Roaming Dogs Caught on Game Camera Several Times

[dmanhefner]

From experience with that cat, it will only happen once or twice and he will learn, same thing with mine.

 

[speckledhen]

They haven't been in camera range within the last three days or so. The camera is reset and will continue to be filming. I put it on video this time.

 

[Trish1974]

Today's download didn't show the dogs. I moved the camera a few feet to the right, toward the power line easement side, pointing more to where my land slopes down to that road they come and go on. We'll see what we see, I guess. I'm thinking about getting a security camera setup with up to 4 wireless cameras that I can watch with my computer in the house. Would be a bit easier than a game cam, always going down to where it is to get the SD card and take it to the house.

I have a two camera wireless unit (which is capable of using 4 cameras) I got through Lorex Technology on sale for $299. That's for the 2 camera, the DVR unit, and all hardware. We originally got it to catch the brats who were smashing our mailbox. My hubby asked what we were going to do with the extra camera and I said, "oh, I don't know. Just leave it unattached." One evening I came home from work, sat down at the TV and had a live feed of my chicken run on a monitor under the TV!! It has come in very handy, not just entertaining. I've caught them trying to kill a snake (which I then went out and finished off for them), caught them frozen like statues for several minutes which led me outside to find an eagle perched in a tree, and caught a possum coming up the run one night after they were locked up. I highly recommend the Flir system by Lorex if you go that route.

 

[speckledhen]

I have a two camera wireless unit (which is capable of using 4 cameras) I got through Lorex Technology on sale for $299. That's for the 2 camera, the DVR unit, and all hardware. We originally got it to catch the brats who were smashing our mailbox. My hubby asked what we were going to do with the extra camera and I said, "oh, I don't know. Just leave it unattached." One evening I came home from work, sat down at the TV and had a live feed of my chicken run on a monitor under the TV!! It has come in very handy, not just entertaining. I've caught them trying to kill a snake (which I then went out and finished off for them), caught them frozen like statues for several minutes which led me outside to find an eagle perched in a tree, and caught a possum coming up the run one night after they were locked up. I highly recommend the Flir system by Lorex if you go that route.

Appreciate the reference.

The same dogs were back just now. DH was at the fence line, weedwhacking the grasses that had grown up into two sections when they came running into the pasture lot right in front of him. The noise apparently did not bother them, but when he yelled to me (I was inside the barn) to get the shotgun, I popped my head out the roll-up door and saw them turning tail and running the other way. They separated, one went crashing into the thick blackberry brambles on the bottom lot and the other ran for the power line easement road. Going to check the game camera and see if it caught them at all. If not, I'll change the location of it again a bit to monitor where they came onto the property. That easement road is a predator highway anyway. I just don't want it too far to go down and get the SD card out to hike it back to the house to view.

As a side note, when I went to the other road to get our mail yesterday, there were two medium-size dogs running down it toward me, two entirely different ones, again, ones I'd never seen before, one black, one brown, and behind them further up the road, a very large solid black, lab-looking dog as well. I yelled at them to get on back home (wherever the heck "home" is) and they ran back. Crazy how it seems EVERYONE except US lets their dogs just roam wherever the heck they want to go.

 

[speckledhen]

Well, the game cam was set on video and because of the lag time or the angle, it missed catching them when DH called me, however, the brindle dog, a male, was here and caught on video just after 6 a.m. when it was still pitch black dark. Apparently, they are out all night, not just let out at sunup. So, they've been here at least twice today already. Uploading the video and will post it when it's finished. Dang it. I knew they'd be back.

The camera triggered several times during the night, but I could not see what triggered it, either off to the side or ran across too fast, etc, so could have been anything, the dogs, deer, raccoons, just anything. No deer were on the videos, however, not that I could see.

A doe ran into the meadow area this a.m. (I saw her myself), tail in the air, looking over her shoulder, then she ran across the lot and was gone. Something was after her, probably those stupid dogs since they showed up not long afterward.

