Critters that kill just to kill
 

Over the week end my wife's two pet alpaca's were killed by what I now think was a pack of feral dog's. In two years here at the ranch nothing has bothered them, Not coyote's, not the lions ... Nothing. over the week end I found them both dead at the bottom of the south pasture. I've been riding and looking ever since but the grazing allotment here is 40,000 Acres so there's a lot of ground to cover ... If I find them they are Dead Meat.
It's a shame that two docile and gentle critters like Royal and Zen had to die that way just for the sake of being killed.
My Wife is very, VERY upset.
Vengeance is MINE sayeth the Rancher.

Re: Critters that kill just to kill
 

Hope you find em' bro and put a smack down on them:gn

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Destroy those killers.

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I have cats that kill just to kill............but that falls into the fly, mouse, and lizard category. For the dogs, traps would be the easiest way to get them.

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Hope you catch 'em Jeff.

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Sorry to hear it and hope you find them.

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Real sorry to hear about the alpacas. Nicest critters, those. Expensive too.
I had a dog that was the most docile pet with kids & people & cats, everything. But if he saw a deer or goat or other hoofed critter he turned pure hunter. I imagine it's a deep instinct. He only killed wild deer as far as I ever knew. I've hunted down wild dogs before. There should be lots of sign. Trails, scat, prints, they usually eat every part of the carcasses, so you don't find that unless it's recent. You might want to put up a game cam.
40,000 acres! Oh my aching back(side)!

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Sorry to hear about this. Hope you catch them dogs. Scary to know that they could turn on a human

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Sorry to hear about yalls Alpaca's Jeff. They are beautiful and gentle animals. thats one of the nice things about visiting my folks, drinking coffee and watching then alpacas in the morning.

I hope you find the killers and get your justice brother

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Sorry to hear. Hope you find the killers and put them down!

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So sorry Jeff. Alpacas are very docile - a friend has a large alpaca operation. Killing them and leaving them sounds like dogs, but keep an eye out as you roam in case it is something else. Killing without eating sounds way too much like dogs raised for fighting to me. Shudder.

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Sorry about the Alpacas Jeff. Hope you find the dogs, they can do a lot of damage. We had a pack of ferals roaming a small town near me, killed some deer, domestic pets and even attacked one person if I'm not mistaken before they got put down.

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My father in law has alpacas too and had the same issue. Three dogs who lived at another house a mile or so away kept getting out and attacking his animals, especially the alpacas. It took him putting some buck shot into one dog's backside for the beast's owners to finally fix their fence.

Sorry for your loss and I hope you get those mangy mutts.

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Well it's been interesting to say the least.... I've found what looks like activity of a lion that lives out in these parts ... But it didn't look like a lion kill to me.
I've also had it confirmed that a pack of about 14 wolves was sighted 20 miles from here last week by four separate people.
I did encounter a pack of large feral dogs about 10 miles out from here gnawing on a dead calf ... Managed to whack two of them with my 45-70 before they beat feet into the trees ....
Vengeance is Mine ... With more Vengeance to come. :gn
This aint about money ... Those alpaca's were like babies to my wife.

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get it brother :tu

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I wouldn't think the lion would kill both alpacas, let alone kill them just for the heck of it. Wolves might do it. Were the alpacas eaten at all?

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Good shooting to get two of them. 45-70? Saddle gun? Interesting choice, what kind?
I used a 12ga. One shot I must have peppered them and they never came around again.
Dogs and prob'ly wolves seem to go for a neck break, grab & shake. There are some mt. lion attacks on yootoob that show them going for a strangle on the throat. I would bet they leave claw marks every time. Not sure that would show up on a winter coat alpaca.
Is there a chance that someones dog got out and did this?

Re: Critters that kill just to kill
 

Marlin 1895, Original 1972 model with Ballard Barrel, 405gr. Hard cast Buffalo Bullet ... Over kill I know, Usually I carry the 30-30 But I just felt like taking the Big Bore for a spin.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...0/163/faa4.jpg

They were Neck grabbed for sure, One was eaten on a little by the coyote's that were there but one was un touched, but they were both defiantly killed by the neck.
When I shot the first dog the others just looked up like WTF was that ? ... Dumb! .. So I shot a second one and the rest figured it out at that point.
Defiantly at least 2nd generation Feral dogs.

