Trailing Deer with Dogs

[mabr]

I just got done watching a show that the hunter recovered his buck the following day only after having the aid of a tracking dog. Rain had washed all visable sign. This got me thinking and wondering why this is illegal here.

Im curious others opinions are on this.

Im for it 100%. If you've deer hunted long enough its going to happen and when it does you never forget that sickening feeling that comes with it.

So yeah or nay?

[Jameson]

yeah, with some restrictions. Maybe on leash only, maybe no weapons allowed with, maybe only during certain hours...

As it is a lot of guys go small game hunting with their dogs the next day anyways.

[InTheNorthwoods]

I think that as a hunter you should do anything you ethically can (within reason) to locate an animal that you have shot. If it takes the use of a dog, then so be it. I don't see a problem with that.

But there are limits to what is ethical in re: using dogs to find wounded game. I don't agree with just letting any dog loose to try and find a deer. The dog should be trained to follow a blood trail and should be leashed or under control of its master. For example, if the dog is off the leash, the dog should be trained to back off the trail if you are crossing property lines and the dog is called off. Just the same, the dogs should not be allowed to interfere with other hunters hunts, meaning no crossing property boundaries without permission and leashed at all times on public land.

[sticknstring]

Yay. This gets brought up every year. The consensus seems to be most are in favor.

[96trigger]

I lost a big buck through an alfalfa field after it ran around a bend and I lost sight. No idea where it went in the woods, huge area, and no blood as I didn't get a pass through, I even heard it gurgle when it blew, I never found him, but the next spring, a turkey hunter found a 19 pointer dead on the next hillside, right where he was heading, don't know if it was him, but I have a guess. Would have given just about anything to be able to call in a dog.

[mabr]

Yay. This gets brought up every year. The consensus seems to be most are in favor.

Yeah I suspected it has. Im curious why no one has asked the DNR why, or tried to get it changed.

I totally agree with there should be some rules or regulations attached to it. Time of day, leash etc. But I would think with the huge support of us hunters supporting it, it wouldnt be that hard to get it into regulation. Just curious as to why it hasnt been pushed yet

[fire29]

ABSOLUTLEY!!!!! It is a no brainer if you ask me. Actually I have researched this alot and what we need to do is get a petition going. Have a little booth at the Anoka game fair, the statefair, the winter sports show, and every where we can rally up a ton of signatures. There are a couple forums around with people from other states that have got this passed not only in their state but other states that border them.

Any possible way a wounded animal can be recovered should legal.

My question is, How can anyone tell me I cannot walk my dog on a leash on private property? As long as the land owner does not care, why should anyone else? {Im taking my dog for an eve. stroll}

Kind of a sore subject, I lost a dandy buck 2 years ago and spent many many days looking. I truely think a properly trained dog would of found him.

[gr8icefishinmind]

NAY!!!! If a dog can find a deer, you also can find a deer!! Get more people or spend more time!!

I can see a specially trained dog on PRIVATE LAND maybe doing this, but there would be ALOT of dogs being shot by hunters on public land if they were set lose to find a wounded deer!

And yes i have lost 2 deer so far, one DANDY buck and it still kills me to this day......but it happens! It is part of hunting unfortunately!!

[nonteepical]

if it's after shooting hours and you'll be searching your own property, and it won't affect your neighbors, use a dog if you want to, i did. a friend knocked on my door about 10 one bowhunting night, he and 5 other guys were trying to find a deer he'd arrowedfor 2 hours that evening and wanted to know if i'd help and bring Ted, my german shepard. got out to the property park in an old farm shelterbelt, let Ted out, i'm taking a wiz and talking to Mike making a plan and Ted finds the deer. long story short the deer is dead 300 yards from the bowstand, in the shelterbelt where we parked. the way the land was layed out Mike said there was no way he'd have even thought to look in the spot the dog found the deer, they thought he was in a swamp where they lost the bloodtrail.

[tweedlap]

We were looking for a wounded buck, in the dark, for a couple of hours, maybe a little

longer. We went up to the farn adjacent to where we were hunting and

asked if we could continue the search on their property.

