Dogs Straying Off WMA

[MCBUCK]

Briefly: What is the law regarding hunting dogs treeing on private lands after being released on a WMA?
I was very nice to the kid the first time he came over but explained “no hunting” but he has since treed on the property two more times and my wife isn’t happy about it at all. He’s hunting a very small WMA (200ac) about 1/2 mile up river from me and his dog loves to tree on my bottom pasture. I don’t mind once or twice helping him find his way across a deep creek, but he’s found a good spot and the Coons tree on my property...usually within a 150-175 yards of my bedroom window. I don’t want you to be a jerk, but he’s wore out my kindness and understanding with the 2:00am treeing.

 

[hoytman308]

I would imagine it would be considered as trespassing. I mean he obviously didn’t get your permission. Call to the local Mr. Green jeans may be the solution for this one. Stinks for the fella but there are boundaries and rules that must be followed no matter if the dog doesn’t know.

 

[280 Man]

Briefly: What is the law regarding hunting dogs treeing on private lands after being released on a WMA?
I was very nice to the kid the first time he came over but explained “no hunting” but he has since treed on the property two more times and my wife isn’t happy about it at all. He’s hunting a very small WMA (200ac) about 1/2 mile up river from me and his dog loves to tree on my bottom pasture. I don’t mind once or twice helping him find his way across a deep creek, but he’s found a good spot and the Coons tree on my property...usually within a 150-175 yards of my bedroom window. I don’t want you to be a jerk, but he’s wore out my kindness and understanding with the 2:00am treeing.

Im in SC so this may not apply to you. I know he is trying to hunt legally but just because he "turned loose" on a WMA does not mean anything. In SC this young man is trespassing and could be charged with such.

Might cost a little sleep but tell him, with a little gentleman kindness that you don't appreciate the intrusion onto your land and the next time it happens the GW will be called and that you are prosecuting.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

I believe I would shoot the coon. It’s the same coon running to the same tree. Problem solved, no GW involved and no hard feelings. It’s not that the dog loves to tree there....that’s where the coon likes to run, where the coon climbs is where the dog trees. To be legal the man would either need your permission to come onto your property, or he would have to call the GW to come speak with you about getting his dog. You will get more sleep shooting the coon. Personally I can tone my dogs back without setting foot on someone else’s land, but alot of peoples dogs are different and they cannot.

 

[MCBUCK]

I believe I would shoot the coon. It’s the same coon running to the same tree. Problem solved, no GW involved and no hard feelings. It’s not that the dog loves to tree there....that’s where the coon likes to run, where the coon climbs is where the dog trees. To be legal the man would either need your permission to come onto your property, or he would have to call the GW to come speak with you about getting his dog. You will get more sleep shooting the coon. Personally I can tone my dogs back without setting foot on someone else’s land, but alot of peoples dogs are different and they cannot.

He’s a really nice kid....I actually like him, but no means no. I could even tolerate it maybe ( huntin) if he treed early, but 2:00am doesn’t jive with my personal sleep schedule ?
There is literally hundreds of thousands of acres of FS lands and WMA’s but I am thinking he young. Maybe I can show him some places....
We text tonight and he agreed not hunt the WMA the rest of the season as a courtesy, and wait till next year.
Maybe I can work this out to be good focus both.

 

[Ray357]

Briefly: What is the law regarding hunting dogs treeing on private lands after being released on a WMA?
I was very nice to the kid the first time he came over but explained “no hunting” but he has since treed on the property two more times and my wife isn’t happy about it at all. He’s hunting a very small WMA (200ac) about 1/2 mile up river from me and his dog loves to tree on my bottom pasture. I don’t mind once or twice helping him find his way across a deep creek, but he’s found a good spot and the Coons tree on my property...usually within a 150-175 yards of my bedroom window. I don’t want you to be a jerk, but he’s wore out my kindness and understanding with the 2:00am treeing.

I quit coon hunting because of this. Honestly, there is not a lot a hunter can do. You got a good cold nosed dog,vyou may tree 2 miles from where you turned out. The kid is trying.

 

[NCMTNHunter]

The kid needs to...
1. Train his dogs to come when called.
2. Hunt that spot earlier in the night. If he is treeing that late on your place the coons are off the WMA before he ever turns loose.
3. Without being able to shoot that coon he should have went somewhere else after the second time.

Out of curiosity how did you meet him? Did he contact you when his dog treed on your place or did you find him on your property?

 

[Ray357]

The kid needs to...
1. Train his dogs to come when called.
2. Hunt that spot earlier in the night. If he is treeing that late on your place the coons are off the WMA before he ever turns loose.
3. Without being able to shoot that coon he should have went somewhere else after the second time.

Out of curiosity how did you meet him? Did he contact you when his dog treed on your place or did you find him on your property?

The coon dog you can call off a coon is rare. Most ain't coming off a track.

 

[NCMTNHunter]

The coon dog you can call off a coon is rare. Most ain't coming off a track.

Unfortunately it is rare. Not because they can’t but because nobody trains them to. I didn’t train mine to for the 15 years of coon/bear hunting career. But once a figured out you could life got a whole lot better.

 

[MCBUCK]

Out of curiosity how did you meet him? Did he contact you when his dog treed on your place or did you find him on your property?

