[dc 21]

I'm wondering if anything like this has happened to you.


I went archery hunting this afternoon, October 8th, and was walking down a trail in the Tioga State Forest, heading to my stand. The trail is only a few feet wide. The rain had just ended, the sky is overcast and it's dark and shadowy in the woods. I see movement and spot what I think is a deer,at 30 yards, in the woods on my left. I stop in the middle of the trail and watch because it looks like the "deer" is gonna cross the trail and keep going in a left to right direction. Suddenly the "deer" turns and starts running down the trail, toward me, and I realize it's not a deer but a big German Shephard dog. This thing is running right at me and he's growling and barking and looks like he is gonna attack me. I take my bow into both hands and I'm gonna hit him like I'm swing a baseball bat. He's getting closer and I'm trying to puff up and I'm screaming at him. He gets to about 15 feet and stops. Now, I see two people on my left and they are yelling for the dog to stop and come to them. The owner says to me, don't hurt him he won't bite you. (Like I'm gonna believe that) The dog turns and runs back the way he came. I grab an arrow and start to nock it but he turns and starts the charge again. Now, I have the bow in one hand and the arrow in the other, I get set and I'm gonna stick him with the arrow or whack him with the bow. His owners call him again and again he stops and this time, he runs towards them. They apologize to me and start moving off with the dog. I'm pretty shaken by the whole thing and I just said, OK, and after getting my composure back, I started down the trail. The whole encounter took about thirty seconds, maybe less.

Believe me, it was a scary situation, as I thought I was being attacked by a rabid dog.

Any thoughts or opinions?

 

[aswallace911]

I had it happen to me walking to my uncles house to shoot my bow, the dog broke thru the house door and was coming across the road when a car hit him, didnt kill him but i think scared him good, it saved the dogs life i was ready as have zero tolerance for animals that are aggressive towards humans, the owner came out asking what happened and i told him the dog was coming after me and a car hit him, of course he gave the usual my dog doesnt do that. That dog had bluff charged me a couple times before so i knew what to expect. Never a problem since

 

[Findmeinthewoods]

I have had many situations with poor dog owners on public lands. My dog is always under control (6 foot leash and electronic collar). He has been attacked on numerous occassions and most recently by a young lab.

The woman with the lab on the SGL coulnd't handle what seemed to be a 6-9 month old puppy and dropped the leash. Dog charged us and she started to scream, making the situation worse. She couldn't get control of him and told me to kick him... so I did. Once in the hind quarters and he turned and ran back towards the owner. For whatever reason, he came back towards us so I kicked him in the gut and he ran back to her for good.

I will never hesitate to protect myself and my family, including my dog, from a dog that is off leash and invading our space. I have consider buying mace to carry on me and this post makes me want to make the purchase right now.

When we have had these situations arise I am always very vocal to the owners about their lack of understanding of why leash laws exist. In the case of SGLs, the dog does not need to be on a leash, but must be under the owners control. If you can't recall your dog instantly when it is off-leash, your dog should not be off-leash.

Editted to add: anyone looking for obedience training should consider Peacock Bridge Kennels in the Reading, PA area. Andy, a member here, is a fantastic trainer and did wonders with my dog!

 

[holedigger]

I think at about 15 ft the owners comeback call would've been drowned out by the sound of my 357! I've been bit a couple times....enough! Control 'em or don't.

 

[Hunter8319]

Those people are boneheads for leaving a dog with that temperament off a leash, inside a fence should be the only time. I'm always carrying a pistol and if I truly believed that dog was going to chew on me, it would get shot.

 

[Cummins5.9ho]

You handled a bad situation very well. I would have had a few words for the owners.
I would have sacrificed my left forearm. My right hand would have my 45 in it. I wouldn't advise firing till you are attacked.
Just the way things are today.

 

[outlook214]

Had a similar situation about 2 years ago when my son was 6. We were walking up our camp road that passes 2 other camps. This on state forest. He wanted to go up to the creek to look for fish. A man and woman are sitting there with their pit bull. The man and the dog didn't see us, the woman kinda frantically said the man's name as to alert him before the dog saw us. As she did, the dog heard us and started charging us, the lady SCREAMED the mans name and the man yells DON'T MOVE! I pulled my son in with my left hand and grabbed my pistol with my right...... The dog sniffed and growled before finally retreating back to the owners. I though who would want that liability. Had I not been with my son, who knows? The people weren't there the day prior when we arrived.

 

[Laylow]

First off I love dogs. I was squirrel hunting once and two mangy mutts, big mutts, came after me. I yelled and waved at them with out any results. I started to back off and they kept coming closer. No collars. No dogs.

 

[DrewMc]

I was bit in the butt by a German Shepard while I was fishing when I was younger. It actually crossed the stream to attack me. I could hear the owner yelling for the dog a ways off. Luckily I was able to get away, but still had to go to the doctor to make sure the dog didn't have rabies. Had the owners been a round, they could have had a lawsuit on their hands. Another reason to pack heat while out in the woods.

 

[dc 21]

You handled a bad situation very well. I would have had a few words for the owners.
I would have sacrificed my left forearm. My right hand would have my 45 in it. I wouldn't advise firing till you are attacked.
Just the way things are today.

