# Cross-Country Skier's Dog Mistaken for Wolf, Shot and Killed



## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Missoula man says wolf hunter shot, killed pet malamute

I guess those who live where wolf hunting is allowed should be careful. This was a Malamute not a GSD but I know people sometimes think GSDs look like wolves.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

That hunter is an idiot. Those dogs had collars and lights on and they were right beside a person, and even when the person was screaming at him to stop he continued shooting his dog another 5 times? Is he out of his mind? And then he just _leaves_ instead of owning up to his mistake? What an awful person.

Also, if people are going to hunt wolves, maybe they should figure out what they actually look like first.


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## Darkthunderplotts (Oct 28, 2013)

SMH some of my fellow hunters need to get a clue that's as bad as the boys that shot a hound at night cause they thought it was a coyote ugh dopey people I hope that guy gets hammered


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

I do not believe he thought it was a wolf. 
Wolves don't have on collars and lights and they are not trotting right next to people.
This maniac wanted to shoot something, and he decided to shoot that dog.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

I dunno how your hunters do it there but around here it isn't entirely out of the question that they are completely hammered when they decide to go shoot stuff.

I remember seeing one guy come through the hospital who was coked up and drunk and decided to go deer hunting and cut through some farmers pasture to do it when it was still dark. A full grown bull found him trespassing and proceeded to beat the **** out of him. He lost his gun in the scuffle but managed to kill the bull with a hunting knife. He did end up having to go to surgery though, and after that I would imagine to jail.


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## KatsMuse (Jun 5, 2012)

It doesn't look like the shooter will be charged?

Authorities spoke with hunter who killed dog, say he won't be charged


Kat


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## Caitydid255 (Aug 28, 2010)

As sad as this incident is, blame also lays on the owner of the dog. He took his malamutes, a dog known for looking like a wolf, in the wild during wolf hunting season. Further, a flashing collar on a thick coated dog was the only thing that was present to alert the hunter that the animal was a pet. From other articles on the incident you learn that he was letting his dogs roam around as he skied. Thus there were times that you would only see the dogs and not the human. 

DH and I take our dogs to my FIL's farm on a regular basis. During hunting season, not only do DH and myself suit up in orange, but we also have bright orange vests that we strap on the dogs. During coyote season we only take the dogs out in the field closest to the house, and never near the neighbor's property line. It only take a split second for a mistake to be made. If the dog's fur was masking the collar, I could understand how the hunter confused the dog with a wolf. What is not excusable is the fact that the hunter walked away from the dog after realizing what happened, and never informed the police what happened.

OK, just read the most recent article. The hunter did speak with the police.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

No, this is absolutely terrible. Having a cadaver dog who works in the woods, and wears a red vest, I am horrified at the idea of someone shooting him and realizing nothing will happen to them if they do. 

Even if you think shooting the dog was "ok" because of the mistake, the man was TWENTY YARDS from his dog. What kind of hunter does not scope out the situation and make sure it is safe?


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## crackem (Mar 29, 2006)

the guy spoke with police.... AFTER they went looking for and found him. Real stand up guy. 

I normally don't react much to one side of a story, but it this shooter was 15 yds away from a man and his dogs and couldn't tell it wasn't a ****ing wolf????? he has absolutely zero business holding a gun in that capacity. 

I"ve hunted my entire life and never do I take a shot without knowing exactly what i'm shooting at and everything else going on around it before I pull that trigger. 

Something like this is inexcusable. and why not release details? and why not do a better job of reporting? Is it wolf season in MT? Did this guy have a valid permit? How does his story differ from that of the guy that lost his dog?


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## KatsMuse (Jun 5, 2012)

jocoyn said:


> No, this is absolutely terrible. Having a cadaver dog who works in the woods, and wears a red vest, I am horrified at the idea of someone shooting him and realizing nothing will happen to them if they do.
> 
> Even if you think shooting the dog was "ok" because of the mistake, the man was TWENTY YARDS from his dog. *What kind of hunter does not scope out the situation and make sure it is safe?*





crackem said:


> the guy spoke with police.... AFTER they went looking for and found him. Real stand up guy.
> 
> I normally don't react much to one side of a story, but it this shooter was 15 yds away from a man and his dogs and couldn't tell it wasn't a ****ing wolf????? he has absolutely zero business holding a gun in that capacity.
> 
> ...


I agree. Story sounds a little too 'vague'...
JMO.
Kat


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

No excuse for this, know your your target period. In some units around here we have 3 point minimums (one side) on white tail deer, you better be properly identifying your intended target. Here's another link with a little more information, 

Missoula County Sheriff's Office: Shooting of dog near Lolo Pass wasn't criminal, investigation closed


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

How awful. I admit, I'm no hunter and don't know much about guns - so feel free to correct me. Isn't a hunter supposed to use the correct gun for what he is aiming to kill? Isn't the object to shoot to kill, so the animal doesn't suffer. Doesn't a good hunter kill the animal with the first shot?

Yet this poor dog was shot first in the leg and then 5 more times? What the heck?


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

This is disgusting!

