The darned things are a pest -- tipping over garbage cans etc.
A friend of mine wound up with a coon dog rescue. He's a handsome boy but not really the ideal house dog. Anyhow, he goes crazy whenever a coon goes through her yard. She's afraid to let him out for fear he'll be two counties over before he stops.
Do the hillbillies have GPS collars on their dogs yet?
It's amazing really (not).
Some of these folks up here haven't yet discovered the cause of reproduction(human or animal), and one can visit a local animal shelter and walk out with some fine Blueticks, Redbones, Walkers and Black and Tans.
I was at the shelter a few weeks ago when some local rabbit hunters came in looking for some beagles. There were lots of beagles, and a LOT of good looking hounds in there, waiting to be gassed. One bluetick pup caught my attention: a beautiful speciman of that breed.
I ended up with an old man (labrador), riddled with arthritus, teeth worn to nubs, and now just as spoiled and demanding as the girl in the picture. They didn't even make me pay the adoption fee (Gee I must be famous or good looking or something, NAW).
Good hounds will keep bears, and other wildlife from becoming public nuisences/dangers. In fact, some wildlife agencies have actually tried using hounds to "untame" bears causing problems in some northern states.
If your friend lets her hound out, and he is a good tracking, striking, or trailing dog, he'll be long gone.
Tracking collars have been used here for a LONG time. I know a guy who sued the National Park Service (Great Smoky Mountains) and ended up with a settlement because a park employee (and AR activist getting paid with our tax dollars) took his dog's collar off, threw it aside, and gave the dog to some park visitors who couldn't stand the thought of dogs actually being subjected to "hunting, blood sports."
The dog had crossed the line between public land and the Cherokee Indian reservation, where Cherokees can hunt without a license. etc. The federal employee was moved out of this area quickly, fired, whatever.