Last night, a friend of ours told us that his dog had just been shot by an overzealous hunter. Shot dead.
Maybe I’m stupid, but how does a hunter mistake a dog for a deer? Isn’t that what those site thingies are for? To identify what’s in your scope before you pull the trigger?
Jake and I got to talking about this sad situation last night, and we both concluded that if something like this happened to one of our dogs — if some Larry the Cable Guy in a hunting vest accidentally shot Cowboy or Sunny — it would be very, very difficult for Jake not to go all Steven Seagal on his ass; I’m talking about a scene straight out of Today You Die. (Which I believe went straight to DVD, in case you missed it.)
Some people may roll their eyes and think, Geez, get over it. It’s not like the hunter shot a child, or something. But a lot of pet owners, including my husband, spend more time with their animals than they do humans. In fact, Jake is more closely bonded with Cowboy than he is with, well, me practically.
So I don’t think he’d be able to turn the other cheek on this one. In fact, he said he’d have to turn himself into the cops to prevent himself from doing something really bad to the guy. Like, numchucks bad.
Cause that’s how we do it out here in the country.
All original content © 2012 by Jessie Knadler
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I completely agree with you. It’s a terrible mistake to make.
That has happened to several dogs in my family in West Virginia over the years. I’ll never forget my brother telling me about carrying my dad’s beautiful (big) dog who he found shot, dying, through the woods back to home so he could die and be buried where he lived and played every day. Horrible, horrible. From what I have heard, it isn’t even always mistaking a dog for a deer – sometimes the dog scares off the deer and the hunter gets pissed and shoots the dog. After all, it’s just a dog.
I, too, am closer to my dog than I am to *most* living things; I spend all day with him, every day. I would do painful, painful things to anyone who ever harmed him. I don’t understand.
As you said, it’s not a child, it’s a dog. But the problem is that it COULD be a child. If they aren’t paying enough attention to what they are shooting to know that they are not shooting a deer, then it doesn’t matter what is accidently shot. No rack or meat is worth the potential tragedy. Don’t shoot unless you’re sure.
This is particularly sensitive as a person who regularly works in the woods. Hunter orange can’t always be seen through the brambles. My co-workers and I often have trouble seeing each other.
Hi Jessie,
First, I love your blog. I spend way too much time checking in to see how you and Jake are doing. I thought the chicken house was a work of art – the Taj Mahal of chicken coops!
As for the hunting incident, a tragedy (only one of many throughout the country, unfortunately) occurred up here in Maine a few years ago. A young woman went out to hang laundry. She was wearing white mittens and as you would guess, someone mistook her for a white tailed deer.
As a precaution, why not tie a hunter’s orange bandanna around the dogs’ necks – I bought one for our son’s dog – a black Great Dane – this time of year it pays to be cautious. Keep up the blogging! Nancy
I love your blog. I spend way too much time checking in to see how you and Jake are doing. I thought the chicken house was a work of art – the Taj Mahal of chicken coops!
As for the hunting incident, a tragedy (only one of many throughout the country, unfortunately) occurred up here in Maine a few years ago. A young woman went out to hang laundry. She was wearing white mittens and as you would guess, someone mistook her for a white tailed deer.
As a precaution, why not tie a hunter’s orange bandanna around the dogs’ necks – I bought one for our son’s dog – a black Great Dane – this time of year it pays to be cautious. Keep up the blogging!
Hi Nancy: How nice to hear from you, and thank you for reading. I’ll be sure to tell Jake you think the hen hut is the Taj Mahal. I’m sure he will love to hear it.
Hunter orange for the dogs! What a great idea! I never would have thought of that!
Thanks again,
Jessie
our dogs, with whom i am closer than close (to wit, whilst addressing asheville’s city council, including the mayor, this past summer about amending the animal control ordinance in the city regarding chickens, all i could think, while waiting to speak, was “i wish dexter and fly”-my dogs-”were here.” “and glenn”-my husband; and i thought those things exactly in that order and i love my husband something fierce), are my precious jewels. i’d never been a dog person until i met my husband. didn’t mind them, just hadn’t ever had one of my own. i take my dogs everywhere, cuddle them constantly, put them to bed with me every night. i can’t imagine that happening to one of them.
which is exactly why they wear orange hunting collars. you can find them at any pet supply store, or online. we live on 12 acres, surrounded by a 350-acre forest on one side and 15 acres of undeveloped land on the other. we’re not taking any chances, especially since i knew there are hunters on the ridge directly behind us. i’ve seen their look-out towers on walks. on ounce of prevention is worth 87-pounds of live dog!
Orange hunting collars. I like the sound of that. Thanks!
Wow Nancy that is a little trigger eager hunter there to shoot off on some white mittens…I guess that explains why my grandfather would have men arrested for hunting on his acreage, which I could never understand as a child because they were hunters themselves, but now I get it.
I live w/ a Fawn Great Dane – yes, he looks exactly like a deer jumping through the woods. Rural Mississippi is hunters bane. Blaze orange collar & bandana just aren’t enough for me. Big Dog wears a blaze orange hunting vest. It’s hard to make it fit him well, but shoe strings help. I have seen blaze for smaller dogs – wonder why no one’s making it for giant breeds that really could be mistaken for a deer?? My kids are head to toe blaze-they play in the woods – on MY property, no hunting/trespassing signs are ignored by the hunters around here. Many of these hunters need the meat – this is one of the poorest counties in America, so I get it – just stay off my property, away from my dogs & kids. I’m with “Jaimelee’s” granddad, I just call the sheriff & have them arrested – after they’ve cut my barbed wire with the POSTED sign! I’d like to go all Rambo & hunt them down.
Horrible. I hunt and I never shoot anything I am not 100% sure I want to kill. We put blaze orange on dogs around the collar for the entire duration of the deer season. It’s unbelievable how stupid people can be with a gun in their hands, horrifying. But. There are responsible hunters out there.