Wild dogs and prospecting

[Swinging & digging]

Never seen any in the GT in Victoria.

In the East and North East forests of the state they are increasing in numbers, seen many, mainly when driving through the areas. Heard them howling as well, i have heard they are usually scared of people, though when real hungry would not be willing to be near one.

 

[shakergt]

Madtuna Do you get many scrubbers out your way?

 

[madtuna]

Yep there'd be a fair few hundred still roaming the place.

Thanks for asking too as it reminded me of a thread on another forum where a member admitted to shooting them basically saying without an ear tag or mark they belong to noone and are fair game.

This is absolutely not correct. Apart from illegally shooting on crown land and a pastoral lease, he's also destroyed and stolen someone elses property.

Some of the terrain can be either too rugged or inaccessable and some beasts can be extremely cunning. So mustering can be hit and miss and not everything gets processed every year and some can go years before finally getting mustered.

 

[shakergt]

Thank you for the heads up. I was aware of them further north but not around your area. They can be agro things. Its an interesting one with the tags and markings. I also thought that they was fair game when they are not marked or tagged. I would think on the larger stations it would be possible to say where they came from but down here it would be very difficult.

 

[madtuna]

Nah, they only get a tag and an ear mark when caught in a muster. Some stations only muster every couple of years not yearly and not every beast makes it into a muster.

This station including the mine areas and the spy base which both hold cattle, is aproximately 1 million acres. So the whole station is never mustered in one go. We'll have 5 or 6 partial musters a year so not every area is mustered and many cattle get missed. Some will never be caught.

Generally the cattle are not a problem and will run if you get near. The only times I've had dramas while detecting is when walking head down through a creek line, some big old scrubbers will see you coming and not even blink an eye until you almost walk into them. Then they'll maul you.

Micky bulls though I wouldn't trust. I remember being out with Linc and Kim from WA gold tours when he was belted. This micky watched us for a while then did a 100 yard dash in about 5 seconds to belt him. Totally unprovoked.

 

[Stingray]

Talking about dogs, for the last couple of years I have been carrying a small can of pepper spray on my pack strap. Good to know its there. FYI it is not a spray - it squirts about 4 m and the splat is about the size of a dinner plate.

I bought it with dogs in mind and figured a face full of that should give them something to think about - in addition to the pick. Basically it could be used on anything with eyes that wants to have a go. Don't know how it would go on a camel though - they worry me ... or your NT Buffalos

Cheers
Stingray

 

[Occasional_panner]

Can hear wild dogs every night I camp up here. Rarely see them. One good reason I never take my girl, they call out to domestic dogs, then kill them.
Buffs are a bit scaryer than dogs, I accidently snuck up on one when I was in the "zone" got to within Bout 30-40m of it, smelt it, stopped and looked around, it was uphill from me, and watching me. Slowly backed off, and went the other way, they can be extremely aggressive, they are not just a cow or bull, and will charge you.

Yeah, if you think wild dogs may be in the area, the WORST thing to do is bring your own dog as it will encourage a territorial attack.
Most of the Vic stories I've heard all go along those lines, a big fearless fellow I know won't go near an area I've camped at plenty of times, he reckons it's too dangerous, but I've never had the slightest problem, never heard howling even.
Most of the Vic deer hunters have a story or two.
That's all in the eastern wooded areas, not the GT

 

[shakergt]

Nah, they only get a tag and an ear mark when caught in a muster. Some stations only muster every couple of years not yearly and not every beast makes it into a muster.

This station including the mine areas and the spy base which both hold cattle, is aproximately 1 million acres. So the whole station is never mustered in one go. We'll have 5 or 6 partial musters a year so not every area is mustered and many cattle get missed. Some will never be caught.

Generally the cattle are not a problem and will run if you get near. The only times I've had dramas while detecting is when walking head down through a creek line, some big old scrubbers will see you coming and not even blink an eye until you almost walk into them. Then they'll maul you.

Micky bulls though I wouldn't trust. I remember being out with Linc and Kim from WA gold tours when he was belted. This micky watched us for a while then did a 100 yard dash in about 5 seconds to belt him. Totally unprovoked.

Sounds like he got away with this one lightly. Hope he was not banged up to bad.

 

[madtuna]

Yep he was lucky as he tripped and fell over just as the bull got to him, so it was just a graze and the bull kept going.

Not as lucky another time though, he was changing a wheel and next minute I hear a god almighty thump and turn to see Linc sailing through the air upside down. The thing also attacked the ute taking out the lights and a 2way antenna.

 

[peterau]

I think the kids these days would be helped with a bit of real life. My 15 y.o. grandson plays video games 24/7, I was fixing something the other day and asked him to pass me a washer and he says wots that. I was aghast and found out its only the tip of the iceberg in front of him. Is real is good.

 

[shakergt]

Taken from facebook

Recently metal detecting in isolated location and had a run in with a wild dog that was stalking me..kept coming to about 20m away or less..circling me..broke off a branch and bashed it on ground and threw a couple of rocks at it which just seemed to piss it off more so headed back to camp.
That night it was in shadows of campfire circling..Made sure no food was out or any rubbish. Next morning it had pissed on wheels of ute and a chair and dug a hole where i had thrown dishwashing water.
Anybody else had any experiences like this..normally thought wild dogs were a bit reclusive.

 

[aussiefarmer]

Sounds more like a lost dog than a wild dog

 

[Dave79]

Sounds like my bloody dog! How did he get out there!

 

[Occasional_panner]

Prob some asshole dumped his dog, if he said "here boy, c'mon fella, here boy" it probably would have come and licked him on the face.

 

[Goldfreak]

Warewolf

 

[Lesgold]

When I was a young bloke, had a girl friend like that.

 

[madtuna]

Common wild dog behaviour. What you often dont see is his mate(s) off to the side or behind you.

 

[shakergt]

I'm trying to find out the place it occured

 

[Meller9.3]

Had this happen many many times, Especially when i have my gun-dogs with me while contracting on dog-trapping jobs.

Some of my closest encounters have been full blown terratorial charges, usually from the blindside and only ended with bullets resulting in a dead dog at my feet. Id post pics to verify the stories, but last time i posted hunting pics i got people offside and upset.

 

[Brumble-Gum]

I had an experience at My Morgan with a Wild Dog.
I saw some bare dry earth mounds in a row about 15m apart along a ridge. I wondered what they were, thinking they might be small mullock mounds.
As I searched the mounds I saw the dog prints in the dry dirt. I knew as soon as I looked up what they were, and then heard a growl in the rocks to my left.
A dog was slowly walking down the rocks towards me, baring the longest set of canine teeth I have ever seen. I drew my pick out of it's holster and slowly started to walk back. The dog stopped and stayed there growling as I walked away.
I thought to myself what made a wild dog stand it's ground and threatens a human. That was when I noticed the hollow tree not too far away from the dog. There must have been pups in the log. I often see dog scat and hear the the barks from wild dogs on ridges a long way off. But you never see them. I did this day!