs- so yea- I get invaded? We have a call into the ranger, but he said last year, at best they will state the dog lost ... uh huh..
BTW- I live on the opposite ridge of the Blue ridge.. I border the GW National Forrest on 3 sides. And the one other is a cliff..

[areias]

Ever seen the hunting dog setups novice dog hunters use? Down here we get a lot of pig hunting, which isn't so bad as long as they do it on land that is OK'd to use (pigs are such pests here). I know a lot of people that use these "kennels"...they are about 2 feet by maybe 5, raised up, and the dogs stay in there except when they are out hunting (maybe twice a month) and whenever the guy decides to clean the runs..then they are put out on a short cable while he sprays it out and then the dog gets put in that wet kennel. And sometimes people forget to feed/water...and they are under an aluminum roof all day in the summer... I'll try to find a picture. Hunting dosen't bother me as much as the way some of those dogs are kept.

Very similar to this, but for hounds:

[Pam]

Wow! I had no idea about any of this. I guess I never even gave a thought to hunting a bear let alone how one would go about it. I am sure that these hunters were way too close to your property to be hunting anything. Too often we hear stories of humans and their dogs being accidentally shot by a hunter. I agree with you totally about it not being a fair deal. The hunters have dogs, the dogs follow a scent. Sort of seems like a no win situation for the bear. This whole thing is appalling.

[borzoimom]

I am hoping the long conversation my husband had with the man that came and got the two dogs, will work. He pointed out that we are posted, and the stretch next to us was too. He mentioned a mans name that has told people he owns a cabin up here etc and we straighted that out too. I also told him, we had a drag net set up here last year with the game warden checking peoples cars, trucks, permits, and methods of hunting.
Today is sunday, and here its illegal to hunt on sunday. Femka still wears her vest though, and I have a yellow ( ugly..) coat I wear outside too. Stupid to have to do that on my own land, but at least it removes all doubt if they were supposed to be there, and of course seeing I am a person..