First day of deer hunting tomorrow....

I HATE THAT DAY!!!!! Because I have nightmare thoughts of the dogs suddenly running into the woods for a romp....that would be VERY bad! They are staying in tonight. Last year wasn't too bad after the 1st day......year before, I ran out with Addie and we only went behind the garage. Now, MOST hunters are quite responsible........sadly, too many others see this as a time to be away from home....drink some beer...grab a gun...and hunt stupidly. It's the one and only time I wish we weren't in such a wooded area. We have our property posted, which most hunters really do respect. Just will keep the furbabes close at hand...............since Addie gets totally bored in the house, this should be interesting. The cat is already pouting. lol

I would be too. We have a lot of woods around us, though now this area has become more populated, but I know this used to be a BIG area around here for hunting. I still worry since there are some pretty big wooded areas around.

My husband told me a story he saw on the news a couple of weeks ago where a man had trespassed onto someone's property and set up a hunting stand in a tree and they came and asked him to leave and he shot 5 people. Can you beleive that? On their own property! so, better for you to keep the pups in - better safe than sorry.

What can you expect? You give a bunch of killers guns and alcohol and you get what you get. I know that's not all of them, and I don't have a problem with the ones that go out and put a deer in the freezer, but I've run across too many idiots. High powered, semi-automatic firearms, telescopic sites, night vision, scent lures . . . The ones that really PO'd me were a bunch that decided to hunt on a friend's farm without her permission. When she pointed out to them there were "No Hunting" and "No Trespassing" signs posted, they laughed at her and told her it would be a shame if her house burned down. They came back in the summer and went down to the big pond and smashed about 20 or so box turtles on the rocks.

Charley's got some friends that come over and rabbit hunt, but they call ahead and ask permission and let me know they're here so I can put the dogs up. When they came by this year I got a good laugh. They weren't expecting TWO Filas, but the real fun was Bimmer jumping up on the Beagle cages in the back of the truck and trying to open them and let the little doggies out.

My husband is a hunter and I really don't like it but I can't change all of his bad habits it's just those idiots that make a bad name for the good resposible ones

That is true. I don't have a problem with the responsible ones, and you are right, all it takes is one looney with a rifle to make a bad name for all the ones who hunt responsibly.

Renee- I would be so mad too if that happened to my friend or someone I knew. I can't believe they did that and said that to her. Uneducated people with guns.....just what we don't need more of.

We had the second set of rabbit hunters here this morning. They were going to come the day after Thanksgiving, but it was raining and nasty. Charley had told them to let me know they were here so I could keep the dogs up. You should've seen the guy's face when he came to the door. Bimmer, Shiva and Kharma all lined up over the back of the sofa, faces pressed to the window, baying like the Hounds of the Baskervilles; then when I opened the door about four inches, Kharma dove over the arm of the sofa and stuck her head between my legs trying to get out. I don't know why she was so adamant. Usually she settles right down when I tell her. I kind of doubt they found many rabbits with all the noise. (heh, heh, heh!)

And when Kharma heard that first gunshot! She went nuts. Growling and snarling, hackles raised, face right up against the window. She sure hasn't forgotten that someone shot her in the paw!

After about 45 minutes my head was ringing. Kharma and Shiva took turns taking a break to get a drink of water. Bimmer went to the back room and hid his head in the pillows. Sensible of him!

Yea we have 11 acres. It has a little bit off woods on it..although now much. These is also a huge lake around our property..Well our land is posted also..(For chance's sake and al the rest.) But one day there were some deer hunters down in our thicket which is only about a half a acre big. That made us so mad. They knew they were not going to find a deer out in that little place. We ran them off.I told them they better get off our land we have to many dogs and kids around here for that. They stayed a while longer they were so-called tracking one by the blood. But I made sure Chance and the rest were locked in the house.

You all might want to check the hunting laws in your states. In Tennessee, the hunters must have, on their persons, written and signed permission from the landowner.

Well...THANKFULLY, the first day is over. It is always the worst! Yesterday we only went out when we had to...sounded like what a war zone must sound like. Ham loved it....meant being in the house day and night...snoozing on the bed. Addie paced......and paced.......and paced some more. Lots of barking, and I didn't get a darn thing done. The poor cat was in hiding all day. Today, they went out for a little while because I've not heard any gunshots since dawn. I think I saw the cat moonwalking across the kitchen floor..........nobody tell her that the dogs are coming back in very soon!!!

lol..Deer season is over now. Here anyway.

As a hunter and a responsible one at that, I have never trespassed to hunt and I suggest that to approach a trespassing hunter should only be done while fully armed, as he is already willing to break the law you should be ready to defend yourself or call the police if you are not ready to take these steps. I would let a hunter track a shot deer so the poor bambi is not left to rot. WHen hunters use dogs to catch deer or wild hogs it becomes a challenge to find an area large enough to prevent the hunt from crossing over to private property. I am currently trying to get involved with the hunters who have access to this type of large area so When I turn out the pitbulls I do not have to worry about them getting in trouble or worse yet, shot by a property owner. I know many do not agree with different hunting techniques, but I am glad to see the remarks by all here showing toleration of others! By the way, the hunter shot 8 guys and one more died bringing the total dead to 6. Thank you for allowing fellow Americans to exercise their rights and freedoms even though you may not have the same views, Brent

Brent's absolutely right! Unless you're good and comfortable with firearms DON'T confront trespassing hunters! Even then it's best to get the local sheriff or wildlife wardens involved. Charley had a situation like that out here several years before I met him. His mother was very elderly and suffered from severe Parkinsons'. When he came home from work at lunch to check on her she complained about "all the shooting." He went out and found where shot had been hitting the house. His inner stereotypical Irish redhead came out pretty quickly and he grabbed his big coat and an appropriate firearm and went after them - along with Joe, the Bull Mastiff. There were three hunters and they tried to deny they knew they'd crossed a property line (they had cut a 5-strand barbed wire cattle fence); one of them started to aim his rifle, Joe stood up and showed his teeth, and Charley pulled the AR out from behind his coat. Amazing how quickly one can be convinced one has made an unfortunate and regrettable mistake! I almost wondered about the whole story until an old friend of his came over one night and they were laughing about some of the scrapes they'd been in over the years, and the old friend mentioned the time he'd run into those "dumb hunters who'd talked about some crazed redheaded (insert language) who'd chased them off with the biggest dog they'd ever seen and a military rifle."

But that's how easily things can get out of hand . . .