Saturday, March 5, 2011

On the Shore

1. Shot a dog with my pellet gun and...................


Was working midnight shift this week. Got to bed around 8 A.M. About 9:30 A.M. I was woken by the sound of my Chickens freaking out and a barking dog. Went to the back door saw the Chickens milling about in a pile on the yonder side of the run and saw an unknown dog shoot past from direction of the chicken run. Went back inside and rather than grab a 30.06 M1 Garand, shotgun, or .22 rifle I grabbed my pellet rifle. I'd rather not kill any animals. As I walked out back I spotted the dog in my neighbors yard come out from behind her shed. I cranked off a shot from about 100 feet. Didn't know if I hit it or not. I then saw a couple of other dogs run out. Just then I saw the fellow who lives behind me walking in the woods shout to the dogs. I yelled to him to get them out of the area. He yelled back that they were hunting rabbits. I went back into the house to try to get back to sleep.

Before I could get back to sleep a State Trooper came by the take a report. He said that the neighbor was at the vet with his dog. I gave him the report.

About a couple of hours later my supervisor,(I'm a Deputy Sheriff), called and told me that the dog had been euthanized.

The Trooper says he will be talking to the Commonwealth Attorney about bringing charges against me. Looks like a Class 6 Felony of Animal Cruelty.

Just being charged will mean the loss of my job. What a drag.

And I'm really bummed out about the poor dog on top of everything else.

Normally I don't write about animal stuff on this site.  But my point isn't about the dog...surprised?  Its about a deputy shooting off his weapon in such close proximity to homes and people.

From this article and the one that is similar in our twice weekly rag it sounds to me that this was a populated area, maybe dense, I don't know.  I do know I have no neighbors within shouting distance, nor do I haul out my weapons when I see a dog.

The matter that just ruffles my feathers is the constant gripe I have with these neophytes shlepping their dogs on hunts.  To further annoy me....when hunting season is over....like now...they just abandon them.

They run wild across the fields in packs, hungry, angry and dangerous. I know, I've met up with a couple of them while walking my dogs.  Not a pretty sight.  Me running...or being dragged behind my three dogs to flee the mob.

This is a problem that remains undefined.  Oh sure, it comes up in front of the legislature every now and again, but the hunters reign supreme in Virginia.  So nothing gets done....go home with what you came with, don't let them run wild and chase livestock and poultry, and for goodness sake round em up before you leave.

My property is surrounded by about 50 ac of woods and streams and of course agricultural land.  The owner, whom I detest for other reasons, rents it out to hunters.  Ok,  this is an option for him, but I really,really get my undies in a bunch when a stray bullet whacks my house.  No argument there I hope.  The south side of my house is riddled with holes.  Since it is vinyl sided it is never a clean hole, but a large cracked like affair that is never easy to repair. We've tried over the years...now we leave em.

You think its the holes that bug me?  Sure...but we are in the structure that is being used as target practice.  We've mentioned this to our local police....uh hum..the reply....do not disturb the hunter....a missed shot could cost us a fine! This is the way of rural Virginia and no 'come here' is going to change that.

No hunting after dusk....really?  Tell that to the avid neophytes. Hunting is next to super bowl here....party time..We are left with the remains of these campouts.  One year...as an example...the abandoned dogs drug a deer carcass onto my front yard flowerbeds. That's nature...you say I beg you to attempt to fetch your mail walking past this meal.  No way.

So what is a person to do.  After all hunting season doesn't last all year.  (it can here if you plead hardship).  I pity the dogs left behind, I pity the deer that get shot, and I pity the hunter who has nothing better to do than make a fool out of himself.

Be careful out there...you never know what is behind that bush. RD

2 comments:

JBinford-Bell said...

I also live in a wildish area. We have no leash laws and I and my immediate neighbor are about the only ones that have fenced yards for our dogs.

When I had livestock (llamas) the state gave me tacit permission to shoot dogs bothering them. I have had dogs attack mine when we are walking and spoke to a state trooper I know about that. He said I could carry a gun in a hostler to protect my dogs and myself.

Frankly, I would rather shoot the owners but I know that is against the law.

The Blog of Bee said...

There outta be a law..........there probably is but when one lives in virtual wilderness or rural areas, the wild wild west seems to apply.