Dogs chasing elk

[BNAElkhntr]

I would agree bango. If I see it I would have to take action. It’s frustrating that the owners of dogs let this happen. Has anyone heard from the DFW on this topic

Ive heard from wdfw on this topic.  I had local dogs chasing deer on my place.  I lodged a complaint.  Game warden said "it sounds like you should shoot the dogs."  I told him i would if i had to, but i dont want to shoot somebodys dog.  He said if i did, neither the county nor the wdfw would press charges, id be immune to anything other than a potential civil suit, which wouldnt happen if i basically just SSS.  anyway, i got him to talk to the dogs owners on my behalf, and luckily that fixed the problem.  Really, i dont want to kill a dog under any circumstances, but i would have if the warden wasnt able to put the fear into the dogs owners.

Legally the only people that can shoot dogs chasing wildlife are law enforcement officers. The law provides for immunity against civil and criminal action for officers who shoot dogs in this manners, and nobody else.

Joe Citizen shooting a dog chasing a herd of elk is open to civil and/or criminal liability.

Can you cite the Law on That One  I Was under Belief in the State Of Wa Any Dog Chasing Deer,Elk Can Be Shot at anytime Anywhere?

[bigtex]

I would agree bango. If I see it I would have to take action. It’s frustrating that the owners of dogs let this happen. Has anyone heard from the DFW on this topic

Ive heard from wdfw on this topic.  I had local dogs chasing deer on my place.  I lodged a complaint.  Game warden said "it sounds like you should shoot the dogs."  I told him i would if i had to, but i dont want to shoot somebodys dog.  He said if i did, neither the county nor the wdfw would press charges, id be immune to anything other than a potential civil suit, which wouldnt happen if i basically just SSS.  anyway, i got him to talk to the dogs owners on my behalf, and luckily that fixed the problem.  Really, i dont want to kill a dog under any circumstances, but i would have if the warden wasnt able to put the fear into the dogs owners.

Legally the only people that can shoot dogs chasing wildlife are law enforcement officers. The law provides for immunity against civil and criminal action for officers who shoot dogs in this manners, and nobody else.

Joe Citizen shooting a dog chasing a herd of elk is open to civil and/or criminal liability.

Can you cite the Law on That One  I Was under Belief in the State Of Wa Any Dog Chasing Deer,Elk Can Be Shot at anytime Anywhere?

Really? Anytime anywhere?

So if I own a pasture in front of my house and my yellow lab is chasing two deer on my property and you just happen to drive by you think WA st law allows you to shoot my dog on my property?

There are several laws that apply here.

RCW 77.15.240 makes it a crime for someone to allow their dog to chase wildlife. It also permits law enforcement officers (and law enforcement officers only) to destroy the dog. It also protects said law enforcement officers from civil/criminal liability.

RCW 16.08.020 permits someone who is having their livestock attacked to shoot the dog, IF the dog is own the person's property.

If a person just open fires on a dog chasing a deer they can be charged with animal cruelty, as well as be sued by the dog owner.

[bornhunter]

Who said anything about someone shooting your dog on your property? This topic is getting a bit twisted. Starting to feel like watching CNN.

[bigtex]

Who said anything about someone shooting your dog on your property? This topic is getting a bit twisted. Starting to feel like watching CNN.

This:

I Was under Belief in the State Of Wa Any Dog Chasing Deer,Elk Can Be Shot at anytime Anywhere?

[Alchase]

I would agree bango. If I see it I would have to take action. It’s frustrating that the owners of dogs let this happen. Has anyone heard from the DFW on this topic

Ive heard from wdfw on this topic.  I had local dogs chasing deer on my place.  I lodged a complaint.  Game warden said "it sounds like you should shoot the dogs."  I told him i would if i had to, but i dont want to shoot somebodys dog.  He said if i did, neither the county nor the wdfw would press charges, id be immune to anything other than a potential civil suit, which wouldnt happen if i basically just SSS.  anyway, i got him to talk to the dogs owners on my behalf, and luckily that fixed the problem.  Really, i dont want to kill a dog under any circumstances, but i would have if the warden wasnt able to put the fear into the dogs owners.

Legally the only people that can shoot dogs chasing wildlife are law enforcement officers. The law provides for immunity against civil and criminal action for officers who shoot dogs in this manners, and nobody else.

