This is also a sore subject for me. In one of our local WMA's it is legal to run deer with dogs, a practice I do not understand nor condone, but that's another subject I guess. After the end of the general gun season, the small game season opens and I usually take my daughter out with me to look around. We ALWAYS see dogs running loose out in the woods during this time of year that the dirtbags who use them to run deer don't bother to look for. We had an encounter with one that was squared off with me and growling, but he decided to retreat before I decided to shoot.
I had a brief conversation with one of these "hunters" who informed me that he just shoots the dogs that don't perform well and leaves them in the woods. When I politely expressed my opinion about his comment, he started to get down off of the buggy he was driving, and mentioned something about my mother and explaining something to me. Keep in mind, my eleven year old daughter was standing next to me. I have a CCW, so I turned slightly to my side, away from my daughter, and made sure he got a good look at the Glock 30 on my belt. He grunted, flipped me the bird, and drove off. Classy guy.
I know that as hunters, we have to stick togeather since, as a group, we have so many enemies. Live and let live, right? But.....in my opinion, the dogs are the only ones doing the hunting, and anyone who shoots a dog because it's not doing the "job" it's supposed to be doing should be criminally charged. Had I been able to get a license plate number, I would have given it to the Sheriffs Office. I would have had more of a problem shooting that dog, than shooting "Bubba" off of that buggy.
During the archery and muzzle loading seasons, all of the people I've met in the woods around here have been the best. In my opinion, 99% of hunters are the nicest group of people you could ever meet. But, once the general gun season opens, every redneck with a bottle of Jack Daniels in one hand and a rifle in the other comes into the woods. The campsites in the WMA's fill up with garbage, and there are beer cans alongside the roads. Personally, I choose to stay out of the WMA's during this time of year. I use this time to get out in the cane fields and get some rabbits in the freezer.
Sorry I've rambled on so, but like I said, it's a sore subject for me. That 1% of hunters ruin a good part of the season for the rest of us. Once again, just my opinion.