If they were that close to the dogs, how did they not run into the guy who shot them? Story doesn't say, but I'm assuming this was at night, so you'd think the shooter would have had some lights on at some point...

Coon season isn't in until November 8, so the only thing legal the shooter could be after at dark would have been coyotes, and that would have had to be with written permission from the landowner, as regular season doesn't open until October 15...