Dog instead of Yote after the shot

Not sure why this is coming up, but just saw this on another forum as well. My suggestion is if in doubt, don’t pull the trigger. Second suggestion is to take that thermal out on the yard/neighborhood/etc before ever using it on a hunt and watch neighborhood dogs and cats through it. As stated, a coyote and dog’s mannerisms aren’t even close.
Only dogs I’ve called up were pits and at first glance with their blocked heads, they looked like bobcats. I knew they weren’t, but I could see someone a little trigger happy making the mistake.
I’ve always been amazed at the folks that let their animals roam. I don’t know if they realize how far a dog will roam or if they don’t care.
I can tell you it sucks for summer time trapping. My sets are checked at daylight and sometimes I’ll make an evening ride through for those just in case critters. Most predators aren’t moving during the daylight especially in 90 degree heat, but dogs do and they don’t last.
 
Happens just as often in daylight too! Just this year up in my region a guy shot two German shepherds that were at large while the gang were pushing coyotes. He actually thought they were coyotes, even put them in the back of his truck to show the boys.

I've called in dogs before, never shot them though. The weirdest was a pack of three, German shepherd, some Heinze 57 breed and a schnauzer :unsure: damn near took me out running so hard at me.
 
Years ago, I was miles from any ranches and had a dog show up at about 25 yards suddenly in pretty low light. It all happened fast. I swung around and put the sights on him. I did not shoot. Something just didn't seem right. It quickly became obvious.

I am not quick on the trigger to "make the kill." Heck, if I stumble upon a coyote that I didn't call, I don't shoot it because I didn't earn it by fooling him. I think a big part of making these types of mistakes is the attitude you bring to the hunt.
 
About midway thru this video a couple of dogs come in to the call....we actually had 2 coyotes coming in from the right and they hung up out at about 400 yds...I looked straight west of us and here came these 2 dogs. It wasn't hard at all to tell that they were dogs(Blood Hounds actually)...you just have to pay attention to details...the main thing is how a coyote walks, runs, trots versus a dog...but it wasn't hard to figure out on these two dogs with the big ears flopping and the tails a going. This is only the third time we have ever encountered dogs while hunting.
 
bohunr said:
only dog i was ever concerned about running into. this was on the one farm i hunt. the neighbor guy never knew where it was half the time and i was known to be aggressive. the local dog warden told me if i see it, shoot it, its the only defense i would have against it

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Black Panther!

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Theres another thread here about someone shooting a person he thought was a bobcat… of course people mistakenly shoot farm dogs, day and night. Happens several times each year around here in the daytime while running with trucks
 
Gentlemen,
I'm as green as can be as a Predator hunter. But I've been shooting 71 years. Got my 1st Daisy BB at 5 years of age.
I had to learn the 10 Commandments of a Gunner to have the Daisy. Still didn't get it without supervision.
So, as an old fogy I say, "NEVER shoot at an unidentifiable target!"
Didn't we, as a community of night hunters have a horrendous tragedy a few weeks ago. Let that animal pass-.
learn some fire discipline and save a life!!
Excuse the soapbox rant.
Soup
 
soup said:
Gentlemen,
I'm as green as can be as a Predator hunter. But I've been shooting 71 years. Got my 1st Daisy BB at 5 years of age.
I had to learn the 10 Commandments of a Gunner to have the Daisy. Still didn't get it without supervision.
So, as an old fogy I say, "NEVER shoot at an unidentifiable target!"
Didn't we, as a community of night hunters have a horrendous tragedy a few weeks ago. Let that animal pass-.
learn some fire discipline and save a life!!
Excuse the soapbox rant.
Soup
Click to expand...
CAN'T BE SAID ANY BETTER!!!!!!
 
Quite a while ago while hunting the World Coyote Contest based in Cortez, Colorado I called in an Aussie/Catahoula cross cowdog out in the middle of nowhere. We ended up loading him up and taking him to the county sheriff's office. It turned out that somebody's cowboy crew had been gathering cows in the area a few days before and lost the dog. He was really happy to see us, and his owner was happy to get him back. Of course this was in the daytime, so it was a bit different. My point is that this is the only dog I've called in over the course of 30 some odd years of calling coyotes...
 
A couple of years ago we pulled into a yard to hunt the place, and a friend of the owner was there, and had his dog along, a heeler. I looked at it through my scanner and thought holy crap that would be easy to mistake for a coyote. The guys last words as we walked out the door was "don't shoot my dog!"

So we called in a coyote fairly close to the place and I passed. My partner had a little better scope than I and was certain it was a coyote and took the shot and was right. Tails are usually a dead give away between dogs, coyotes, and foxes. But that one wasn't worth it to me.

Another time in the field adjacent to our place I hand called something across the field, I couldn't tell what it was for the longest time. It moved like a coyote but was Tiny! While I was debating it caught my wind at less than 100 yards and took off. I'm pretty sure it was a runt coyote but we'll never know now. I just kept imagining someone's dog wandered out from town.

I hope to never find out what it's like to take down someone's pet. That would ruin it all for me, not to mention whoever lost their pet.
 
Yup, out a couple weeks ago. Loading up and scanned the field. Saw a 'dog' sitting in the path out, then it left ( I was scanning so didn't see it leave). Never seen a yote sitting like a dog. Lying down, yes. Sitting - nope. Not going to chance it even if the dogs are supposed to be in the house.
 
Spurchaser said:
Not sure why this is coming up, but just saw this on another forum as well. My suggestion is if in doubt, don’t pull the trigger. Second suggestion is to take that thermal out on the yard/neighborhood/etc before ever using it on a hunt and watch neighborhood dogs and cats through it. As stated, a coyote and dog’s mannerisms aren’t even close.
Only dogs I’ve called up were pits and at first glance with their blocked heads, they looked like bobcats. I knew they weren’t, but I could see someone a little trigger happy making the mistake.
I’ve always been amazed at the folks that let their animals roam. I don’t know if they realize how far a dog will roam or if they don’t care.
I can tell you it sucks for summer time trapping. My sets are checked at daylight and sometimes I’ll make an evening ride through for those just in case critters. Most predators aren’t moving during the daylight especially in 90 degree heat, but dogs do and they don’t last.
Click to expand...
M dogs roam when they can. What's always amazed me is people that pull the trigger not really sure what they were aiming at!
 
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