Joe Citizen shooting a dog chasing a herd of elk is open to civil and/or criminal liability.

Can you cite the Law on That One  I Was under Belief in the State Of Wa Any Dog Chasing Deer,Elk Can Be Shot at anytime Anywhere?

Really? Anytime anywhere?

So if I own a pasture in front of my house and my yellow lab is chasing two deer on my property and you just happen to drive by you think WA st law allows you to shoot my dog on my property?

There are several laws that apply here.

RCW 77.15.240 makes it a crime for someone to allow their dog to chase wildlife. It also permits law enforcement officers (and law enforcement officers only) to destroy the dog. It also protects said law enforcement officers from civil/criminal liability.

RCW 16.08.020 permits someone who is having their livestock attacked to shoot the dog, IF the dog is own the person's property.

If a person just open fires on a dog chasing a deer they can be charged with animal cruelty, as well as be sued by the dog owner.

Thanks for the clarification Bigtex

Everytime this subject comes up, it seems more and more confusion is induced.

[idaho guy]

Being trigger happy is a bad idea. I usually blame the owner not the dog. If I can find out who owns the dog I have and always will talk to them first. If the problem doesn’t get fixed the dog needs to be shot. Most of my young hounds will definitely chase deer and elk but I break them off it pretty quick. I worry about people shooting first and asking questions later every time they see a dog running through the woods. If you talk to the owner and the dog keeps chasing deer you should take care of the problem in my opinion.

[bhawley76]

Not that my dog chases deer or elk, because she's an idiot she'd rather chase birds or the cat but the thought of someone shooting my dog if she did chase a deer or elk, kinda bothers me, as if it was whoever's duty to do so.  I would think that a deer or elk would be more than capable of holding its own. Maybe I'm the one who needs to be educated on this subject. I am not justifying a dogs actions that does this. I love my dog like family because she is. Makes me just question others mindset.

[KFhunter]

Not that my dog chases deer or elk, because she's an idiot she'd rather chase birds or the cat but the thought of someone shooting my dog if she did chase a deer or elk, kinda bothers me, as if it was whoever's duty to do so.  I would think that a deer or elk would be more than capable of holding its own. Maybe I'm the one who needs to be educated on this subject. I am not justifying a dogs actions that does this. I love my dog like family because she is. Makes me just question others mindset.

Yup, you need educated.   Late winter/early spring deer can be run down by about any dog in half decent shape.   Dogs in good shape can run a deer to exhaustion about any time of year and make them much more vulnerable to predators that pick up where the dogs let off, being drawn in by all the ruckus.   A lot of deer panic and jump things, run through things and injure themselves, a lot of domestic dogs will just sniff at the deer, maybe nip at it a bit then wander off...but the coyote a day or two later wouldn't.   That injured deer is going to have a nasty long death.   

even if it doesn't injure itself..

Deer escape to lion infested areas, or the dogs bring in wolves, bears or more likely they bring in yotes who can't resist following that trail of domestic dogs in their territory, the domestic dogs might be trotting off back home tongues hanging a mile out all happy with themselves, but now that deer they were chasing is worn out when that fresh yote or yotes begins their chase. 


A deer chased by domestic dogs is almost an automatic death sentience for them, even if the domestic dogs don't actually kill it themselves. 

[Pegasus]

Not that my dog chases deer or elk, because she's an idiot she'd rather chase birds or the cat but the thought of someone shooting my dog if she did chase a deer or elk, kinda bothers me, as if it was whoever's duty to do so.  I would think that a deer or elk would be more than capable of holding its own. Maybe I'm the one who needs to be educated on this subject. I am not justifying a dogs actions that does this. I love my dog like family because she is. Makes me just question others mindset.

"I would think that a deer or elk would be more than capable of holding its own."

Against one, maybe, against a pack of dogs, nope. Remember how yotes and wolves kill deer and elk. No difference with dogs in the chase. They might be less experienced and smaller but they are still deadly. Once they are into the chase they are predators and they are fixated on the kill. That said I could not shoot one unless I was the target. They are someone else's pet.

[buckfvr]

Local word here is keep them home, keep them safe.  My biggest pisser is domestics chasing fawns. And yes, they kill them and eat them.