I would be furious/livid/heartbroken/devastated if that happened to my dog and I would NEVER let it go, I would demand that this idiot gets punished in some way and I would not stop until he did! I would get on TV and I would get on the radio and make sure my voice was heard.


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## crackem (Mar 29, 2006)

Nigel said:


> No excuse for this, know your your target period. In some units around here we have 3 point minimums (one side) on white tail deer, you better be properly identifying your intended target. Here's another link with a little more information,
> 
> Missoula County Sheriff's Office: Shooting of dog near Lolo Pass wasn't criminal, investigation closed


For some reason, I only get the top few lines saying they passed it off to the State Wildlife managers. The rest is grayed out for me.


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## Kaimeju (Feb 2, 2013)

I have a strong vibe from this story that alcohol was involved. I feel like it should be a felony to drink and hunt. This also sounds like a very strange way to hunt wolves. I'm not a hunter but something just doesn't feel right about this. Why would you be looking for wolves on an access road?

Gypsy gets mistaken for a wolf dog even up close and personal, so when we go hiking she wears blaze orange. 


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

Reminds me of a joke I heard.

A man takes his wife hunting, and impresses on her again and again 
that. "If you shoot a deer, don't let someone else claim that they shot 
it also and that since they killed it, it's their deer!" 
So, he's in his stand hardly for 10 minutes when he hears his wife 
shooting nearby. He rushes over to her stand to find her pointing her 
gun at a man who has his hands up and is loudly yelling... 
"It's your deer lady, It's your deer. Just lemme get my saddle off it!"


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## Darkthunderplotts (Oct 28, 2013)

Kaimeju Wolves follow the deer and they take the easiest routes between forage and cover so it is possible for a wolf to use the access road but this idiot didn't know diddly squat about what he was doing and should lose his licenses and be fined possible jail time.

This is a case of not identifying your target and waiting for a clean shot they were not calling or using decoys of any kind listed in the article an odd way to hunt predators in my book. I do hunt coyote here with a center fire but its a 25-06 and I have calls from rabbit screamers to challenge calls meant to pick a fight with the whole pack. I have to shake my head in disgust and dismay this was not a hunter he is an idiot who did not understand his prey and did not invest the time to learn what he was hunting.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

crackem said:


> For some reason, I only get the top few lines saying they passed it off to the State Wildlife managers. The rest is grayed out for me.


did it to me too, I hit refresh twice and the whole article appeared. I think they want users to sign up/register.


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## volcano (Jan 14, 2013)

I have coyotes in my neighborhood. They have tracking collars and stuff but one idiot puts out blue buffalo? So another neighbor told me he "took care of" the coyote, I think he shot it with an arrow? So I was walking my dog off leash and another neighbor who I was friendly with was having a party and they saw Apache and called her a coyote, and I swear they were about to do something when I went off. I dont mind hunting but people dont eat coyotes or wolves. Im anti canine hunting.


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## mcdanfam (Aug 27, 2013)

:-((


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

How horrible for the dog and the owner. 

When I lived in the country in MA my dog and I both wore bright orange or red when we went walking. People's cows got shot all of the time. I remember a great dane being mistaken for a deer and the worst was when a hunter was on a woman's property and she came out waving a white glove and was shot because the hunter thought her glove was a deer tail. 

You really cannot take too many precautions during hunting season. There will always be drunk, trigger happy idiots out there. I don't even go hiking in the woods anymore during hunting season.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

My neighbor shot my gsd claiming he thought it was a wolf. Fortunately Stosh survived. I bought a roll of orange tape and put two long streamers on a collar- we don't go anywhere without him wearing it, especially when we walk in the woods.


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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

Stosh said:


> My neighbor shot my gsd claiming he thought it was a wolf. Fortunately Stosh survived. I bought a roll of orange tape and put two long streamers on a collar- we don't go anywhere without him wearing it, especially when we walk in the woods.


.......Did he know Stosh well? or i should say at all?


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## halo2013 (Jan 6, 2014)

BowWowMeow said:


> How horrible for the dog and the owner.
> 
> When I lived in the country in MA my dog and I both wore bright orange or red when we went walking. People's cows got shot all of the time. I remember a great dane being mistaken for a deer and the worst was when a hunter was on a woman's property and she came out waving a white glove and was shot because the hunter thought her glove was a deer tail.
> 
> You really cannot take too many precautions during hunting season. There will always be drunk, trigger happy idiots out there. I don't even go hiking in the woods anymore during hunting season.


Oh I would be livid. 

I actually had a dog before I got halo her name was koda. We were doing our usual routine walk and the one old guy despised dogs didn't like us walking the public path passed his farm. Koda was chasing a butterfly a little bit ahead of me that **** shot her 7 times in front of me and tried pulling the excuse i thought it was a bear cub. As much as i wanted lay her to rest i froze her body in case it was needed for court I pressed so many charges on him he didn't know what hit him after court dug a whole and laid her to rest. Got bulbs that grow that attract butterflies because she loved them. 

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## halo2013 (Jan 6, 2014)

That's nothing but a spiteful person. A real hunter knows not to aim at orange. 

