I was just going to add that they are not only dangerous to your flock but to your family as well. Feral dogs lack the fear of humans that keep coyotes et al at bay. As a young bride I moved to Texas with my DH (we're back again after 30 years in Florida) and nearly became lunch for a pack of ferals. DFW was in the midst of a drought and a rabies outbreak, it was the recession era of the late 70s, and irresponsible people were abandoning dogs they could no longer feed. One afternoon I stepped out on my front stoop to shake out a rug and encountered a large shephard mix hovering on the steps. I shooed at it trying to run it off ... big mistake! Around the corner came 9 or 10 other dogs, ranging in size from a medium terrier type to one that looked to have Dane in it. ALL of them were hungry and looked at me like I was a t-bone steak. The first dog - the pack leader apparently - began growling and moving in on me. Well, I was about 8 months pregnant at the time and in no condition to make a break for it, and the dog had worked itself between me and the screen door. I thought I was done for. That's when I heard the screen ripping and my little chihuahua/terrier mix Cuddles launched herself through the door and latched onto the feral's hamstring! It yelped in shock and broke for the road. I guess since it was alpha, the others broke behind it, and all I could do was stand and watch as my poor little Cuddles, still hanging onto that dog like a vise, was carried down the road and out of sight. Well, I thought I'd seen the last of her, and called my DH at work in hysterics. He did his best to console me and then called the sheriff ... ferals were such a problem at that point that the cops would shoot them on sight ... But you know, the higher powers just look out for you at times - about 10 minutes after I hung up with DH, I heard scratching at the front door (now firmly closed and locked) and opened it to find Cuddles waiting impatiently to come inside! I don't know how she did it, but she schooled that pack of dogs and came home without a scratch on her! All we could ever surmise is that she startled the leader so much that it just kept running, and the others followed it. At some point Cuddles must have let go and just dropped back behind them to come home. Why they didn't tear her to shreds remains a mystery.
Anyway, now that I've rambled on about that, my point is ... be careful! I know you are going into the woods armed, but you can only shoot so fast, and the pack mentality makes feral dogs a formidable force to reckon with. Don't let yourself get cornered, and try to take someone with you to guard your back. Better yet, let animal control deal with them if they will, be it traps or whatever. I know you love your chickens, but your family loves you more, and they don't need you becoming "lunch" ...
