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Greyhounds And Deer


Guest BrindleBabes

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Guest BrindleBabes

This morning when I was having my coffee on the back patio, Tess (who was lying on a dog bed) took off. I heard her bark and by the time I jumped up to see where she went, she was back next to me, panting. I looked up to see a small deer at the end of the patio, which ran off when it saw me. All I can surmise is that Tess went for the chase, the deer stood its ground, then turned the tables and chased Tess back.

 

We have always lived adjacent to areas with deer but in the past our greys simply observed them, watching but not barking or chasing. Does anyone have experience with their greyhounds and deer? I'm hoping this one taught Tess a lesson -- to leave those big fawn (and potentially dangerous) "dogs" alone!

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Guest june

The only experience I have had with deer was when we came across one at a nature center standing in the middle of the trail. We both stood quietly while the deer stared at us and finally walked off into the brush. Jazzy was whining and curious but didn't seem to want to get any closer.

june

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Unfortunately for the deer, I think had she been determined to do so, she could have taken it down. Isn't that one of the things Greyhounds used to do? Chase down and kill deer for their masters?


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Susan,  Hamish,  Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck

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Guest Swifthounds

Unfortunately for the deer, I think had she been determined to do so, she could have taken it down. Isn't that one of the things Greyhounds used to do? Chase down and kill deer for their masters?

 

No, not a single hound. Maybe in a pack.

 

If the deer runs, it's good exercise for the dog, but for the dog to have advantage it would Kaveri overtake the deer and take it down, snapping it's neck. Otherwise, even without horns a small deer is dangerous. They'll put their head down and charge and the internal bleeding can be severe.

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Sometimes my guys give chase, sometimes they just bark, and sometimes they either stare or ignore. Mickey is the one to initiate the barking. The others usually just ignore. If Mickey is alone out there, he will sometimes give chase... Up to the end of the fence! We have deer just about every day, and seldom have just one. I've never seen Mickey when he is one on one with a lone deer.

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Guest BrindleBabes

Unfortunately for the deer, I think had she been determined to do so, she could have taken it down.

All the deer has to do in this case is clear the fence (which they do easily). But it doesn't matter what Tess chases, if it stands its ground, she'll back off. Especially cats!

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Guest mountain4greys

Before we got our fence, I used to walk all the hounds around the house for potty breaks. At night, the deer come in the yard and driveway. We've been able to get within 10 feet of the deer, especially when I walked Holly, who looks more like a deer than any of the others. The deer would take a step or two towards her, and Holly would take a step towards the deer. If I hadn't been on the other end of the 6 foot leash, I wonder how close they would have gotten.

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Usually when we see them on walks, we stop & all look at each other. Then the deer will continue on their way - they look so ungainly, high-stepping & zig-zagging across pavement & back into the woods. But one morning we came across 2 youngsters. We stopped to let them continue on their way but the older one started snorting & stamping his hooves. We backed away & walked the other way. Thankfully he was pleased with himself & they trotted across & street & into the woods....

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Deirdre with Conor (Daring Pocobueno), Keeva (Kiowa Mimi Mona), & kittehs Gemma & robthomas.

Our beloved angels Faolin & Liath, & kittehs Mona & Caesar. Remembering Bobby, Doc McCoy, & Chip McGrath.

"He feeds you, pets you, adores you, collects your poop in a bag. There's only one explanation: you are a hairy little god." Nick Galifinakis

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One morning at a playgroup at the adoption kennel, an idiot deer decided to run across the large, fenced field with 10 greyhounds in it. All of whom immediately took off after the deer, with Nutmeg leading the charge. The deer got away by managing to cross the creek and jump the fence faster than the pursuing hounds. Even with them all muzzled, I don't think it would have been pretty.

 

So Nutmeg is a known deer chaser, and from the way Romie's eyes bug out and he trembles when we see them on leash, I expect he would be, too. I think someone posted on here some years back about how his four hounds caught a deer in a fenced pasture. I hope Tess stays a safe distance away from those large prey!

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Ellen, with brindle Milo and the blonde ballerina, Gelsey

remembering Eve, Baz, Scout, Romie, Nutmeg, and Jeter

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Guest FullMetalFrank

My three hounds look at the deer with curiosity but don't try to chase them (thank God!) My bridge boy, Iberia, pulled me down a set of deck stairs and sprained both of my ankles going after a deer in my yard. OUCH!