 

[speckledhen]

Woke to a shotgun blast this a.m. I bolted out of bed, thinking it was my down-the-hill neighbor who is close to the semi-main road and has several pens of chickens in more open-type pens. I hung over the deck railing to listen when, lo and behold, the brindle and the black dog shoot past me, INSIDE the perimeter fence, hell-bent-for-leather. Then, I realize it was my husband who made the racket, not the neighbor. I yell, "They're inside the fence! INSIDE!" I then see him coming behind them. They run into a huge tangle of blackberry thorns and brush that is so thick, you could look right at something and not see it in there, a mess we've been talking about having someone bush-hog very soon. I don't see them come out. That's when I hear the story.

Husband came out to enjoy the pleasant, early morning and sees them inside our perimeter fence, quietly gets his shotgun and walks down the steps toward the bantam coop, where they are at that point. One is by the bantam coop, one is at the gate that goes into the barn pen where my chickens are (they were locked in the barn, too dark for them to be out). They see him, the black one is facing him. He raises the gun and shoots. The dog yelps and they both take off running, which is when I saw them zooming past me below, inside the perimeter, right behind the picket fence we had for our own contained dogs that attaches to the house at the basement.

So, he's walking, trying to locate them, see if they went over, under, whatever. I look from my higher up vantage point on the deck. Finally, I yell that I see the brindle one on the other side of the driveway, desperately trying to find a way out. No sign of the black one, who probably just sailed over the fence on adrenaline. The dog runs back an forth as DH stalks him. Finally, he climbs over the fence and shoots down the long driveway of the neighbor next to me. We look and look for the black dog, haven't seen it yet. It could be laying up inside that mess or could have left way before the brown one did. After my coffee, will try again to locate him.

See, this is the problem. I cannot see every corner of my 2+ acre fenced area. So, they could be in the very overgrown front area and even if I look around before letting any of my flocks out (which I do from the barn area, as far as I can see), in the barn pen, or out of the pen to free range for a bit inside the perimeter, I would not be able to see that dogs are inside the fence. And there would be a slaughter. I have to make sure that dog is not inside the fence. The black dog might have a couple of birdshot pellets in him or he might have just been startled by the noise of the shotgun. DH said he didn't believe he was close enough to kill with the #6 that was in it. But, in walking around the front area looking for the dogs, he found where part of a fence section was pulled way down by some heavy animal, probably them, and they got over there, or just climbed somewhere else, who knows? Have to fix that fence immediately. And get the bush hog guy out very soon, too.

No, I couldn't call A/C. It's Sunday. And early to boot. I'm not keeping them inside the fence, even if I could, to get the A/C or Sheriff out. So, soon, I have to go hunting for the other dog. Maybe DH frightened them enough that they'll steer clear of this place now. I can only hope. But, now, I'm very nervous about letting any of my birds out of the barn pen, even with my perimeter fence in place. Grrrrrr.

 

[Trish1974]

Sorry you had to wake up in that manner. How frustrating it is to live like that. When I finally shot the dog that was terrorizing my property for a month I had such an overwhelming feeling of relief although it bothered me to have to shoot an animal. Hopefully you will find the black one dead. Don't bank on them being too scared to return though. I popped shots at the neighbors dog 3 times and she kept coming back.

Edited to add that I would probably leave animal control and the police out of the situation. I know it all depends on how they are in your area but in mine I called animal control twice with no help, and called the cops 3 times without help. On the third call to the cops I got a little testy with them so they told me just shoot her. (They said they wouldn't step in unless it was a violent breed; pitbull, german shepherd, etc.)

 

[speckledhen]

Sorry you had to wake up in that manner. How frustrating it is to live like that. When I finally shot the dog that was terrorizing my property for a month I had such an overwhelming feeling of relief although it bothered me to have to shoot an animal. Hopefully you will find the black one dead. Don't bank on them being too scared to return though. I popped shots at the neighbors dog 3 times and she kept coming back.

Edited to add that I would probably leave animal control and the police out of the situation. I know it all depends on how they are in your area but in mine I called animal control twice with no help, and called the cops 3 times without help. On the third call to the cops I got a little testy with them so they told me just shoot her. (They said they wouldn't step in unless it was a violent breed; pitbull, german shepherd, etc.)