The farmer said "of course" after hearing the story. He grabbed a flash

light and said he would help us for awhile. He brought his mutt along

and we had the buck in about 10 minutes. It was laying in the creek

under a cut; dead. No way we would have every found that deer without the

dog.

One vote here for "limited puppy use".

tweed

[bottom-bouncer]

NAY!!!! If a dog can find a deer, you also can find a deer!! Get more people or spend more time!!

I can see a specially trained dog on PRIVATE LAND maybe doing this, but there would be ALOT of dogs being shot by hunters on public land if they were set lose to find a wounded deer!

And yes i have lost 2 deer so far, one DANDY buck and it still kills me to this day......but it happens! It is part of hunting unfortunately!!

To each there own but I am curious as to how many dogs that are let loose to chase ringnecks or grouse get shot because they are on public land. Or how many coonhounds get shot each year on public land or private If you do choose to shoot a dog just because it is ruining your hunt you better be prepared for the fallout that will follow very illegall and frowned upon. I say yes we should be allowed to use dogs I would rather have someone bring there dog onto my property to find a deer than have someone bring 5 or 6 people and have them trampling all over the place leaving scent everywhere.

[gr8icefishinmind]

I didn't mean shot on purpose......more shot by accident! People get shot during slug season and archery season just by being at the wrong place at the wrong time and the hunter somehow thinking that person was is a deer!! Much more easy to mistake a dog for a deer than a human for a deer!! Sorry if you got the idea that I am going to shoot at a dog that is in front of my stand while hunting, thats not what i meant!!

and if your wounded deer goes on private land you are S.O.L. in my eyes, unless the land owner allows you to go on their land!!

I don't have a problem with it as long as the dogs are TRAINED to sniff out deer! No way would i bring my own dog, with no training, and have him go after a blood trail of a deer! Completely stupid if you ask me, last thing any dog owner should want is their dog acquiring a taste of that deer blood and a want for more of that blood.......your asking for trouble as alot of times this leads to dogs going "wild"!! Its a fast and easy way to lose a dog!! I've seen it happen!

[LakeDocktor]

I didn't mean shot on purpose......more shot by accident! People get shot during slug season and archery season just by being at the wrong place at the wrong time and the hunter somehow thinking that person was is a deer!! Much more easy to mistake a dog for a deer than a human for a deer!! Sorry if you got the idea that I am going to shoot at a dog that is in front of my stand while hunting, thats not what i meant!!

Wow! Remind me not to be hunting the same woods as you! Accident? Yes they happen, but they more or less happen from uneducated hunters who don't identify their target properly or know what is behind the target. 20 years ago, I fully recall my Firearms Safety instructor emphasizing the importance of knowing your surroundings and identifying what you are shooting at before you even point the gun in that direction.

[gr8icefishinmind]

UGH......again......i would never shoot a dog!! I meant other people, in no way was i refering to myself!!! COME ON PEOPLE!! And yes, you are correct it is mainly people who are uneducated about hunting and how to hunt and unfortunately there are wayyyy too many of those poeple out in the woods and in the fields these days!!

[gr8icefishinmind]

LAKEDOCTOR, you obviously skipped the last sentence in that paragraph!!

[hockeybc69]

No brainer. It should be legal.

Its not as if every deer shot would have people tracking with dogs. This is a very small percentage of deer shot. So why not take advantage of some assistance with a dog in the small chance you have lost a trail?

Increasing the chances of dogs being shot? Gimme a break. There are dogs running all over the woods and fields every fall, and I have yet to see a single post on any hunting forum with people saying their dogs were shot while afield....

[gr8icefishinmind]

There are dogs running all over the woods and fields every fall, and I have yet to see a single post on any hunting forum with people saying their dogs were shot while afield....

No kidding.........thats because people don't do it!

I guess that during deer season i don't see too many dogs running around in the state land woods that are for public hunting..........matter of fact I know many people that live close to state land that keep their dogs penned up during deer season in fear of their dogs getting shot!! So yeah, believe it or not, it happens!! there are alot of idiots in the woods these days!!

