Rough week in the country.

[Overtaxed]

<Sigh>, glad that week is over.

I grew up in the country and kind of knew what to "expect", my wife did not, and it's always been her dream to live here, but we just had a rough week of "problems with the country" that took it out of me. Reminded me why I left, even though I don't regret the decision to move back, it's hard when they all hit at once.

The worst, my wife and I used to be really avid bikers (when we lived in the suburbs), we moved to the country, and there were a million things to do, so we got out of it a bit. Well, first ride of the season yesterday, dog runs out of the yard, chases us, get's hit by a car going 60MPH in the other direction. Right behind us, hear the smack, with the dog's family in the front yard screaming. It was awful. That was either dog 4 or 5 that got hit chasing me on a bike, I don't remember, but living in the suburbs, I rode 10,000 miles had had 0 hits (or even close calls). All the dead dogs on my head are from riding in the country.

Next up, a few months ago, a game camera and a deer stand appear on the property on the trails that we cut through the woods. Well, took it down this weekend, looked at the pictures, and, low and behold, the game camera belongs to the next door neighbor, Mr. "Howdy" I'll do anything for ya; including sneaking onto your property and setting up cameras. So now I've got to deal with this; and, given it's the directly across the street neighbor, that's gonna be fun. Also, adding a little more fun to it, and I wouldn't believe it if it didn't happen, but that same neighbor, on end of the "dog killing" ride.. His dog runs out in the street after us on the bike and almost gets hit. So I've got to talk to him about that too, which should be a blast, because, if we keep riding, we're gonna get his dog killed too.

The country would be great if nobody else lived there. No offense intended, I have a feeling this forum is mostly full of the people I'd love to meet/know who wouldn't sneak onto my property and hunt/bait the deer or let their dogs run free and get hit by cars. But there's a lot of that in the country, and it makes your world a little less good; I just wish it hadn't all hit at once this week.

 

[blackdog2086]

There are going to be pluses and minuses no matter where you live. I'm guessing you could come up with a number of negatives about your suburban location or else you'd still live there. I love dogs, but I wouldn't lose sleep over the fact that somebody else's dog wasn't well trained or secured so as not to leave the property to chase someone.

As far as the trail cam, I would take it down and keep it not saying a word to your neighbor. Let him be the embarrassed one that has to knock on your door and ask what happened to his illegally placed camera.

 

[Sigarms]

As far as the trail cam, I would take it down and keep it not saying a word to your neighbor. Let him be the embarrassed one that has to knock on your door and ask what happened to his illegally placed camera.

+1

I still have a tree stand under the shed for the last 5 years that no one has come for LOL

Ironically enough, my biggest complaint around here is on the weekends with the cyclists who ride our "coutry roads". No one EVER rides single file anymore, and they make it a point that they belong on the road as well and they seem to go out of their way to ride in the entire lane. When I road bikes, I road defensively, and always single file with traffic around if it were me and a couple of buddies.

For the dogs, well, people tend to let them roam. Not a fan of that practice as well.

 

[GregbkH]

Sorry, but you don't sound like you grew up in the country. First of all there are no dogs on your head and you didn't get any dogs killed. Dogs are the responsibility of their owners not you. I am a dog owner/lover and am responsible for what ever my dog does. Dogs are not supposed to chase people out in the street. You have to change your mind set.

Second of all people should not infringe on your property without your permission whether you live in the country or the city. You have to stand up for yourself no matter where you live. FYI, I had more problems with people and dogs when I lived in the city.

It's time to put on your big boy pants and man up.

 

[Sigarms]

Sorry, but you don't sound like you grew up in the country. First of all there are no dogs on your head and you didn't get any dogs killed. Dogs are the responsibility of their owners not you. I am a dog owner/lover and am responsible for what ever my dog does. Dogs are not supposed to chase people out in the street. You have to change your mind set.

Second of all people should not infringe on your property without your permission whether you live in the country or the city. You have to stand up for yourself no matter where you live. FYI, I had more problems with people and dogs when I lived in the city.

It's time to put on your big boy pants and man up.

Being way to harsh IMO.

