ORIGINAL: PMantle
hornbow, what "rule" are you refering to? Is this a statute or just what is done by people? BTW, and not that you care, but I consider this rule quite possibly the most barbaric thing I have ever heard of in American hunting culture.
I was refering to the rule that that game warden told my stepfather and I which was to shoot any free roaming dogs as that was considered prima facia evidence it was chasing deer. I was 11 at the time and just took it for granted. I never actually tried to go and look up to see if that was an official stance of the state of Maine. I just assumed it was since it was an officer of the state that told us to do it.
Now, I have never shot a dog in the woods and don't really know if I could unless I caught it actually at the carcass or pulling down a deer but that was what the game warden told us. That was 25 years ago now so maybe things have changed but I don't really think so. I do go back nearly every year to hunt and visit with family etc. and the mentality is still the same. Like you said, southern Maine is a little different (the rest of us actually consider Portland to be part of NH, LOL). Go up north to Caribou or Greenville and ask a random sampling of people what they would do if they saw a dog running around in the woods when they were hunting and I will lay money that 90% plus of them will tell you they would shoot it.