I'm sure the dogs scare the deer away, I've had a few times when they have caused me problems. Once 2 does came busting out of some brush and I heard something else coming so I prepared myself, it was the ugliest thing I'd seen on 4 legs, matted with mud and nasty looking. Certainly not a dog that would have been taken care by a family. I grunted my call, it stopped and looked my direction and just charged at me growling. At the time I was hunting off a seat that straps to a tree. Only when I stood up and lowed my gun on it did it stop, maybe realizing I was a human and took off the other way. I know guys that would have shot it, I own a dog so I'm not into killing them but would have had no problem in this case if he continued to charge me. I'll also add I've had other hunters actually screw my hunt up 10 times more than dogs.