People are buttholes no matter where you live, sometimes they are just more of an issue in the "country" than a rural setting depending on the circumstances. For some reason people think "country people" are better, but you have stupid no matter what the setting.

My suggestion to the OP is just keep the trail camera and wait until he asks for it (along with the stand). If the camera and stand were on your property, no issue. My boy was with me when I took that one stand down, and he asked me if it were mine. I explained to him that ANYTIME you do anything on anyone elses property, you ask for permission FIRST.

For the dog, don't say anything. The reality is people either to know how to take care of their pets so they aren't a nuisance to others, for both the pets safety and anyone elses, and this guy doesn't get it, and talking to him about probably won't change his mind. If his dog isn't running after you, he'll be running after someone else... Locally I can figure which dogs are inevitably going to be hit or "disappear", and it generally happens. Then low and behold, a new dog appears with the same issues.

For what it's worth, a drive to the local gas station in my area can break my heart when I see how some people treat and handle their dogs. Oh wait, should I put my big boy pants on and man up? LMAO

 

[Overtaxed]

Sorry, but you don't sound like you grew up in the country. First of all there are no dogs on your head and you didn't get any dogs killed. Dogs are the responsibility of their owners not you. I am a dog owner/lover and am responsible for what ever my dog does. Dogs are not supposed to chase people out in the street. You have to change your mind set.

Second of all people should not infringe on your property without your permission whether you live in the country or the city. You have to stand up for yourself no matter where you live. FYI, I had more problems with people and dogs when I lived in the city.

It's time to put on your big boy pants and man up.

LOL, I assure you, I did grow up in the country. Yes, I know what you're saying is true and right, but, still, I've been the secondary cause of a lot of dead dogs in my day, there's no arguing, if I hadn't ridden my bike that day, those dogs wouldn't be dead. Just like the driver of the car probably feels the same today. Yes, it was the owners fault, for sure, they were the primary cause. Still feel like s**t though about it, I love animals, it's a big part of the reason I love the country, and I hate seeing them (or, in this case, hearing them) get killed. And it was the first time my wife went through that, I suspect, that'll be her last bike ride here, which makes me really sad.

And, of course, you're right, people shouldn't do it in either place. But, when you have a lot of land, it's just more likely that it happens. It happened on my parents farm, we were always chasing people off, and it happens here. It never happened in suburbia, probably because there was so much enforcement; there wasn't any "talking about it" it would have been "call the cops".

As far as the trail cam, I would take it down and keep it not saying a word to your neighbor. Let him be the embarrassed one that has to knock on your door and ask what happened to his illegally placed camera.

Exactly what I did. Sitting on my kitchen table as we speak. The tree stand, I just took it down and chucked it in the briar patch (which wasn't exactly intentional, that's where it needed to land, but also, didn't work real hard to get it out there).

I'm guessing you could come up with a number of negatives about your suburban location or else you'd still live there. I love dogs, but I wouldn't lose sleep over the fact that somebody else's dog wasn't well trained or secured so as not to leave the property to chase someone.

You bet I could. I love the country, and I'm not at all saying I wish I was back in suburbia. What I'm saying is that it was a rough week, the "country problems" that didn't exist in suburbia that are totally outside my control all hit this week, and it sucks. No, it's not my fault, I didn't trespass, I didn't have my dog off a leash. But I still have to deal with the fallout, and that sucks. Not what I needed this week and it wouldn't have happened in suburbia, that's all I'm saying. It's harder on my wife, she's not used to it, and I'm not sure she ever will be. Had a dog walk up that I had to shoot within a few weeks of moving here and she was horrified. Called her Dad all upset and he said "That's part of country life" which, of course, it is. It's just that's not a part I like, and it shrinks her world and our world together, biking was a big part of our life together, and, after this, I suspect I can just sell her bike, she'll never do it again, because we will "kill" other dogs, I can guarantee it, and she can't deal with it. I can; it's part of how I grew up, but it still sucks.

Ironically enough, my biggest complaint around here is on the weekends with the cyclists who ride our "coutry roads". No one EVER rides single file anymore, and they make it a point that they belong on the road as well and they seem to go out of their way to ride in the entire lane. When I road bikes, I road defensively, and always single file with traffic around if it were me and a couple of buddies.

