This is a sad, even tragic story. However, for those of you not familiar with Pennsylvania Game Laws, if Mr. Nahay was hunting rabbits with dogs last week, he was hunting them out-of-season, as the second rabbit season started this past Monday, the 11th (two days ago).
If he was hunting with dogs last week, he was in the second week of regular deer season. If the dogs were out of his sight, they may have been chasing deer. If a deer hunter in Pennsylvania sees a dog chasing a deer, that dog is considered a "nuisance animal" and can be shot on sight. (Ref. Chapter 23, subchapter E, Dogs Pursuing Game or Wildlife
"Sec. 2384. Declaring dogs public nuisances.
Any dog pursuing or following upon the track of any big game animal in such close pursuit as to endanger the big game animal or to be in the act of attacking the big game animal at any time is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and may be destroyed as provided in this title. "
This is a very touchy subject, as one might imagine, and a tragedy for the dog owner.
The date on the article is November 2.
If a deer hunter killed these beagles, he can personally take responsibility with all the other slob hunters that contribute to what will be the end (prohibition) of ALL hunting someday.
Chances are these beagles had collars. And chances are, a deer hunter would be smart enough to know the rabbit hunter would be along shortly, and he could talk to rabbit hunter about the problem of them chasing deer.
Before you think I am an AR fanatic -- I am as PRO hunting as one can get, and I hunt. Even though the slob hunter may be legally safe, his attitude sucks, and gives lots of ammunition to the non-hunting public, as well as AR fanatics.
Here in the state where I live there is a deer hunting website I used to frequent. There is a core group in there who brag about shooting people's dogs if they even WALK under (around) their treestand (not chasing deer). If my dog ever disappears I will go on there and find the perpetrator, because idiots like this are too stupid not to brag about it.
I'd be willing to bet the beagles were on a rabbit, and IF a deer hunter killed them he is not what I would call an ethical hunter.
Of course, there could be more to the story, like prior conflicts with these hunters, etc. But shooting these dogs was an ignorant thing to do.
"Any dog pursuing or following upon the track of any big game animal in such close pursuit as to endanger the big game animal or to be in the act of attacking the big game animal at any time is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and may be destroyed as provided in this title. "
"This is a very touchy subject, as one might imagine, and a tragedy for the dog owner."
Call me ignorant, but it seems rather absurd to kill a dog for cruelty to a big animal when in reality, they just want to be able to kill the deer/bear themselves.
I smell jealousy of the dog here!