2 dead

[lchunter]

anyone have shanes number i have some ? for him thanks

[tonyamm30]

Shane,

Loosing your dog can hurt like loosing a part of your family, your everyday life.   I was once told that God gave us animals for many reason, but one of those reason can really hit your heart & soul...he gaves us them to love to prepare us for greater loss.  I'm not sure how much hurt we can endure as hunters...but the loss of a dog can really get a person down.  I too have loved and lost. I have even wished ill harm on those who hurt my babies but in that, never found comfort.  I found peace knowing that God is on my side and that even though I may not take an eye for an eye... they will answer to a much greater power.  I'm not an every Sunday church girl, as I probly should be but, I do have faith in God.     And I do beleive that the person that shot your dogs will answer in this life or maybe even the next...who knows you may even meet them there!  I hope and wish the best for you and your boys. 

Tonya Waterman,
Diboll

[shane]

I have to say again, thanks for all the support,kind words,and legal info.It all has been a great help.I have a few friends that Iam going through that are law men ,so I should be able to get to the end of this in the next little while.I really don't know as of yet if there is any thing that can be done.

[Monteria]

Shane, I will give you some advise. Some of what has been posted here is incorrect. Feral hogs in the state of Texas are now considered "exotic livestock". Exotic livestock belongs to the person who's land it is standing on. So at the time your dogs were shot they were caught on a hog that was owned by the man that shot them. It is "not" against the law to shoot dogs that are in the act of attacking livestock or exotic livestock.

I am unhappy that this is the law, but you need to know.

You should contact law enforcement to make a report and also contact an attorney. There is always more to the story than can be posted here, so go forward with contacting local law enforcement and keep us updated. Feel free to send me a PM with anything I can help you with.

Thanks,
Paul T

Paul, I agree that preliminary interpretation of the amended exotic stock classification is both daunting and contradictory to our cause, putting our dogs in the crosshairs. I would also like to point out however, that there is not yet a precedent solidifying our "common sense" interpretation.

The only thing actually changed was the classification of swine. Almost undoubtedly the objective of that change was not so that land owners could shoot hog dogs. Maybe its time for the Judicial system to interpret its own law, the original goal, and its unintended ramifications.   

Steve

[Silverton Boar Dogs]

Mandi, Free roaming exotic livestock belongs to the land owner where it is standing unless it is tagged. If it is tagged then it is handled under the estray laws. Un marked feral hogs can be taken on any property that you have permission to hunt.

[aladatrot]

So is it or is it not unlawful to tag and release a hog? I'm not talking about ethics here, I'm just trying to understand exactly what this classification means. I have always been under the impression that it is illegal to release a trapped hog - marked or not. However, I don't believe that's the case with exotic livestock such as Axis Deer.

Can you provide any input on this?
Cheers
M

[ktchemwcurs]

hogdoggerdude14, I am deaply sorry for your loss and I know exactly how you feel. I was tracking my dog about 10 or 12 years ago and a man called me from his deer stand(it was not deer season) and asked me if I was missing a dog. I told him I was on my way to him that I am tracking him on our next door neighbors land that borders our land and I was calling the land owner now. He said "I got him just come on down the ridaway and get him. I walked up about 50yrds away, he climbed down from the deer stand, shot my dog right in front of me and told me that he pays too much money to deer hunt to have a dog running his hogs down the ridaway. I had to pick my dog up with his brains blowed out and carry him with the man following me all the way back to my fence line(Grown men cry just to let ya know, especially when it was one of my best dogs). I imediately called the land owner and the land owner and I pressed charges and till this day I don't think anything was done to him. Sorry for your loss!

[clbluvs2hunt]

hogdoggerdude14, I am deaply sorry for your loss and I know exactly how you feel. I was tracking my dog about 10 or 12 years ago and a man called me from his deer stand(it was not deer season) and asked me if I was missing a dog. I told him I was on my way to him that I am tracking him on our next door neighbors land that borders our land and I was calling the land owner now. He said "I got him just come on down the ridaway and get him. I walked up about 50yrds away, he climbed down from the deer stand, shot my dog right in front of me and told me that he pays too much money to deer hunt to have a dog running his hogs down the ridaway. I had to pick my dog up with his brains blowed out and carry him with the man following me all the way back to my fence line(Grown men cry just to let ya know, especially when it was one of my best dogs). I imediately called the land owner and the land owner and I pressed charges and till this day I don't think anything was done to him. Sorry for your loss!

I never  heard that story Ric....that is crazy....how in the world did you keep your cool?

[ktchemwcurs]

He had a gun! and was madder than me! That was "Chance" my three legged dog that everyone always talks about winning all those baying contest with. Like ta killed me!

[aladatrot]

I would have a real issue with that. Shooting a dog in Texas is considered Animal Cruelty, and is a felony (except in two instances). I have never heard of a more blatant act of animal cruelty as well as hunter harassment than the act you just described. Ron Branyon probably wasn't on the BOD of TDHA then, but he has been foaming at the mouth for the right case of dog shooting to publicize and set a precedent. It needs to be a blatant act, well documented with evidence, a hunter who was doing everything right as far as retrieval (phone calls, etc - not just trespassing) and dog not doing anything wrong. Your dog being on a leash or rope when they guy shot him and you being there as a witness would have made for a most excellent case. I hate to hear of anyone getting their dog shot, it could be my dogs next.

Perhaps Ron will post up his theory on publicizing dog shooting cases, and what he feels needs to be done to help these dog shooters get convicted. It is a very good idea Ron, please post.

Cheers
M

[Silverton Boar Dogs]

So is it or is it not unlawful to tag and release a hog? I'm not talking about ethics here, I'm just trying to understand exactly what this classification means. I have always been under the impression that it is illegal to release a trapped hog - marked or not. However, I don't believe that's the case with exotic livestock such as Axis Deer.

Mandi, If a hog is released on a game ranch it will have an ear tag with a identification number (TAHC Rules regulate this). If that hog escapes it will be treated as an estray. Same deal on an Axis, if it is on the neighbors it belongs to the neighbor, unless it has an ear tag.

[shane]

I talked to my law officials today and they said it is animal cruelty only when a person shoots a dog  without a cause but when the land owner claims endangerment there is really nothing you can do but spend alot of time and money and get no where.also they said if the pig is on the mans property then  legally he can say it is his pig,so its like a cat chasing  its own tail.

[hog tied]

As I stated in an earlier post it should be an eye for an eye. Right or wrong the law is not going to help you, there are too many loopholes. Make the ba$tard pay and then hell think twice next time, I promise you.