Idaho: don't shoot my dog thinking it is a wolf

[MillCreek]

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/camper-shoots-injures-idaho-familys-dog-after-mistaking-her-for-a-wolf/

Always be sure of your target, I guess.

[charby]

Malamute do look like wolves.

[Ben]

From the story, the shooter supposedly shot a .44 with eyes closed. He also fired a shot into the air.

[dogmush]

Malamute do look like wolves.

Not if you've ever seen a wolf.

The real question is why shoot a wolf?  It's probably not being aggressive if it let you see it.

[Ben]

The real question is why shoot a wolf?  It's probably not being aggressive if it let you see it.

Idaho DFG announced they are going to cut the wolf population by like 90% via hunting. The shooter could have been a redneck thinking he was helping out. Or, given that it was Blaine County, he could have been a commie liberal first time gun owner without any training.

EDIT: On the tangent, I should probably stop using "redneck" for redneck type people in Idaho. I think we're more like hillabillies than rednecks.

[WLJ]

Not if you've ever seen a wolf.

Decent chance he never had outside of on TV

[Hawkmoon]

Malamute do look like wolves.

Sort of -- but not to anyone who knows anything about dogs.

[WLJ]

Some people react funny at the sight of an animal, any animal. We get people who panic at the sight of a small super friendly 7lb cat in our yard. One woman actually took off running screaming as if she thought the cat was going to kill her. Hmm, 7lbs vs 200lbs.  For some reason never saw her walk pass our house again.

[fifth_column]

There was an incident in CO recently when a raccoon got into an armored vehicle and caused panic among the soldiers in the vehicle.

[HankB]

From the linked story:

" . . . the dog wandered to a nearby campsite."

I like dogs. MOST are friendly. When they approach, it's usually just to say "hello" in their doggy way.

But this one phrase from the linked story does raise questions about the responsibility of the dog's owner.

[MechAg94]

When I was little, we had a couple of Keeshond dogs.  My mother put them in dog shows at one time.  If they got out of the house/yard, they would go running all over before coming back home.  One of them showed up dead on the side of the road nearby.  It was shot and someone had dragged it to the road not far away.  I don't know why someone would mistake it for a coyote, but I won't rule out that it got close to someone's chickens or livestock. 

For this story, I would have thought it was obvious if a wolf was approaching with intent to attack.  I don't know much about wolves.