I have personally heard from two hunters that they will open the truck and just let the dogs out and drive away if the dog "don't run good". One laughed as he recalled backing his truck up to a bridge and watching the dogs jump into the river and driving off. The other said he would go to wealthy neighborhoods and do it so someone would take the dog in.

I also work in a rural part of the state and have personally rescued numerous hunting dogs whose owners lose track of them and then just leave them behind. If the dog has a collar, half the time the owner just never answers or calls back.