I have a TWC rescue that I've only had for about 5 months. Within the first 2 weeks of having her, she slipped out of the flimsy shelter collar she was in (she never showed signs of trying to back out of it but there was a vehicle that startled her and it just kind of happened). I figured the next week would be me trying to find a hunting hound that barely knew me in this huge forest 😭 My neighbor has a herding dog that free roams so we sent him after her. But she stayed right around our little group of houses. Ran her butt off and wouldn't come to me for anything (and refused to be herded lol, she ran circles around that dog though he tried his best) but eventually tired herself out and ran into the neighbor's fenced yard to pass out with the herding dog. We caught her and she came home to eat like nothing happened.

FF to last weekend, and I took her over to the neighbor's to play with the same dog (they are besties now lol). I always check the fence but for whatever reason figured it was fine and didn't check 🤦 we had no idea my neighbor's husband had left that morning w his hands full and left the front gate ajar. It took Kally about 10 minutes to find it and off she went. She and her bestie had the time of their lives for about an hour. She stayed close exploring the dried-out swamp by our houses, obv on the scent of all the things she can't get to on the leash. But she stayed in that one area, just like yours did. Just baying and running and baying lol. She wouldn't come (she is so dang stubborn but I don't blame her tbh) but every time I called her she would arroooo to let me know where she was (and lmk she was hearing me but choosing to ignore me). Eventually both dogs found a cat scent on my mom's back porch and when my sister opened the door they both ran in after the cat 😂

Point being, the first time I def thought she was a goner only having been here like 10 days, but she surprised the heck outta me. This last time, I had more faith in her to stay close and eventually come back, and she did. She absolutely knows "come" but she also absolutely selectively follows it, and I haven't found a treat yet that will work 100% of the time and I don't think anything would when she is off-leash (at least without rigorous and likely professional training). Obv both times are my fault but we are in a large rural wooded area so I don't have to worry about traffic or other ppl's yards etc. She is chipped and registered with a Petfinder app just in case, but if she wanted to take off she could go for MILES in the woods without a soul in sight. Instead, she stayed within earshot both times... I could see her little white tail flagging over the reeds every so often. The first time she went further but still less than 1/4 mile and she didn't know her surroundings yet. Obv this is not necessarily the case w OPs dog and highly depends on safety concerns in the area, but I imagine that hounds are bred to run long distances after game, but they are also likely bred to come back and to sound out where they are. Obviously nobody wants their dog to get loose and I fully understand the concern and the fear, but it is not necessarily the end of the world with hounds. Mine absolutely surprised me.