I am not a big fan of letting dogs loose in the wilds.

One year while hunting alone in and around the Nicolet State Forest in Wisconsin, I was going back to my car with a flashlight at dusk when the sounds of a lot (anything more than one is a lot under those circumstances.) of dogs starting barking and yelping in what I considered too close for comfort.

My bow was unstrung, but I had a small game permit and an unloaded Beretta Jaguar .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol with me. The pistol, magazine inserted, and round racked home came to my hand very quickly after the noise started, and my fixed blade hunting knife went from my belt to my lower outside coat pocket. The spare magazine went into my upper outside coat pocket, and my butt tightened up as if you had just put lemon juice in it.

So now I am walking back to the car, with a flashlight, and a loaded handgun in my hand, totally illegal, and in violation of all sorts of laws, twisting back and forth like Chubby Checker to CMA. If I had seen even one dog alone, coming at me or not, I would have shot it. in the most painful place on its body (not because I am sadistic, but because I know that a wounded feral dog yelping in pain would have scared away the other dogs.).

To avoid a friendly, family dog from being shot under those circustances, my personal suggestion is, do not let them roam free at night because feral dogs cannot be recognized by their breed.

Bountyhunter