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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

According to the most recent update, the malmute owner is working to get the law changed so that domestic animals will have the same rights as wildlife - that is, you get the wrong animal, you get nailed for poaching and it isn't pretty. I think I would have been tempted to file a civil suit, too.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

middleofnowhere said:


> According to the most recent update, the malmute owner is working to get the law changed so that domestic animals will have the same rights as wildlife - that is, you get the wrong animal, you get nailed for poaching and it isn't pretty. I think I would have been tempted to file a civil suit, too.


That's an excellent idea, I'm surprised it doesn't exist.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I don't know if we have enough information. I know the shooter wasn't a police officer. If it was we would need more information, and more and more and more. 

But the police are not going to prosecute him. I think it does make a difference if the guy was right there with his dogs, or letting them roam. 

Now, I don't know about the rest of ya'all, but if someone shot one of my dogs in front of me six times, I would not be very safe. In fact, I would probably turn into something between Serial Mom and She Devil -- it would not be pretty. Perhaps walking away and getting out of there was the right thing to do on the part of the hunter so that no one was injured. 

It is sad that the dog owner got his dog killed like that. I have to admit that I know when its hunting season, and I stay away from public hunting areas when it is. If I just had to take my dogs out on lands used for public hunting, then I would have a vest on the dog in hunter orange. I know that is blaming the victim. But it is up to me to protect my dogs. Taking my dogs out where guys are going after any type of game isn't really protecting them very good in my opinion.


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## halo2013 (Jan 6, 2014)

middleofnowhere said:


> According to the most recent update, the malmute owner is working to get the law changed so that domestic animals will have the same rights as wildlife - that is, you get the wrong animal, you get nailed for poaching and it isn't pretty. I think I would have been tempted to file a civil suit, too.


Good I hope that goes all the way they the system several times. 

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## misslesleedavis1 (Dec 5, 2013)

middleofnowhere said:


> According to the most recent update, the malmute owner is working to get the law changed so that domestic animals will have the same rights as wildlife - that is, you get the wrong animal, you get nailed for poaching and it isn't pretty. I think I would have been tempted to file a civil suit, too.


Amazing idea,


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## Sprout (Apr 23, 2013)

I'm an avid hunter. Mostly bird hunting with the use of my two English Cockers. I eat what I kill, period.
This being said I have a HUGE issue with the killing of wolves unless completely necessary. 
It's indeed criminal that this poor dog was killed. Agree that this person should have any hunting rights revoked for life along with other penalties.


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## von Bolen (Mar 30, 2012)

This was not a mistake. How this guy is getting away with this blows my mind.

That said, alot of hunters are real idiots and have trigger finger real bad. Makes trips out to the woods real stressful.


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## bill (Nov 8, 2013)

von Bolen said:


> This was not a mistake. How this guy is getting away with this blows my mind.
> 
> That said, alot of hunters are real idiots and have trigger finger real bad. Makes trips out to the woods real stressful.


These people are not hunters! One shot one kill. You know what you are shooting; and were the bullet is going. No excuse; If I shoot a deer and the bullet goes through and hits a rock and ricochets and hits somebody; that is a accident! If I see brown in the bush; after seeing deer go in there; and shoot I am a idiot! People like that make me sick! Bill


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

If you read the article(s) carefully, you will see that it was turned over to the state dept of fish and wildlife for prosecution/investigation. Haven't checked back to see where this is going.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Wow I'm pretty much speechless! Never even thought about this I'll keep my Blk GSD well away from "hunters,"


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

crackem said:


> For some reason, I only get the top few lines saying they passed it off to the State Wildlife managers. The rest is grayed out for me.



I had to answer a question or like for facebook to read the rest of the article.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

this is a good clear example of why I have a flashing collar and the dogs have brightly colored vests for the rare times we go anywhere near a hunting area for hikes and such.


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

> the worst was when a hunter was on a woman's property and she came out waving a white glove and was shot because the hunter thought her glove was a deer tail.


I remember this. The husband was so devastated & disgusted he moved back to Iowa. Particularly ugly was the way some locals blamed her for being shot & killed on her own property! Unbelievable!


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## angelas (Aug 23, 2003)

Disgusting. I stay well away from hunting areas during the fall. Actually, one of my coworkers had a horse shot one year. A HORSE. On their property well away from any property line.

The so-called hunter said he thought it was an elk. Other than having four legs, there is NOTHING similar between an elk and a horse. Nevermind that the hunter didn't have permission to be hunting on their land to begin with.

I can't imagine what the elk farms around here have to deal with in Oct/Nov.


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## bill (Nov 8, 2013)

angelas said:


> Disgusting. I stay well away from hunting areas during the fall. Actually, one of my coworkers had a horse shot one year. A HORSE. On their property well away from any property line.
> 
> The so-called hunter said he thought it was an elk. Other than having four legs, there is NOTHING similar between an elk and a horse. Nevermind that the hunter didn't have permission to be hunting on their land to begin with.
> 
> I can't imagine what the elk farms around here have to deal with in Oct/Nov.


Exactly! So called hunter! I have hunted my whole life" taught my boys! Real hunters take pride in making sure the animals don't suffer! And follow the rules! Its the wanna be hunters that give real hunters a bad name! Bill


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