Tack...I'm a father of 3, grand father of 4 and am 51yrs old. I too have a few miles under my belt, BUTTT...sorry, but I feel pretty adament on this one. I hate seeing or reading about pets doing that kind of stuff. It irks me cause it is avoidable!! I've seen deer bought down on ice by neighborhood pets....hamstrung and left to die a slow and painfull death....I've seen and read about kids having their faces bitten because of an "OFF LEASH" family pet" with no history of aggressiveness ever!!!
Honestly...If they're gone chasing something....out of your sight for 20 minutes..you REALLY don't know WHAT they're doing or chasing do you?? There's ..lots of hazards on both ends for game, kids AND pets...what about someone out after a yote...sees a blur...BANG..your dog dead...what about trappers or lines around Invermere...I guessing yes..perhaps they're chasing an animal that darts across a road and forcing some innocent car driver into the ditch...or worse!!
..like all I'm saying is as a pet owner...be more responsible. There are ways to control your dogs...it's called training and waterfowl and upland guys have been doing it for years ...quite successfully too!!
I can't agree with you on letting them running at large and just having fun esp in wildlife habitat!! To me, Your post reads like you really don't care about your dogs, their behaviour, what your dogs are doing and what happens to them. Then, IMHO, you don't deserve any dogs. They DO deserve better tho.