Road/roading etiquette?

[cavebear]

Ok so this is my first post and if its in the wrong place I appologize.
Need to vent.

Was out with my dogs yesterday roading in the middle of no where. Now I have always been in the habit of checking my mirrors, and I had. We just finished a straight stretch, about a KM long, and were going into the corner. Nobody behind me, well we barely loose sight of the straight stretch and this guy in a Jeep slams on his horn and brakes behind me. I pull to the side to grab the dogs who are about thirty feet ahead. Well this #### @@@#$%^ floors it past me and almost hits one of my dogs, doesn't even slow down then he wails on his horn several times, my dogs are trained to come to the horn So now 2 of my dogs are chasing the #### @#$%^& while I am quickly tring to load my other two. By the time I m back in my truck the gps is showing the dogs are almost a 1000 yards away and moving fast.

So I floor it on roads that are not good at all as I get closer I can see one of the dogs has stopped, when she sees me she comes back load her up and I'm off. Finally I get my young guy back.

So my question is do you bloke the road everytime a vehicle comes up behind you like an a##, or do you pull over and take the chance of some @@@ @#$%^& hitting your dogs?

PS The dogs were wearing trashbreaker collars but when I tried the audio and one low level stimuli they ran faster towards the horn.

[BEAR HUNTER]

I try to keep a watch in my mirrors. If I see someone coming up behind me I will block the road if I have to and then get my dogs out of the way.

[houndnem]

This is just one of the many reasons that I think roading dogs is retarted! why road a dog? not trying to be an a$$ and I think you should have caught up to that jerk and mopped the road with his face, but I just don't get why people are so big on roading dogs???? If I was you , next time block the road and look out for your dogs safety. it's just too bad people have to be like that.

[cavebear]

The reason I was roading was for exercise, we were in the middle of nowhere. The dog needed a good run and we have not cut a good track since who knows when?

[houndnem]

No, I understand keeping your dogs in shape. but let's say you road them for an hour every day. why not find a canyon where you think a cat would be and spend an hour walking the dogs up there? same time spent, same result as far as the dogs being in shape, but you might actually end up at a tree or at least trailing some game instead of trailing your truck. I'd rather go turn my dogs loose on a herd of deer and let them get their exercise than to road them. I've just had too many bad things happen from it. I know the majority of fellars belive in roading dogs to keep them in shape, but i think it's real hard on them in many ways. Not trying to highjack your post, the issue was that d-bag that passed you honkin and almost killed your dogs. bet you wouldn't have run into him up that canyon hiking who knows maybe it will keep you and the dogs in shape.

[arizonabeagle]

i say block the road next time so you can gather up dogs and what not..
and that fella woulda heard some shots form a .22 pistol as he sped off if he did that to me..middle of nowhere right??

[cavebear]

I don't consider it highjacking, when your offering an honest opinion that could help deal with the situation.

Thanks for the advice.

[livetohunt]

I would have blocked the road till my dogs were picked up. I no longer road my dogs due to some of the lets just say less then smart people that are also up in the hills. After having to shut a door on some jack wipe as he got out of his car that was being blocked with a tire iron and the large number of dope heads that are running around the hills im sure checking on there plants. I now road my dogs here at home with my quad I can take them out back around the ponds and all over my 2 neighbors places I have to make two laps to get in 7 miles in but with as little gas as the quad uses I can do it every day if needed. I would say to anyone that wants to road there dogs talk to any local ranchers. I know many ranches have more then whats needed for room and your dogs will be safe. Also might get in with them and find some new hunting spots.

[bearcat]

I always park in the middle of the road and block it when I have dogs on it whenever I have to stop, wether I see any other rigs coming or not.

P.S. Houndem if he lives on the coast of bc, it is much like the coast of washington and oregon where I grew up, you don't just pick a canyon and hike up it for 5 or 10 miles, it's not country that is friendly to walking, many times the brush is so thick that you can't make a mile in an hour.