Yeah, that was a huge problem where I used to live. There were so many bikes that they could "take over" the road. They would take up the entire lane and bring traffic down to 20MPH. I always ride single file with my W, she loves riding side by side, but, that's just asking for it, and honestly, it's really inconsiderate, I'm a serious biker, and I get really pissed when I see other people doing that. Bikers are very often assholes too, it's a snobby sport, and it causes all of us (bikers) a bad image.

 

[Sigarms]

because we will "kill" other dogs, I can guarantee it, and she can't deal with it. I can; it's part of how I grew up, but it still sucks.

I've got to ask, why are you having to kill dogs? Been here going on 15 years never had to deal with an aggressive dog. Did have to deal with some 2 wheel machines riden by 2 legged animals, but never 4 legged. Guess I'm lucky in that aspect.

 

[Sigarms]

I always ride single file with my W, she loves riding side by side, but, that's just asking for it, and honestly, it's really inconsiderate, I'm a serious biker, and I get really pissed when I see other people doing that. Bikers are very often assholes too, it's a snobby sport, and it causes all of us (bikers) a bad image.

Nice to know. I'm in my 50's now, and used to ride a lot in my early 20's. It use to be back then that the drivers were the buttholes, now I'm just scratching my head because now it seems to be the bikers LOL

And yes, I've been behind what seems to be at least 30 bikers taken up the whole lane on a Saturday morning coming back to the house with a newspaper, which takes forever.

 

[LouNY]

I don't ride bicycles I do ride motorcycle and I've had dogs chase at times, if they catch it that's their problem, I will not dump a bike to try an avoid a dog. I have hit one with an old Honda XL250 never did figure out how it didn't go down on me, and I got one with my Harley Ultra Glide slid back in the seat moderately loose grip on the bars and just rode it out, saw the dog a few weeks later it was still getting around but didn't chase me again, and that was on a gravel road.
As far as bicycle riders one or two I don't mind a whole flock of them tying up the road irritates me, and I keep seeing this big deal bicycle thing that's coming up in a few weeks here the tour de battenkill which is a race that ties up our roads for hours and when they are out practicing there can be clusters of 15-20 blocking the whole road its a pain with a pickup coming up behind them hogging the road but I love there faces when its a large tractor and implement heading at them

 

[Egon]

Bikes and free roaming dogs are trouble. If the dogs are out on public roads it is not your responsibility.

Cyclists should show respect for traffic but they have also full right to use public roads. Many drivers seem to have a superior attitude towards cyclists and try and express there inferior superior attitude.

I have encountered both dogs and drivers while cycling. Some of the drivers were definetly amusing in expressing thier arragont attitude.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Dogs are naturally going to respond to someone walking or biking down the road in front of their stomping grounds. If the owner cares for their dog, he will have it fenced in so it cant get to the road. I wouldn't be a bit concerned about a car hitting a dog that was chasing me while walking or riding on the road.

I have the entire 42 acres fenced with net wire to keep my animals in and others out. There is a spot where a creek flows thru that a determined animal can get under the wire when the creek is not running. Any domestic animal that behaves himself if he accidently gets on my property gets put back out thru a gate and can be on his way. If they come in and start killing my farm animals, then they have signed their death warrant if I see them.

I keep my animals behind a fence and I expect others to do the same if possible. It is not possible to keep flying creatures (guineas, chickens, peafowl, geese, ducks) behind the fence all the time so if one of them gets smacked by a car, I cant complain about it.

 

[Thomas]

Hard not to feel guilty in a way but the owner to fault.
You folks seem to be the type doesn't like stirring pot,but I would keep eye also ear open on your neighbor.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Cyclist that obey traffic laws are seldom a nuisance. But those are few and far between. I'm not aware of any traffic laws that permit hoards of bicycle riders blocking traffic, failing to stop at Stop signs, and totally ignoring traffic signal lights.

Yes, I do occasionally ride bicycles, and a lot of motorcycling, as well as driving my pickup. However, traffic laws are not selective - if you use public roads, public traffic laws apply.

What I don't understand is why cyclist don't have to buy license plates or carry liability insurance. Isn't that interesting?