Thanks, I was pretty shook up and was just glad it was over. After walking a little I thought the same, I should have said more to them, I took the brunt of the attack and they got off easy. They should have had full control over their dog and they did not.

 

[dpms]

I got bit bad by a dog in the past. Any dog that is acting aggressive towards me and is close enough to do harm will receive little sympathy from me. I own a dog and love dogs but dog owners have responsibilities.

 

[eakin8]

This is the main reason I carry my handgun in the woods. Never had a serious run in but I'm not gonna take a chance either. I love dogs and would hate to have to shoot one but I often take my 2 year old along to check cameras and such.

 

[Birch812]

Re: Dog Attack! and

Glad you made out OK but you know better than to be eating Philly soft pretzels and a big chunk of Czerw's kielbasa on the way to your stand.

 

[triplethreat67]

In 2007 I was doing some preseason scouting on a farm I and hunted for years. I was looking at the ground for tracks, etc, when i heard a rustling ahead. I look up and see a large mixed breed shepherd closing quick. I had nothing, not even a pocket knife or a stick. It all happened so quick. I was bit in the right hand and forearm before I connected with a kick. The dog let loose, yelped and took off. The whole incident was very bizarre. I went to the farm owner, described the dog, no idea whose it was. I ended up going to the hospital and received the rabies vaccine. Since then, I never hit the woods without a gun. Not sure exactly how I would react but i know i would now have an option.

The OP reacted well to a bad situation, like someone else said, and I am glad he wasn't bit.

IMO - dog owners are the real problem, not the dogs themselves in most cases.

 

[superkodiak]

There is a gamelands in western pa that has dogs that come after hunters and deer regularly. I started carrying after having them come into the woods after me one year during archery season. A few years back I found the same dog on the gamelands dead. Assuming he charged the wrong person.

 

[Adam]

I have a very well trained lab. He's better off leash than most dogs are on leash. I can't tell you the # of times I've had him swimming with me a public beach, that allows pets but they are supposed to be leashed, and have had leashed dogs rip away from their owners and come after us.

Just this past summer I was down there with my gf, my son and my dog. I was throwing a bumper for him to retrieve, so no, ne wasn't leashed, and I saw a woman probably 75 yards away who was having trouble controlling her dog and I told my gf "I bet $10 that dog is down here sooner than later." Sure enough I hear the woman start screaming and here comes her dog running full speed towards us.

 

[Adam K]

I hunt a large piece of private land and got surprised two years ago in turkey season. I was walking down the snowmobile path and saw a shed antler laying their so I bent over to pick it up and heard noise behind me. Initially I thought it was a deer I bumped without seeing. When I turned around there was a german shepherd and a Rottweiler about 10 yards from me. I had my bow and was aweful nervous because they both were barking and jumping with all 4 paws off the ground. Their owner came walking up through the field and called them back. Last year I had someone's black pitbull on trail camera about 30 times too. I started carrying a 45 when I archery hunt now. I don't want to kill anyone's pet, I have 2 dogs myself, but I keep them under control.

 

[Cummins5.9ho]

After reading all these posts. It seems to be more common than what I thought. Seems like the domestic animals are more of threat than the wild ones.
When I lived in town dogs would come out bristled up, barking and growling.
Every owner said the same thing, dont worry Trixie won't bite. Still don't believe them.

 

[jimsdad]

About 40 years ago, when I had just been discharged from the USMC, I was jogging and there was a guy with 2 dogs that were loose and getting exercised in the same area. The dogs were rather large and misbehaved so I went to the hardware store an bought about 2 feet of chain and I wore that around my neck and under my sweat shirt whenever I jogged in this area. Sure enough, a week or so later the dogs were there and they charged me at his command. That's right - at his command. I waled into both them dogs with that chain and I was lucky in catching both of them across the head with the hardest blows I could deliver and they took off. He began cursing at me and after we discussed the situation he left. I never saw him or his dogs again. This whole thing was witnessed by a woman on her porch and she called the police. They came and took a report from her and me. End of story. I was ready to beat the crap out of that guy but I considered the repercussions of an assault and battery charge and thought a few words to that jack-wagon would be enough. No, I did not feel a bit of remorse for bashing them dogs. It was a very heavy chain. To this day I am glad that I overcame the urge to beat that guy and really do some damage.

 

[Six-Gun]

My "welcome to Ohio" at one state park occurred shortly after getting orders out here. It involved walking past a picnic table of a family that had its dog on an extremely long rope. As I walked by, the dog started trotting toward me looking outwardly calm. I stopped and stood still, presuming that the dog was just going to sniff me and go on about its business. Nope. It calmly walked up and immediately started attacking me in the crotch...thankfully just shy of the family goods. It ripped a gaping hole in the front of my shorts, but by some miracle, I didn't lose my manhood or have my femoral artery severed.

I was surprisingly calm given the circumstances and advised them that their dog should not be out in public, as a lot of people would sue just because. They jammed the dog into its crate ASAP while giving me a sob story about the dog being a rescue. Sounds like the shelter should've put this one down.