$145,000 for shot dog

[Big Mike]

Lincoln County jury awards $145,000 in shooting of coon dog ...



Seark Today's Patty Wooten beat me to the punch with the news of a Lincoln County jury's award of $145,000 Wednesday to a man whose hunting dog was shot dead while on a leash after treeing a coon on another man's land. From the account:

Newell Gill and three hunting companions, Mackie Edmonds, Lee Edward McGriff, and Darrel McGee, all of Star City, were coon hunting in late 2012 on the North Branch of White River National Refuge in Monroe County when their dogs crossed over onto private property and treed a raccoon.

The dogs had trailed and treed raccoons that were attracted to corn dispensed by deer corn feeders on the landowner’s property, according to Gill’s attorney, Charles Sidney Gibson of Dermott.

Gibson said coon dogs cannot be called off once they tree; they have to be pulled off by hand and leashed.

Though there were posted signs on the property, there was no phone number to call for permission to retrieve the dogs. “The hunters rightfully put away their guns and went to retrieve the dogs,” Gibson said.

When they did so, they encountered an irate man armed with a rifle.

The man, Frank Newby of Holly Grove, threatened to shoot the dogs and the hunters if they attempted to retrieve the dogs.

Over Newby’s objections, Gill retrieved his dog, a 4-year-old treeing walker named Buck, and leashed him.

Newby then ordered Gill to back away from the dog so he could shoot him. Gill refused and the man shot the leashed dog.


Attorney Gibson said that Gill still has nightmares about the night. According to the account, Newby was earlier convicted of a misdemeanor in the case.

The jury awarded $5,000 for personal injury; $25,000 for the tort of outrage; $5,000 for destruction of personal property and $100,000 punitive damages.

Charles Sidney Gibson's son, Chuck, who related the story to me earlier this week, said the jury was out 40 minutes. He said the dog, Buck, was a treeing Walker coonhound. It was valued at $10,000. Chuck Gibson said the plaintiffs had said that Newby also wanted the other dog released from its kennel so it could be shot, too.

[BCBeagles]

Sad story, that is why we should be able to protect ourselves from lunatics like this one and carry guns....wow.

I would like to think I would have restrained myself and not attacked this idiot and beat him to death with that gun....but I hope I never have to be in that situation.

Sorry to here they did the right thing, but we had an incident similar, but shots were fired to warn us...we just called the game warden and the state police called the gentleman out on his porch with a spotlight on him and a loaded 870 pointed at him...pretty quickly he realized he had made the wrong decision...LOL.

[littlewoody]

To bad it wasn't more money !

[mybeagles]

Jim,

If you shot the land owner with a side arm you would be in prison. I fully support the right to unlimited carry but dealing with a crazy man on his property with gun is going to end up bad. As much as I love my dogs they are not worth taking human lives over.

Sounds to me like these men did everything they could and reached the best conclusion considering who they were dealing with.

I'll be suprised if they ever see the money. I'm with woody, wish it was more.

[PREACHERS KENNEL]

being .awarded money and getting it are 2 different things if he thought his life was in danger and the land owner pointed a gun at him ,it would be self defense no matter whos land it is .

[BCBeagles]

Not saying I would have reacted and shot the landowner, I hope I would handle it less confrontationally, but as Preacher said a guy waving a rifle around seems pretty threatening to me... I have been in a situation with guns and tree hounds before. We didn't haul off and shoot the guy, but I assure you we had done nothing wrong as had these gentleman...people are extremely irrational and ignorant in some situations.

I hope I don't have to decide what to do in this exact situation....I hope they get there money, but that is a far reach. What this world has come to over greedy people that won't share there toy's...aka land(selfish folks), and there possessions that make them crazy, aka deer, even though they don't own the wildlife....

My dad once said everyone turns into a butthole over deer season and hunting deer....most of the time that applies. I would bet this happened in a deer season and the landowner was angry over them "running off his deer", just speculation.

[MikeC]

If it was my dog might be twenty years but he would be have something happen and he it would have never crossed his mind it was me. No place for people like him as in reality he should have been happy and let them kill all them corn eating turkey egg eating coons. :-)

[Swampman]

What this world has come to over greedy people that won't share there toy's...aka land(selfish folks)

I agree with most of what you said except this.
We Farm and was sued for someone getting hurt on our land several years ago.
I deer hunt as well and I have told all the neighbors, if you need to come on the land to recover a deer, hounds, etc, call first and I will help you.
The land owner pays the taxes, they have the right to allow or deny access.
The old days are gone, too many people that are sue happy.

[BCBeagles]

Okay this is a legitimate example, but MOST folks up here are just selfish and think they own the game on there land.....I am confident in saying you reap what you sow in allowing your blessings to be an opportunity to share with others......JMO. This is simply my view, I don't say it to be offensive and or judgemental.

People just don't like to share....it is like this all over, not just in hunting situation...it is a dog eat dog world and that to me is sad.

[mowhawk madman]

Personaly I don't think he got enough $$$$$$$ out of the whole ordeal. JMO

[Casey Harner]

My uncles farm over 1,900 acres. Every year they have ppl trespassing going on. Hell they had a 10 acre field mowed down by a bunch of methers go through their corn just to go mudding...

I would never ever shoot a dog, I've had many opportunities to do so but didn't since I wouldn't want my dog shot either, but I agree with swamp, a man has the right to protect what's his. A man should share his land, but the ppl coming onto it should also show respect. Not much respect for each other in this world.

[BCBeagles]

Treat others like you wish to be treated and we would all get along better. RESPECT is a huge part of it!!! Agreed.

Call the landowner every time you run or stop at there house, as you don't pay the taxes. Guarantee they will feel much more comfortable with you and your hounds!!!!

[gfedor]

Some yrs back I was rabbit hunting state land for rabbits with my 3 beagles, at end of day only had 2 dogs, look and called for her all night, went back next day, found her with arrow in her, dead. called fish and game, filed a report, warden was very nice, but said this is like finding a neefle in a haystack. Never got over this , allmost 25 yrs ago and still haunts me.

[BCBeagles]

My point of selfish people, they are in it for there best interest....don't give a darn about anyone elses feelings...way to often this is the case.

I am not talking about protecting your property from those who are dishonest....I am talking about common sense....eludes many!!!

[didion419]

I never did understand why you can sue someone for getting hurt on there land doesn't make any sense to me you should be responsable for yourself