Registered: Jun 2005
Location: Batesville, Indiana
Posts: 738

A good friend of mine had two squirrel dogs shot in Michigan. They were squirrel hunting near Pere Marquette State Forest, just south of Sunrise Lake, near Leroy, Michigan. They were hunting on public ground and the dogs treed on adjacent private property. They heard the gun shots and the shooter hid the dead dogs and Garmin collars after turning them off.

Bottom line, there needs to be a criminal investigation opened before the "trail" gets too old. The squirrel dog owners are getting ZERO cooperation from the area law enforcement or the Michigan DNR.

If you have any contacts in this area or know someone involved with the, Sherriff's Department, County Prosecutor, DNR, or the Michigan State Police, please shoot me a PM or e-mail with the contact information? We sure could use some help here.

Thank you for any assistance you can give!

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Central Michigan
Posts: 6544

Jerry,

I am sending you infor regarding phone numbers and names of DNR Unit Superviosr, Osceola County Sheriff's office, the Prosecutors office.

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Larry Atherton

Aim small miss small

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Registered: Jun 2005
Location: Batesville, Indiana
Posts: 738

Thnk you Larry!

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Registered: Sep 2005
Location: kokomo
Posts: 495

Jerry, is there anything chris can do being a dnr officer and the president of the HTDA.

This goes to show you every state needs to set up a tree dog alliance.

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Registered: Oct 2010
Location: Missouri
Posts: 106

ours was shot and killed in the national forrest last week while treed on a coon. we got absolutely no help from the sheriff or conservationist. i know what u r going on that. We all need to get together and figure out a way to stop this. Their has been two dogs besides mine that were also killed here and the courts ruled for the shooter.

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Katydid

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Registered: Not Yet
Location:
Posts: N/A

Hope this doesn't happen to my squirrel dog, she is like family. out here the DNR use dogs when working and law enforcement use dogs when searching as we all know. I bet if it was one of their dogs, there would be an investigation. If it were me, I would go back to the spot with a squirrel dog that would tree a hangup and tie dog to a tree with a piece of green or grey colored nylon braided fishing line right off property line and hide and wait with a camera along with my normal hunting attire and nail their hide. And be prepared to win.

Last edited by on 10-29-2010 at 06:11 AM

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Central Michigan
Posts: 6544

It may be an up hill battle, but anyone who gets a dog shot in Michigan should fight. First try the through an LEO and Prosecutor. In fact, I believe that there were some criminal charges in one case in the thumb a year or two ago that were scuccessful.

If that doesn't work there have been many successful civil cases for dog shootings in Michigan.

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Larry Atherton

Aim small miss small

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Registered: Jun 2005
Location: Prince Edward Island,Canada
Posts: 4589

Often wondered what would happen if it was one of us hunters shot someones dog, who in most place ain't even legally allowed to be running at large.

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Autumn Clements

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Registered: Jul 2007
Location: WESTERN MARYLAND
Posts: 5946

A FRIEND OF MINE HAD A COONHOUND SHOT IN PA. GAME COMMISION AND POLICE WOULD NOT TOUCH IT. ANIMAL CONTROL TOOK IT TO COURT AND WON.

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Registered: Dec 2008
Location: Bangor, Michigan
Posts: 269

First off, I am so sorry to hear about this happening again. It seems it is getting too often we hear of this.

This would be my advice. Talk to local law enforcement. I would expect that the location you are talking would not be under jurisdiction of any local police, other than the Sheriff. That is where you need to go. Start with the officer that took the report. Follow up the chain of command. Right up to the Sheriff.

Now, first of all, is there any type of evidence what so ever of who did this? How were the dogs found? If the collars were turned off, were they printed for evidence? Have they been handled since? What happened to the dogs bodies? You may have to exhume them to get the bullets. Bottom line is, its alot of work. Your local deputy may not know the seriousness of this event. Make it very clear to your local Sheriff.

If there are in fact pieces of evidence that can tie some person to the crime, and no effort is being made to prosecute, then civil action would be in order. Further, the local media can sometimes bring pressure upon elected officials such as the county prosecutor to take action. Many times the prosecutor does not want to touch these cases, because they are not "easy" and may negatively effect their "conviction rate".

Bottom line is, it will take alot of effort and maybe alot of money. If you can do it, it will be worth it to make example to people out there that you cant just shoot someones dog.

I know a local case where the county prosecutor would not touch the case, lawsuit filed and a sizeable settlement was reached very soon. Of course this settlement entailed a "gag order clause" so that the press could not make it public.

Good luck to you.

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CHRIS BAKER
TIMBER RIDGE KENNEL
Bangor Michigan

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