Another thing to think about is what if your dog comes across this deer you have wounded and the deer takes off, will you be able to call that dog off of that deer???? May be harder than you think and you may have just lost your dog!! I guess to me it is not worth it, i would rather look harder and longer myself and get some others to help!

If you live in the city this is not a big deal, but out of town there is a big concern with dogs chasing deer and taking deer down so no i would not want my dog to have the drive to go after deer, and all it will take is that dog sniffing out a trail and coming across a wounded deer and that dog will be hooked..........

Do an internet search on it because IT HAPPENS!!! So do what you want with your dog but it's not the brightest idea to send it out on a wounded deers trail!

[MNice]

Are you sure it's illegal? It says you can't "take" big game with a dog or horse, but is recovering big game defined as "taking?"

[gr8icefishinmind]

[student]

You should have gotten more people or spent more time and then obviously you would have found it.

I think that a dog on a leash should absolutely be an option to find wounded game. After legal shooting hours only.

[nonteepical]

taking refers to everything that occurs up to the kill. If you needed assistance from a dog to recover, is the deer dead or wounded? if it's wounded and you used a dog now i think you would be "taking" a deer with a dog, wich would make it illegal.

[InTheNorthwoods]

NAY!!!! If a dog can find a deer, you also can find a deer!! Get more people or spend more time!!

This statement is hogwash. Dogs, unlike people, don't track based on sight. Dogs track using their sense of smell, which is many many times greater than humans. The reason dogs are brought in is because there is no blood trail or the blood trail is lost. If that deer goest 2 miles back in the opposite direction, there is no way humans are finding that deer in time to utilize the deer - no matter how many of them there are looking. A well trained dog on the other hand has the ability to find that animal in about as much time as it takes to walk the 2 miles.

Now, whether or not you agree with using dogs is your choice, and I can certainly see an argument against it. However, it is just ignorant to imply that a well trained dog doesn't have the ability to change the outcome in certain cases.

[96trigger]

ITNWDs, I agree, when I shot my buck there was a decent frost, but the alfalfa was still really green. When he ran around the corner, there was no way ot telling where he went, none, absolutely no way. A dog probably would have picked up his scent from the beginning and been able to find it.

[gr8icefishinmind]

I don't have a problem with it as long as the dogs are TRAINED to sniff out deer!

So is the DNR responsible for having trained dogs to come out and find deer when a person wounds one or doesn't hit a deer very well???

[gr8icefishinmind]

And hopefully if you are a person that would use your dog for this it isn't your pheasant dog........it would be the [PoorWordUsage] to have a dog out pheasant hunting that gets wiff of a deer after it has been in a situation of having to basically hunt out a wounded deer previously!! Cause u know darn well whenever that dog catch's wind of deer scent it is going to go after it!!

[Jameson]

...Cause u know darn well whenever that dog catch's wind of deer scent it is going to go after it!!

That's why my dogs are trained to stop and come. Keep them with in sight, and it ain't much of a problem. Still, if a leash was required it would still be better than current law.

[Bear55]

I don't have a problem with it as long as the dogs are TRAINED to sniff out deer!

So is the DNR responsible for having trained dogs to come out and find deer when a person wounds one or doesn't hit a deer very well???

Really wouldn't any dog be better than no dog at all? If I can't find a deer I am guessing my untrained lab would have a much better shot at it then me and some friends blindly walking around.

I think a leash would be a great requirement, nothing more.

[student]

I'd add a blaze orange vest requirement for the dog as well.

[InTheNorthwoods]

And hopefully if you are a person that would use your dog for this it isn't your pheasant dog........it would be the [PoorWordUsage] to have a dog out pheasant hunting that gets wiff of a deer after it has been in a situation of having to basically hunt out a wounded deer previously!! Cause u know darn well whenever that dog catch's wind of deer scent it is going to go after it!!

I guess that would be the choice of the dog owner, wouldn't it? And therefore, any consequences that result from the choice of the dog owner are on the dog owner. Its really none of anyone else's concern.

[gr8icefishinmind]

Very true it is the dog owners choice.........just didn't seem like anyone realized what the consequences may be so i was just pointing it out!