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Vengeance is yours. -(P

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Seems odd for feral dogs to kill just for the sake of killing. I would be more concerned about someones hunting dogs getting loose. They will kill not to kill but thinking they are holding the prey for their master to show up. Especially if they have been trained to chase javelina or wild pigs. Either way it stinks and I wish you good hunting.

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Feral dogs absolutely kill for the sake of killing. So do neighbor dogs when they get out and pack up. I've lost lots of birds to dog attacks, they'll kill everything they can get ahold of.
Fox are different. They'll kill a small group, eat niblets, then take their meal to high ground to eat. It's like they just want to taste stuff until they get the right dinner.
Fortunately, they're all inherently greedy.
A guinea hen or three in a wire cage at night will bring everything from a hundred miles.
Done deal.

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This just keeps getting more interesting, There have been two wolf sightings, Confirmed because of the color of radio collars they wore ... Less than 12 miles from our ranch, And I have come upon some very large canine prints.
I'm not an expert on wolf prints so I'm taking pictures I took of them into Springerville tomorrow to have them looked at by some people who are experts.
And being as we do live in what the USF&W considers prime wolf habitat, We'll see.
Frigging bunny huggers, Greenie Weenies and the USF&W service and their Damned Wolf reintroduction program ... PEOPLE Before WOLVES !
Any one who has never lived around these animals but wants them released back into the wild should have them in THEIR back yard before they FORCE me to have them in my back yard.
Think I'm wrong ? ... Look up http://www.catroncounty.net/wolfhotline/pets.htm And http://www.catroncounty.net/wolfhotline/articles.htm
Catron County New Mexico is 40 miles east of us, Wolves can travel well over 50 miles a day.
Ok, Rant over ... My apologies Brothers.

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You're right on, brother!

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Pictures confirmed by 5 separate people ... Wolf Tracks.

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Stitch lookup your local USDA Wildlife Services office and give them a call. They help ranchers all the time.

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I've already been in contact with USF&W Service, AZ Game & Fish and BLM
And so far it's your typical bureaucratic "Hurry up and Wait"
These tracks were looked at by five area Expert trackers, Two of whom are of the White Mountain Apache Tribe ... All five of them said Wolf.
Our experience up here for the last few years has been that the Fed's really don't care ... they drag their feet, pick their noses and in the end do nothing.
I've seen it time and time again.

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/pictur...pictureid=8391

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Sorry that you havent got the response you expected and deserve but I still suggest you call them. Predator control is a primary function of APHIS Wildlife Services. I can call the FBI to report smuggling but they won't be as interested as ICE. ;)

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The Mexican Grey Wolf program in Arizona is administered by the USF&W service, The Mexican Grey is considered a "Sub Species" and is protected under the endangered species act ... The only agency's that can investigate and do any thing about it are US Fish & Wild Life or AZ game & fish ... I filed reports and left photo's with Game & fish ... We'll see ... but I'm VERY familiar with how they work, We've been dealing with them over this issue for years now.

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I'm very familiar with Gray Wolf and Mexican Wolf issues. You are wrong when you say the only agencies that can investigate and do anything about either is USFWS and AzF&G. Please call the agency I'm referring you too. Managing predator and rancher interactions is what they do. If you are having a problem they can help. If they are not involved they should be as they are already managing gray wolves elsewhere.

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No reason to stop hunting the feral dogs either. They really shouldn't be there.
Henry Repeating Rifles came out with a .45-70 that's USA made which may be my next gun.

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Ok, I'll look up the USDA and give them a try, see what they say.
USF&W would have you believe that their "Biologist's" are the only ones who can talk about wolves let alone do any thing about them ... I'll give it a try.
And NO WAY am going stop getting rid of the feral dog's ... They are BAD News, Worse than the wolves in some ways.

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The 45-70 is awesome ! ... I prefer the Marlin due to the fact that it can handle higher pressure loads, Just like a Ruger Black Hawk in 45LC can handle 45 colt loads that perform at 44 mag levels ... The 45-70 will put a hurt on a T-Rex at 150 yards ... It's only draw back is out beyond 150 yards it has the trajectory of a 155mm Howitzer ... Kind of like a rain bow.
But hey, at my age I can't see 150 yards any more so who cares.