[Pony]

Last weekend, we had a very unpleasant and disturbing experience.

As hunting season approaches, we always get poachers cruising the area, breaking locks on fences, lying about their "permission" to hunt our land and adjacent land, etc.

Two weeks ago, we had to replace locks and chains broken on two fences.

This past Saturday, Nick and I were out in the garden along the road. Two yahoos in a black pickup - sans tags - drove slowly by. A few minutes later, we heard a .22 shot, right by our herd and flock, which were grazing alongside the road fence.

Nick fired at a nearby target, and we tore off toward the animals.

The truck came barreling BACK DOWN THE ROAD TOWARD US. We got a good look at the driver, who did not respond when we yelled at him.

We notified the neighbors, and found out from an elderly neighbor a mile up the road that the same jerks shot another neighbor's goat and left it to die. They're not hunting food, they're shooting at animals for thrills or whatever.

It does no good to contact the law around here, as they are far too understaffed to care about what's going on in our remote corner of the county (and don't really care, actually), so we're on our own up here.

My point is this: Be aware, especially if you're in a remote area, but even if you're not. Be ready to do whatever is necessary to protect yourself, your property, and your stock.

 

[Pony]

Stay in contact with your neighbors. If you don't know them, get to know them.

A neighbor three miles away saw the same truck cruising the area a few times over the past week. We've started a secret page on FB to keep each other aware of what we see and what we know.

It's more important than ever to know your neighbors. You don't have to be best friends, just best neighbors.

 

[AngieM2]

Be careful Pony. I hope that person gets a lesson and is incapacitated to the functions required to do his crappy "fun".

 

[kasilofhome]

That is why moose hunting time is work for me too.

 

[dozedotz]

Several years ago, Pony, we had a similar, crazy experience. One of the varmint dogs had followed Mac from the cabin up to the barn when a truck could be heard coming up the road. Bounce, the dog, started barking (they bark at some and not at others...do not know why) and started toward the road. He reached the front gate/fence about the time as the truck passed and someone in the truck shot him. He survived the wound. LUCKILY one of our "neighbors" who lives over a mile away had seen the truck although was not aware of what had happened and they "just thought that something did not seem right" and wrote down the license plate number!!! How is that for luck?! When Mac called around to different people on our road and described the truck and what had happened that neighbor had the vehicle plate. The police did respond on this one because we could describe the vehicle and the number on the plate.

 

[Forcast]

home made nail strips on the road with a warning sign at 50 feet 30 feet 20 feet 10 feet marks and so sorry for you flat tires sign posted right after the nail strip. make a open non nail path just wide enough for the cars that are supposed to be in on the road. make it a zig zag so people have to drive real slow and stear back and forth to get down the road. Bet they will stop doing drive bys. have all the neighbors help placing the nail strips so they remember where they are!

 

[CAjerseychick]

Exactly why I am upset at another neighbors complaint that our LGD has barking alot at night and dusk... (more for varmits I am sure -the closet neighbor has already lost 2 of his weedeating renter goats in the past 2 weeks)....
This is just another reason to have our perimeters patrolled.....

 

[Pony]

home made nail strips on the road with a warning sign at 50 feet 30 feet 20 feet 10 feet marks and so sorry for you flat tires sign posted right after the nail strip. make a open non nail path just wide enough for the cars that are supposed to be in on the road. make it a zig zag so people have to drive real slow and stear back and forth to get down the road. Bet they will stop doing drive bys. have all the neighbors help placing the nail strips so they remember where they are!

As it's a community road, I don't see that happening. Wish we could do it, though...

 

[Phil V.]

That's why I keep a shotgun handy during hunting season and this time of year. A shot over their heads makes them think about doing it again.

 

[TRAILRIDER]

Several years ago, Pony, we had a similar, crazy experience. One of the varmint dogs had followed Mac from the cabin up to the barn when a truck could be heard coming up the road. Bounce, the dog, started barking (they bark at some and not at others...do not know why) and started toward the road. He reached the front gate/fence about the time as the truck passed and someone in the truck shot him. He survived the wound. LUCKILY one of our "neighbors" who lives over a mile away had seen the truck although was not aware of what had happened and they "just thought that something did not seem right" and wrote down the license plate number!!! How is that for luck?! When Mac called around to different people on our road and described the truck and what had happened that neighbor had the vehicle plate. The police did respond on this one because we could describe the vehicle and the number on the plate.

What happened with those fools? Any jail time?