Hitting an animal or causing one to be hit is a real bummer though. When possible, I even avoid hitting a squirrel, racoon, or whatever that happens to be in the road. That's not because I have a certain love or respect for them per se, but causing loss of life is painful regardless of where or why.

 

[Sigarms]

Cyclists should show respect for traffic but they have also full right to use public roads. Many drivers seem to have a superior attitude towards cyclists and try and express there inferior superior attitude.

Other way around in my neck of the woods.

I use to run biathlons in my youth. Many hours on the road both on bike and running. My mother taught me that even if I'm right, when dealing with a car on the road, does you no good to be right and in a cemetery. I always ran and road defensively on rural roads, always trying to treat a driver behind me with respect because I knew they could kill me.

I can assure you, when I'm either behind a cyclist or coming up on them, I treat them with respect because I know what it's like to be in their shoes and wonder if I had a idiot car driver coming up behind me.

That said, going to church one morning, and got behind TWO bike riders. The two were taken up the entire lane and made it to risky for me to pass, so I didn't. This has happened to me more than a couple times now, and to be honest, really kind of irritating.

Seems now the mind set (at least in my area) with bikers is if you can't let the car pass you, you run less likely a chance of the car accidently "clipping you". Seems the arrogance at least in my area, has gone to the bike riders.

That said, still remember what my mother taught me about cars. If a cyclists pisses off a car driver, the cyclist is genearlly going to lose everytime.

I'm at the point now where if they don't want to let me pass, I will in a straightaway even if they're taking up the entire lane (of course when opposing traffic allows me to do so).

Every once in a while I do come across some cyclists riding in single file. Generally few and far in between. That said, never could understand biking with 20-50 people on the road with me. Kind of defeated one of the better aspects of cycling for myself, time with myself or some close friends trying to get better.

 

[MossRoad]

When I found illegal deer stands on my property, I just took them down to the county police station and dropped them off. I left a note in a zip-lock back tacked to the tree that they could pick it up there, and that the land was private property and no hunting without my written permission. I also got in contact with my local DNR conservation officer and had a nice conversation about the stands and the bait piles. Gave him my blessing to feel free to look in on my place anytime he felt like it. And also told him anyone who was hunting would have my written permission, name and phone number. Please call me to verify if necessary....

Two years later, he "caught" my in-laws cutting firewood! :laughing: I forgot to give them a note, but they showed him the key to the gate that I gave them and he figured if they had a key, it was OK.

As for dogs, next time one comes out, stop and let it chew your leg up real good, rather than have it run out in the street and chase you. I admire you for feeling compassion about a dead or injured dog. After all, it's not the dog's fault, it's the owner's fault. However, you should be upset with the owner, not yourself. In no way are you primarily, secondarily, or even fractionally a tiny bit responsible for that dead animal. It's 100% on the owner, wether it be a vicsious dog or one that slipped out of the house. It's all on them.

I have a friend that rides quite a bit. He carries bear spray on his bike, and has used it half a dozen times. If he sees a dog run up across a yard, he arms himself. If the dog just runs along and barks, he keep riding. If it lunges at him aggressively, he sprays it. It stops them right now!

When my daughter ran cross-country and we'd go for runs, I'd ride along with her on my bike. I almost always carried pepper spray for dogs. We had a few come at us. I'd put the bike between us and the dog, and fortunately, they all went away. But I was prepared to spray them if it came to that.

Maybe look into that, and see if its legal to carry pepper spray in your area.

 

[Overtaxed]

does you no good to be right and in a cemetery

LOL, my father used to say the same thing all the time! Better to let someone else be wrong and live than to be right and dead. It's how I've always ridden my bikes, both pedal and motorcycles. Sure, you didn't have the right of way and turned in front of me on my motorcycle, still a much better idea to swerve and avoid than to tbone you and while being carried out on a stretcher, explain the finer points of traffic law to you. Same thing with riding side by side in the road, yes, it's probably legal (although, I don't know that for sure), but, if there's a car behind you who swings around you and another car is oncoming, guess what? You're getting hit, because that driver isn't going to take a head on to avoid hitting you on a bike. So, all the "I was in the right" in the world isn't going to help your bones heal.