[Spokerider]

As you know, I`m not fond of roading the dogs.....rather rig to hunt, freecast to hunt, or let them roam and run in an open area like a large cut block where you can keep an eye on them to burn off energy. I run mine on my mtn bike, one at a time for exercise.

We have limited roads that we can access around here due to terrain, and private property, and that means ALL TYPES are on these same limited roads.........lookie-loos, other hunters and outdoor recreationalists, workers, and anti hunters and anti hound-hunters. We have them all. You met a real turd in the Jeep. Each situation of meeting others on the road is going to unfold differently, and so you are going to have to react quickly, accordingly.

Number one, is keeping the dogs safe. I would NOT have let that asshat pass with a display of reckless attitude like that, knowing my dogs just ahead would be at risk. Block the road, secure the dogs, and then let him pass. If he wants to make an issue of it, so be it. Sadly, we can`t carry a handgun here.......so he`d have to settle on looking down the barrel of a 12g., if he was so inclined and willing to play the game to the bitter end.

Your dogs come to the sound of a vehicle horn.....that`s good and bad as you can see. I would have tried the tone button also to get them back, and failing that, shocked them off that Jeep. The difference is, your dogs KNEW that you were behind them and that they were chasing a strange vehicle, not yours. They need to understand, or otherwise be trained to understand, that the shock was for disobeying a command, ie; the tone button, and not for something else. Obviously, timing with commands and shocking is everything.

Chances are, you won`t meet another on the road like that last one, for a long time. But, if you do, you`ll have a plan in place that you can rely on to keep your dogs safe. Utilizing good judgement is key, as is knowing in advance how your dogs will react in these types of situations.

[cavebear]

P.S. Houndem if he lives on the coast of bc, it is much like the coast of washington and oregon where I grew up, you don't just pick a canyon and hike up it for 5 or 10 miles, it's not country that is friendly to walking, many times the brush is so thick that you can't make a mile in an hour.

Yes this is coastal BC, I do free cast aswell just it usually is when I have the whole day, and not just for exercise but that may change

[BEAR HUNTER]

Houndem you are correct hunting them would be better then roading them but here in Beautiful California hunting in the summer time really isnt an option. The hills are closed down with the exception of a few places that are pretty far away, and in tempatures over 110 like we get here you cant hunt them very long.
The other problem is we have a weed called a fox tail. Fox tails are present virtually everywhere you are allowed to hunt here in the valley. They have been the death of many a fine dogs. It is just not worth it to me to risk my dogs in foxtails when I can spend 30 minutes roading them in the summer to keep them in shape. Generally only 2-3 months that you cant really hunt hard enough to keep them in shape then bear season in in full swing. Roading them is the best option.

[houndnem]

Yup, it sounds like I am lucky to live where I do. dogs get hunted 2 or three days a week year round. I actually have the oposite problem, I have to try to keep from wearing their little feet off and try to keep weight on them. it sounds like where you fellars are at, roading is the only option to keep em hard. hope you don't run into anymore people like that guy out there and if you do, you know what to do now.

[CatCrazed]

Why do I road mine well he'll run 15 mph for around 10 miles I can't ride a bike that far little lone that fast lol. Plus running gets them to crap somewhere beside my yard. LOL I would of def blocked the road on that guy I guess maybe he had a chain saw gash in his leg but the 44 mag I always have on my him would of conviced him to stop and explain. Thats my 2 cents.

[dubl_t]

Yea Jared, unfortunately roading is pretty much a necessity in the PNW. And, the hills get awfully crowded, especially during the weekends.

Cavebear, your incident is unfortunate and hopefully rare. Most times I just pull over and the passers cruise by slowly, some have even stopped. One guy, in a jeep non-the-less, did almost run me and my dogs over, he was hauling ass from the other direction, and not around a blind curve! I figure he was an "environmentalist" and his loved one was dying from a rare disease, hence his expedient drive to the hospital! I prayed to God to "guide" him through the twistys and forgave him........really;)