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Use of a dog to find a dead deer?

31K views 86 replies 46 participants last post by  Brownie-Five Oh  
#1 ·
Ok, This is my question. I used my dog today to find a dead deer on my property. Someone said on the hunting dog post it was illegal to use the dog to find the dead deer. I know you can't run deer with a dog, but this pup has found more than her fair share of deer that left no blood trail. Can I get some help. I was on the phone with the warden today and told him the same story and not a word, nothing but praise. SO is it illegal to use a dog to recover your deer? Sounds pretty silly to let a deer go to waste, when you can make all the effort to recover it.
Russ
 
#4 ·
I'm curious on the out come, I just got a coonhound this past spring. I would have never put that much thought behind not taking him.

When I normally shoot a deer with my bow, I head home for a couple hours anyhow.( I walk from the porch to my stand) Grab the supplies I need and a buddy or two.

I'd have just grabbed the dog and gone, But now If its illegal, I dont want him to join the party.
 
#12 ·
Been brought up several times in the legislature and at GC meetings. Seems there is little support for it. Possibly lack of understanding, or people just don't know about the positives. Then again - some might be thinking it is about running deer with dogs. Either way - this bill and the idea has gone no where.
 
#13 ·
Hunting in a state where in many parts it's legal to run deer with dogs, I can say I hate it. However, I know many guys who hunt that way and love it. It's like the crossbow/compound bow debate. To each their own! We are all sportsman in the end. However, I think the PGC is making a big mistake in not allowing the use of a leashed dog to find a deer that has been shot already. The sheer number of deer that are shot and not recovered is sad. The use of dogs to find them would drop that number greatly without affecting those hunters who are against actual hunting deer with dogs.
 
#14 ·
the last thing i would want to have happen is my dog find a deer i shot and some other hunter shooting my dog saying it was chasing a deer. i know the thread about that got locked, but i think the dog chasing deer law should be taken out of the rules. people on this board are always complaining about unethical and slob hunters but want them to have the authority to shoot someones dog. if people want to shoot dogs, just go yote hunting.
 
#15 ·
I'd have to agree with CJ on this one. If the dog was LEASHED, AND if there were no weapons other than say a hunting knife carried, then more wounded deer would be found. Look at it this way: a hunter wounds a deer but can't find it, dead deer goes to rot, and hunter goes on to shoot another. Two deer killed with only one recovered. Hunter wounds a deer and finds it with a leashed dog: deer tagged and only one deer killed. Seems to me to be a win-win situation
 
#16 ·
Until the law is changed it is unlawful to use a dog to find wounded big game animals, no rationalization will change that. If the general assembly changes the law have at it. Until then follow the law and do not do it.
 
#17 ·
Well, just had a fella send me pics of a deer that was shot last week and lost. Had a leashed tracking dog been available, I'm sure it would have been found. Now, a buck is dead, and the person can LEGALLY go out and shoot another buck. The meat was spoiled on the first buck and he legally can't keep the antlers, but, 2 bucks will probably die this season, when only one would have.

Leashed tracking dogs should be legal. Unfortunately, the legislators can't recognize the benefits.
 
#19 ·
RayRay said:
I think 17 states allow leashed dogs to track wounded deer. If some one shot a leashed dog for chasing deer I beleive he would have broke several laws. I can't understand when you have the resorces to find many wounded deer why the Game comm. would not allow it. The key would be "leashed"
It's not the PGC's call on it. It has to be changed by the legislature.
 
#21 ·
Dutch said:
Well, just had a fella send me pics of a deer that was shot last week and lost. Had a leashed tracking dog been available, I'm sure it would have been found. Now, a buck is dead, and the person can LEGALLY go out and shoot another buck. The meat was spoiled on the first buck and he legally can't keep the antlers, but, 2 bucks will probably die this season, when only one would have.

Leashed tracking dogs should be legal. Unfortunately, the legislators can't recognize the benefits.
I agree with you but if that guy had an ounce of ethics,that deer would have been tagged.
 
#23 ·
I'll bet that very few guys leave the rack in the woods.If you kill a buck,you should burn your tag,plain nd simple.

Trackin dogs would be good but they aren't necessary.If you would let marginally hit deer lay down without pushing them,the vast majority would be found in short order.The vast,vast majority of fatally hit deer that go unrecovered do so because hunters push them way too soon.
 
#25 ·
dce said:
I'll bet that very few guys leave the rack in the woods.If you kill a buck,you should burn your tag,plain nd simple.

Trackin dogs would be good but they aren't necessary.If you would let marginally hit deer lay down without pushing them,the vast majority would be found in short order.The vast,vast majority of fatally hit deer that go unrecovered do so because hunters push them way too soon.
I Agree with you for the most part, but there is the one time when a buck is running with a doe & stops for the shot & off he goes following her again. not stopping till he runs out of gas. I found the buck that did this to me, but it took over 6 hours of tough tracking that would have been alot easier with a dog.
I have never lost a fatally wounded deer, but had some tough trails. Some were my shots & other were friend's shots. Just saying we should use every available means to find down deer.
 
#26 ·
I used to live by a swamp. A few times, both in archery and in gun, the neighbor had trouble finding deer and came for help.
Always after dark and many places through mud/water at least knee deep. Even when my beagle was old and lame we'd put him on the blood and he'd take off, running and swimming until he found the deer. Some of those deer I couldn't see from 3 feet away.

We were no more hunting with that dog than we were hunting after dark. I supposed we "could" have had a gun along and been coon hunting.

How can tracking with a dog, without a weapon, be hunting?