Yes, I agree that they will probably be back. I went down the power line easement to take photos of the overgrown area for the bush hog guy and I looked and didn't see the black dog. Some of the vegetation is dying back, partly from the drought conditions and partly because, well, it's fall. There are areas I can't really see, but I could in most of them. As far as the police, I was only saying that others would say to call A/C but I'm not. I'm not keeping them in the fence (obviously, I can't since they got in and out on their own) to hold them for the officials.

Here is what they did to my fence. I'd say this is how they got in (or out, or both). Took a heavy animal to pull that apart from the other section and down that way. That part is 5', though I realize it's hard to see in the picture. Guess we'll have to go get more U-posts, taller, stronger ones, more fencing and the bush hog guy as well for the other side. This is the opposite corner to the overgrown one, though this side of the fence goes right through the woods. The fence is not at the actual property line, which is down to the road itself, but it's too rocky to pound posts very well, lots of sandstone ledges and other hard stuff.





These are the pic I took for the bush hog guy. And the overgrown stuff that is actually pushing the top of the fence outward a little because most of the posts are really a foot too short for the fence, which, in truth, should make it harder for a big dog to climb, not easier. None of this side is compromised, either. That slightly bowed-out top section would bend out slightly over their heads when they are at the base of it. We'll get more, taller posts after it's cleared up some by whoever we hire. From this front corner, I can't even see the house, which is fine, but that tangle hides too much stuff, like snakes and dogs, and other nasties.

This is one front corner of the property, opposite to the corner where the fence is pulled down. There is a gate to the left of the photo that is always closed. This sort-of road is the power line easement I'm always mentioning.





In this next picture, you can see the picket fence through the Leylands (I planted all those many years ago myself). Those dogs ran right through the Leylands just outside our picket dog fence, toward the front corner of the property when I first saw them.







The barn from the power line easement.

When you get to the end of this road, you go uphill toward my driveway, or down the mountain to the other neighbor who has the chickens I mentioned. In fall/winter, I can see his roof from my deck, so I thought it was him who shot something this a.m., sounded so close. Well, it was close, lol.

 

[speckledhen]

Adding that my husband took a bad fall a day or two ago. He has degenerative disc disease that is far advanced, a very bad knee, etc (disabled vet) and he fell by stepping on something that moved with him and ended up on the ground, hitting his bad knee and rolling onto his back. So, the last thing he needed was to have to chase after trespassing dogs on our mountain property and put himself in more pain!

Definitely not what Tom needed after his fall, running all over this mountain property in pain,plus now having to get supplies and do fence work. Grrrrrrr. Even when the black dog yelped after the shotgun blast, NOBODY called for their dogs, NOBODY. You'd think someone would at least care that much, right?

 

[Howard E]

Considering all you are going through to keep these hounds at bay, and with your physical limitations, I would again implore you to consider helping yourself out with an electric fence. Once you get the brush back from the fence, you would need to keep it at bay, but consider an electric fence to be a far better option than constantly standing vigil with a shotgun. The threat is constant.......and so is the deterrent of the fence.

Here are some photos of a fence I put up to pasture in a section of woods for some horses.





Because it runs through dense woods, I only had to clear that path once.......and that was months ago.

Here is another fence that may be like yours............



This is out in the open, but note how the brush and weeds have grown up around it. Also note the single wire on top. That wire is not hot, but it could be made so easily with little to no concern about it grounding out from weeds. As is, a whole lot of dogs could simply jump on it and climb it. But if that top wire was hot, the moment they touched it, they would drop off and run the other way. I note how you mentioned the dog in question climbed to get out? Well they almost certainly did the same thing to get in. A hot fence would stop them from doing that.

Mostly I keep harping on this out of concern for you and your birds. Shooting your neighbors dogs inside the wire as a defensive strategy is will eventually going to fail, ending in some tragic report where the dogs got in and all your birds were killed. At best, that is short term until you can do better.