[bhawley76]

I don't think I need to be educated, I live in the NE corner and I see cattle and Deer every single day in high quantity's. Not saying it doesn't happen because it does (dogs chasing deer) , but I have never seen it in my life. I don't have any numbers to play with statistically and am just guessing wild animals being ran down by somebody's pet are probably pretty low, Maybe I just have a bigger heart for a pet rather than an a freezer filler. I guess we can just agree to disagree. 

[BULLBLASTER]

I had a guy tell me that he was going to shoot my dogs once. It almost came to punches.
I walk my dogs on our hoa land with their e collars on. There are a lot of deer that run off when we walk through, my dogs are never more than 100 yards from me and this guy (doesnt even live in our hoa) comes to me and in no uncertain terms tells me if he sees my dogs again he will shoot them. He also tried to tell me that i didnt in fact live in the hoa and that i wasnt allowed to be there.

I can agree that dogs should not be chasing wildlife, but also agree with the laws. It would sure be a shame if someone was a bit trigger happy and shot some dogs that someone was in control of and exercising like in my case above.

[Pegasus]

I had a guy tell me that he was going to shoot my dogs once. It almost came to punches.
I walk my dogs on our hoa land with their e collars on. There are a lot of deer that run off when we walk through, my dogs are never more than 100 yards from me and this guy (doesnt even live in our hoa) comes to me and in no uncertain terms tells me if he sees my dogs again he will shoot them. He also tried to tell me that i didnt in fact live in the hoa and that i wasnt allowed to be there.

I can agree that dogs should not be chasing wildlife, but also agree with the laws. It would sure be a shame if someone was a bit trigger happy and shot some dogs that someone was in control of and exercising like in my case above.

You know what your mistake was? Living in a HOA.

[BULLBLASTER]

I had a guy tell me that he was going to shoot my dogs once. It almost came to punches.
I walk my dogs on our hoa land with their e collars on. There are a lot of deer that run off when we walk through, my dogs are never more than 100 yards from me and this guy (doesnt even live in our hoa) comes to me and in no uncertain terms tells me if he sees my dogs again he will shoot them. He also tried to tell me that i didnt in fact live in the hoa and that i wasnt allowed to be there.

I can agree that dogs should not be chasing wildlife, but also agree with the laws. It would sure be a shame if someone was a bit trigger happy and shot some dogs that someone was in control of and exercising like in my case above.

You know what your mistake was? Living in a HOA.

Yes that is the exact reason that i was yelled at and threatened by someone from outside our hoa...  what a pointless post...

[KFhunter]

I don't think I need to be educated, I live in the NE corner and I see cattle and Deer every single day in high quantity's. Not saying it doesn't happen because it does (dogs chasing deer) , but I have never seen it in my life. I don't have any numbers to play with statistically and am just guessing wild animals being ran down by somebody's pet are probably pretty low, Maybe I just have a bigger heart for a pet rather than an a freezer filler. I guess we can just agree to disagree. 

I have had dogs eating the ass end out of live deer in my field, one was my neighbors dog and I know they had to have seen it as it was right out front of their house.  It was a real conundrum for me, I was so angry seeing that deer suffer but it was right in front of the neighbors house!   Do I shoot it?     I finally shot the deer and removed it and I don't know what ever happened to the dog. 

(Those neighbors are long gone for anyone that knows me)

I've had problem with livestock and dogs over the years but generally everyone around knows me and I'm usually able to locate the neighbors.  I had a huge dog put my nephew in the outhouse for most of the night, it wandered in when we were having a big camp out with the military families.  I rented some porta potties.  I hear all the commotion and head out ready to do this dog in as it had found my rabbit hutch and they were stomping. 

Instead found my nephew was scared to death hiding in a porta potty.  I ask him how long he'd been in there  "oh since about 2 am I had to take a leak and it came at me!"  it was about 8 am now, poor kid.    The dog was the size of a great dane but a bit thicker.   He was trembling with fear and just knew cujo the hell hound was circling that porta potty. 

I gave the dog the stink eye and it melted, nephew was stunned at the instant change of demeanor in the dog.  It came up with its tail between its legs and went belly up at my feet...couldn't shoot it.  I was ready for it to charge me and I'd do my business. 

finally found it was a rescue that recently got re-homed 12 miles away and the rescue agency came picked it up.  Coulda been a nice dog with a good owner.  Nephew spent half the day with that dog, it was his new best friend while waiting for it to get picked up.