His first night on my property he treed about 150y from my house in the pasture and he couldn't get across the creek to his dog so I took my SXS down and took him to the creek ford, then drove him back to his truck that was parked about 2 miles away. Again, really nice kid, but he may not understand his responsibility in this case and possible consequences. And the last time he treed, he did not contact me.
I spoke with the GW and the correct answer is that at the end of the day, if he trees on someone elses property where he does not have permission to hunt, then he is trespassing and is liable for ticketing; I don't want to see that happen because like I said he seems to be a good kid. I think I will follow up and show him some places to hunt with larger acreage.

 

[Al Medcalf]

Are you feeding corn to deer or turkeys? That sure pulls the coons in. I have some trouble during deer season keeping my dogs where they Are supposed to be because of deer baiting.

 

[MCBUCK]

Are you feeding corn to deer or turkeys? That sure pulls the coons in. I have some trouble during deer season keeping my dogs where they Are supposed to be because of deer baiting.

Cant really feed with 30 head of cattle amd two horses in the pasture. To put a finer point on my answer; There are no feed stations. There’s some soybeans OR were some ....left standing on the far side of the creek amd I’m sure that’s a good source. Field has stayed too wet for a combine.

 

[Heath]

Cant really feed with 30 head of cattle amd two horses in the pasture. To put a finer point on my answer; There are no feed stations. There’s some soybeans OR were some ....left standing on the far side of the creek amd I’m sure that’s a good source. Field has stayed too wet for a combine.

Hats off to you for trying. I think you are handling it as best you can. I live on both sides of this fence and know that tone breaking is essential on my dogs in today’s world. But, I was also a kid at one time. Dogs are dogs and even the best will do things they shouldn’t occasionally. You have every right to private property but thank you for being civil and trying to solve the problem. I hope he takes the hint and moves on for both parties sake.

 

[Ray357]

His first night on my property he treed about 150y from my house in the pasture and he couldn't get across the creek to his dog so I took my SXS down and took him to the creek ford, then drove him back to his truck that was parked about 2 miles away. Again, really nice kid, but he may not understand his responsibility in this case and possible consequences. And the last time he treed, he did not contact me.
I spoke with the GW and the correct answer is that at the end of the day, if he trees on someone elses property where he does not have permission to hunt, then he is trespassing and is liable for ticketing; I don't want to see that happen because like I said he seems to be a good kid. I think I will follow up and show him some places to hunt with larger acreage.

He turned out 2 miles from where he treed? If he is turning out two miles away from you is there really much more he can do?

 

[JustUs4All]

Why yes, yes there is.

 

[across the river]

He turned out 2 miles from where he treed? If he is turning out two miles away from you is there really much more he can do?

Yes, he can go hunt somewhere else.

 

[Ray357]

Yes, he can go hunt somewhere else.

You just must not like coon hunters. There are not many places you can hunt that you can guarantee your dogs don't cross a property line. That's the reason I quit hunting. I would rather a kid be coon hunting than doping. It's one thing when people turn out on your property line. It's another when the dogs travel. Property owners can do what they like, but sometimes some giving and not me, me, my, mine is helpful. I don't think the O.P. is being unreasonable. I also know a dog will tree where it trees. I hunted with the top Walker, top Blue Tick, and top Blue English in the nation. Those dogs would not even consider being recalled. If they struck,bthey treed.

 

[JustUs4All]

I like coon hunters just fine and love coon dogs but -- If a person and his dog hunts my property without my permission by mistake we will have a cordial conversation. We might have a similar conversation two or three times but at some point if that person persists he will either help me with the property taxes or make payments on his own directly to the County.

 

[across the river]

You just must not like coon hunters. There are not many places you can hunt that you can guarantee your dogs don't cross a property line. That's the reason I quit hunting. I would rather a kid be coon hunting than doping. It's one thing when people turn out on your property line. It's another when the dogs travel. Property owners can do what they like, but sometimes some giving and not me, me, my, mine is helpful. I don't think the O.P. is being unreasonable. I also know a dog will tree where it trees. I hunted with the top Walker, top Blue Tick, and top Blue English in the nation. Those dogs would not even consider being recalled. If they struck,bthey treed.

I coon hunted a lot many years ago back when I was in high school with a couple of buddies. I had everything from labs to beagles growing up in the country. I understand the deal with dogs. Regardless, it is my, your, and this kids responsibly to do everything possible to keep our dog off of someone else property.

This kid is hunting public land. Why for goodness sake would you hunt a small tract of public land with houses around it when there are plenty of large tracts he could hunt. If it happens once, o.k. I get it. Lesson learned. Yet he goes right back and hunts the same tract again and does the same thing. Go somewhere else. It isn't his land, so he isn't stuck there.

There is this attitude among a lot of dog hunters that since they are dog hunting, they should just have the right to go wherever they want, because "dogs can't read posted signed." That is hogwash. If you don't have enough land to hunt, or can't find a WMA tract large enough to hunt, on which can reliably keep your dog on the place the overwhelming majority of the time, don't have a dog. It is the simple. There is no "right to dog hunt". If you have 60 acre to hunt surrounded by houses, guess what, a coon dog probably isn't a smart thing for you to get. I know several guys who have a yard full of pig dogs, beagles, coon dogs, etc.... and absolutely no where to hunt them. I don't for the life of me understand it.

 

[NCHillbilly]

The kid needs to...
1. Train his dogs to come when called.

If you have a coon dog that can be called off a track, it's not much of a coon dog.