My brother and his friends run coyotes and bobcats with their hounds in Northern Wisconsin. Several of their dogs were trailed and killed by wolves.
.....and odds are, they were paid quite handsomely for them. Wisconsin has a very generous depredation program, up to $2500 per dog. Most houndsmen I know, know very well of the risk they take by running their hounds in wolf territory. The state informs hunters of den areas and core areas that are the most at risk to hunting dogs. This is not a new thing. Dog owners running their dogs in these areas are the ones most responsible for their dogs being attacked, not the wolves. Just like the risk of getting hit when running across a highway....or a collar getting hung up and never finding the dog(was more of a risk before GPS collars), or having a dog get caught in a conibear or foot hold trap. Play with fire and sometimes you get burnt. Just the cost of doing business.
I run across wolf tracks while out bird hunting, my bird dogs, while never seeing a wolf in person, definitely know what they smell like and definitely show signs of being very frightened and aware when they cross wolf scent. I generally don't have to worry about them getting out of eyesight once they get the scent.
Just because the owner/hunter hasn't caught up to his dogs yet does NOT mean they are letting them run free. You are obviously not knowledgeable about hound hunting.
Of course they are running "free". Unless they are tethered or leashed, they are by definition, running free. With the popularity of the new GPS collars, houndsmen are letting their dogs run farther from them. No longer do they need to keep them within earshot to keep track of them. They no longer follow them on foot, but drive the roads for the most part and intercept them as they cross. Sometimes it's snowmobiles and trails. I don;t have an issue with houndsmen, and am very aware they get a bad rap from folks that have never used hounds. Doesn't matter if it's raccoon, coyotes, bobcats, cougars, bear, wolf or even deer. If it's legal and they are following the law, then go for it. But only the inexperienced or the very naive won't realize the risk they run to their dog while doing any.
I need to proofread more often
I wouldn't have shot a Neighbors Dog no matter what. Feral Dog's are another matter. I have yet to see one in over forty years of Hunting and Hiking. I found two stray's with collars on and managed to find the Owners who were in tears when they picked up their Dog's. Think about that before you shoot someone's Pet.