I have 60 acres invisible fenced for my dogs. So yeah, I know, they want to run the cars, I even have the driveway "off limits" for them because I'm afraid of them getting in front of the UPS/mail driver. So many animal owners are just idiots, if you can't afford a fence and you live right on the road (as was the case in my recent incident) keep the dog on a leash, a run, or, frankly, don't get a dog if you're not willing to do either. My dogs chase me on a bike for God's sake; they sure as heck would chase me down the driveway if there wasn't 10,000 volts standing between me and them. And I'm sure they'd be murauding the neighborhood bikers if that fence wasn't there. It's not that they are bad dogs, it's that is what dogs do.

BTW, in case anyone is interested, fencing 60 acres isn't as expensive as you might think. Took about a mile of wire and a subsoiler with a pipe welded on it, but all told, the cost was about 1200 bucks, IIRC (for the wire, 2 collars and the controller). Pretty darn reasonable, if you ask me. Maybe I'll walk over (or wait for the neighbor to come over) and offer to help him put in an invisible fence with my tractor. I might have enough wire left over for his front yard.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I grew up in the country, and car-chasing dogs were pretty common...but everyone, especially their owners, knew that their days were numbered and it was just a matter of time until they were dead meat. You either fenced your yard or trained them to stay in the yard...or maybe keep them on a chain...which most farmers never did...if you wanted them to be around very long. Most country folks I knew were pretty hardened to the death of animals, else come butchering time you would not be able to kill your "pets".

The face of country living is changing; in my old home town area there seems to be a significant number of the white trash types moving in, living in trailers and some say cooking meth. Even so, the upright city folks moving to the country sometimes don't quite get the code of country living. There's nothing like a big city type coming to the country and trying to tell us hicks how to do things we have known how to do for a hundred years. As for bike riding, that was for kids...and I have ridden as far as 10 miles to visit my grade school buddy...watching out all the while for the raggedy *** old German Shepard mix that sure as the sun comes up, will be out to greet me about half way there.

There was one farm that had a big flocks of guineas, and they liked to play in the road...to top it off, the was a hill going North just before you got to his driveway. No if you drive fast...like most country boys did...you could expect to occasionally encounter a flock of guineas topping the hill. Now they say you can never run over a guinea, but take it from me, it's possible to not only run over one, but you can get several at one time if you are driving fast enough.

We live on a suburban acreage now that used to be a rural acreage...and my neighbors...none of them are country folks. In fact, the one next to me mows his acre once a year whether it needs it or not. last year he found a SUV he had forgotten about.

In any case, I wouldn't trade it for city living under any circumstances that I have the choice to make.

 

[GregbkH]

For what it's worth, a drive to the local gas station in my area can break my heart when I see how some people treat and handle their dogs. Oh wait, should I put my big boy pants on and man up? LMAO

If you have real tears streaming down your face by the time you get to the gas station...... then the answer is yes! LMAO

 

[Groo]

I'll never understand the mentality of moving "out to the country" then building your house right on a major road.

The only traffic I can see from my house is one neighbor comming and going when the leaves are down and boat traffic on the river; maybe 1 boat a week in season. I own all of 10 acres (half across the two track I share witht he neighbors), so you don't need a whole section to get a little privacy either.

 

[CobyRupert]

As for dogs, next time one comes out, stop and let it chew your leg up real good, rather than have it run out in the street and chase you. I admire you for feeling compassion about a dead or injured dog. After all, it's not the dog's fault, it's the owner's fault. However, you should be upset with the owner, not yourself. In no way are you primarily, secondarily, or even fractionally a tiny bit responsible for that dead animal. It's 100% on the owner, wether it be a vicsious dog or one that slipped out of the house. It's all on them.

:thumbsup: That dog sees you as prey and most likely wants to harm you or even kill you if given a chance. In my book that means: Game on! No quarter given. If that dog choses, by instinct and poor ownership, to enter a fight to death, so be it. It's you or him.
Consider yourself lucky the car came along.
If not yourself, then consider the 10 year old kid or 80 year old grandma who might ride their bike down that road tomorrow lucky.