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Guest Audeamus

Gir is not deer friendly. He has stalked and tried to hunt them down when lived in GP. It is one of the few animals where I've seen his prey drive come screaming into action.

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  • 5 weeks later...

I would guess, that rather than the deer standing its ground and scaring the dog off - it took off so fast and so far that the dog gave chase for a bit, and gave up. Probably got out of sight within seconds. Deer generally run when up against a viable threat. They only stand their ground if there's no way out.

 

Greys aren't dumb. They're fast - but NOT for long. Your pup probably knew it was beat, and gave up. And - it's not hungry. A well-fed animal isn't going to waste energy on a chase it knows it can't win.

 

IMHO - a grey can't take down a deer if the deer gets any sort of a head start. The deer can run at full speed for a long time - the grey can't (especially a pet). And - a single grey probably wouldn't even try to take down a deer by itself - unless it was starving - it's just too big a battle. Mice and rabbits are way easier.

 

I think your grey gave chase for the fun of it - and the instinctual prey-drive instinct - but the survival instinct kicked and and said "loosing game, don't bother."

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Guest krystolla

I think the deer they were bred to hunt were roe deer, not white-tailed deer. Roe deer are maybe 30 pounds, at best, white tailed get up around 300.

 

Hack, though, has no prey drive. The deer that ran away from us while out on a walk weren't even worth watching until they were out of sight. :rolleyes: Most dogs, though, will chase anything that runs from them (whether intending havok or no). Even our stray cats have chased deer out of the yard.

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I once had a deer chase Lexie and I while we were on a walk!!! :blink: I was sooo scared. The deer was actually running toward us. Luckily a car came by and scared the deer off. All I could think of was maybe her fawn was nearby. This was on our city street!! :blink:

Lexie is gone but not forgotten.💜

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Guest Elaine

Experience 1 - Back in 2001, Rob & I were walking BJ & Spoof in Zion Nat'l Park on the only trail where you can have dogs. There was a group of does near the trail, about 25' away. One of the does charged us! We're trying to run away and this doe charges, all the while, the boys are trying to pull me to the deer (they weren't thinking friendly thoughts). After a bit, I took off my big, floppy hat, handed the boys to Rob and I charged the doe, making myself as big as possible. Only at that point did she back off. That doe followed us for about 1/2 mile, charging each time I turned my back.

 

Experience 2 - This just happened on Sunday. Rob left the house about 6:30am, heading to the shooting range. He left the dog door open so the hounds could go in & out of the house, attempting to let me sleep in. Glory woke me up about 7:00am. She wouldn't leave me alone, boinking me with her nose, etc. I got up, stumbled into the bathroom, got dressed and went downstairs. I picked up the feed bowls & put them on the counter when it suddenly hit me, "Where are the boys?" I was missing 2 dogs: Banner & Nampa. I looked in the basement, in the closed bedrooms, in the workshop, the kennel, and the dog house. No boys. WTH? I checked the fences and gates. All were locked & intact. I started the East Mtn Lost dog alert system and got flyers posted and the word out on FB. I started looking for the dogs, calling them and walking several miles, including up the mountain behind my house. After about an hour, a neighbor caught up with me about a mile from the house and told me the boys were in the front yard, waiting for me. They had jumped our 4-5' fence and went off chasing deer that had come through the yard. We've been having deer issues all summer, but this is the 1st time ANY hound has gone over our fences! The boys were in one piece, even if they were a bit worse for wear. Nampa is missing a couple of pieces of hide where it looks like he was struck by a hoof, scraping the hair off down to the skin.

 

So, be aware, greyhounds can & do jump. They can go over 5' fences, if the desire is there. Also, deer can & do attack dogs. A friend of mine lost a bitch that went after a large buck with two other bitches. They too went over her 6' fences. The bitch that was lost was killed by the buck. The buck was killed by the other two bitches. Since the deer came over a perimeter fence onto the property, my friend was not required to put down the dogs, thank goodness! In her state, it is illegal to chase & kill deer with dogs.

 

Deer are wild animals and they are unpredictable. Be careful when interacting with them.

 

Elaine @ DM Greyhounds

http://www.dmgreyhounds.net

Edited by Elaine
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