 

[marusempai]

Threads like this make me want to get a dog. A BIG dog. The front of our property is a road - used by everyone going to the university farm next door, and quite a large number of folks with boats going down to the river. So far we don't need the front pasture, the nearer ones are plenty for our small herd, but when we need it, I want something big and scary looking to defend my goats.

 

[Pony]

Threads like this make me want to get a dog. A BIG dog. The front of our property is a road - used by everyone going to the university farm next door, and quite a large number of folks with boats going down to the river. So far we don't need the front pasture, the nearer ones are plenty for our small herd, but when we need it, I want something big and scary looking to defend my goats.

We have two big dogs. One is an American Bulldog. He looks scary as heck, and his bark is ferocious. The Border Collie is no slouch at barking, either.

Problem is, dogs are no match for weapons like guns or arrows. The goat up the road who was shot dead had 3 LGDs there to protect. Doesn't do any good when an idiot is shooting from the road.

Other neighbors lost one of their Pyrs to an ... well, a big jerk a couple years ago. The dog was shot with arrows.

She didn't die quickly or well.

 

[dozedotz]

Trailrider: It turned out that the perps were two teenage boys riding around with nothing but time on their hands and a rifle. They claimed that they had been plinking squirrels - but ultimately admitted that the dog running toward them (even though he was behind a fence on our property) was too good a target to miss. His parents (the shooter's) called us just horrified and dumbfounded that their kid had done such a thing. The mother said over and over that they have dogs and that this son (they are a large family) was particularly fond of the dogs. After much soul searching and inquiries about the family (we know them, actually, but not well...the truck belonged to the other boy who was from town) and discovering how deeply religious they are and that the boy has not been in any other problem, we elected to allow the parents rather than the courts to "settle his hash" as his father put it. We were just glad that Bounce was ok - that the boys were caught and therefore given the opportunity to learn a lesson about getting caught. They offered all kinds of restitution of different kinds that we rejected and I truly believe that his dad took care of the boy. Obviously, it could have been a different ending with a different set of circumstances, but we are satisfied, Bounce is fine and the boy is now in college hopefully on the path to good things.

 

[StarofHearts]

I'd put signs and cameras up if I started losing stock like that. Or even just signs about hidden cameras just to make the little... jerks... think twice. If you get it on video it's difficult for the law ignore. Or you and your neighbors could reach out to the news and animal rights groups. No animal rights group is going to like an animal being shot for no reason... though contacting animal rights could open a whole different barrel of monkeys.

 

[unregistered41671]

That's why I keep a shotgun handy during hunting season and this time of year. A shot over their heads makes them think about doing it again.

Been listening to Joe Biden a little too much. His advice will get most people jail time. Shooting over someones head is frowned upon and lots of people are serving time for just "brandishing".

 

[CAjerseychick]

We have two big dogs. One is an American Bulldog. He looks scary as heck, and his bark is ferocious. The Border Collie is no slouch at barking, either.

Problem is, dogs are no match for weapons like guns or arrows. The goat up the road who was shot dead had 3 LGDs there to protect. Doesn't do any good when an idiot is shooting from the road.

Other neighbors lost one of their Pyrs to an ... well, a big jerk a couple years ago. The dog was shot with arrows.

She didn't die quickly or well.

Thats why we are getting webcams. Nothing like a video tape and filing charges to get people's attention...
(maybe get a speedbump added to your frontage so they cannot make a quick getaway)...

 

[Tinga]

You fire a weapon aimed at MY property... you best find cover.

 

[Pony]

Been listening to Joe Biden a little too much. His advice will get most people jail time. Shooting over someones head is frowned upon and lots of people are serving time for just "brandishing".

Charges of "brandishing" are not likely to happen in this neck of the woods.

The culture here is gun-friendly.

 

[Pony]

You fire a weapon aimed at MY property... you best find cover.

We were discussing the benefits of various cameras today.

There is one spot where I think another piece of technology may be helpful. This area is often a target for poachers to attempt access. I'd like to get a remotely controlled gong or, perhaps, a train crossing bell. If we discover someone attempting to enter, a loud noise like that could cause that person to reconsider his actions.

 

[Phil V.]

Been listening to Joe Biden a little too much. His advice will get most people jail time. Shooting over someones head is frowned upon and lots of people are serving time for just "brandishing".

I walk down the road 1/4 mile to the neighbor to rabbit hunt with a single 20 ga. shotgun for the last 12 yrs. and cops that go by me don't even bother me about it. Once in awhile they stop and ask if I'm after squirrel or rabbit. Then they'll look over my gun and offer to buy it.