Leupold BX-4 Rangefinding Binoculars

Wolves or German Sheperds?

I know what types of clowns can be found during Montana big game season, so we took precautions.

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Sort of confused on the argument about dogs chasing deer. Did the guy who shot the dogs see them doing anything other than laying next to his backpack?
 
Really? I have fast, wide ranging chukar dogs. They range 200 to 800 yards from me while hunting. Under your definition, my dogs aren't under control and need shot if you see a deer on the hill.

The whole idea that dogs need killed to protect deer is an old myth perpetrated by backyard biologists who deer hunt 1 1/2 days a year. The vast majority of dogs are not deer (or anything) killers.

The owner carries a responsibility when they get a dog. If your dogs are chasing deer here in the West and you can't control them with voice commands or collars then you also can't control your dogs if they instead stumble onto a young child that gets scared and takes off running prompting the predator instinct in your dogs. Big Fin lost a day of hunting because he found a dog running loose recently. Maybe the dog was dumped. Maybe wandered off with the owner was camping or hiking or changing a flat tire. For every well trained chukar dog, which it sound like yours are, there are dozens of pets and strays off-leash in the woods under no one's immediate control. The downside to dogs off leash is they chase wildlife causing does to abort, chew off ears, chew off the nose and cause exhaustion leading to increased mortality risk. The upside is Fido gets to be a dog just like its ancient ancestors and run free in the woods just like when great-grand pappy was homesteading. Yeah, 'Merica.
 
If it kills the dog, do you feel bad?

As a result, each year, about 50 dogs and a variety of non-target wildlife fall victim to traps in Montana.

Although the number of pets trapped is still small, in July 2013, the FWP commission identified 25 popular trails on public lands where trappers would have to adhere to a 500-foot setback to keep that number to a minimum.

The Custer Gallatin National Forest issued its own special order in December 2013 to reinforce the setbacks along those 25 trails but the Forest Service doesn’t regulate trapping, said forest spokeswoman Marna Daley.

“One of the things that we encourage recreationists to do is to acquaint themselves with trapping activities occurring in the area and take safety precautions if you’re in an area where trapping is allowed, such as keeping your dog on a leash,” Daley said.

The majority of the trails with setback requirements are around Bozeman, such as those in the Hyalite area, the Bridger Range and a couple in the Gallatin Canyon. That may cause Bozeman residents to forget that such setbacks don’t exist in other parts of the state.

A 50-foot setback is required along public land roads and trails, although nonlethal traps must be 300 feet from any trailhead and 1,000 feet from any campground or dwelling.

I would like to know what the definition of "fall victim to" is in that quote. I seriously doubt that it is referring to anything close to lethal to be able to count 50 dogs. I would bet that counts a dog that got trapped and released without even a scratch. I would be surprised if there are even a couple lethal incidents with dogs and traps annually in Montana. I've never seen an animal that I've trapped with a foot hold trap (maybe 50 or so) ever really show any injury up until the point that I dispatched them. I always inspect the paw to see how it held up and haven't even seen so much as a cut. I do use laminated traps that spread the pressure over a wider area which isn't required, but I know a lot of trappers do the same.
 
If it kills the dog, do you feel bad?

Jose, yes I'd feel bad, no the dog wouldn't be hurt.

Of the 50 dogs a year that get trapped most of those are running on private lands without supervision, unleashed or even under anyone's control and their just caught, not killed. If said dog was chasing deer (might of been) then it's in the right of the landowner to kill that dog. If the game warden sees a dog running deer, it's within his right to kill that dog. Traps are far easier on dogs than bullets. Traps teach a lesson, bullets end it.
 
I don't know GH. Collar or not I think I'm shooting. mtmuley
 

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