Shot Forst Buck, Lost First Buck
#11
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 2,743
here is a link some might find useful if they ever need a tracking dog
but even here they list PA as a NO go on deer tracking dogs being legal
http://www.unitedbloodtrackers.org/find-a-tracker/
but even here they list PA as a NO go on deer tracking dogs being legal
http://www.unitedbloodtrackers.org/find-a-tracker/
#12
To be honest, I didn't know it was illegal in PA in all the years I lived there and hunted there before moving to it. I know people called me many times to help them recover game. Had 2 very good Beagle hounds that I couldn't break from running deer while training them for rabbit so I said to heck with it and kept them around for recovery. Also had a little Jack Russel "terror" (and he was a little terror) that was UNMATCHED in game recovery by any animal I have ever seen or heard about. Anyway, here is the new amendment proposal that I think may have already passed. But I believe there are many like me that are under the impression that as long as you or anyone in your party are unarmed, and your dog is licensed and leashed you can track now. No way the PGC can do a thing to you if you are unarmed. No law says you can't be out in the woods with your licensed and leashed dog!
After Title 34 of the Pennsylvania Game and Wildlife code is amended to allow for the use of leashed tracking dogs, the Pennsylvania Game Commission likely write regulations for the use of these dogs in recovering Big Game. Deer Recovery of Pennsylvania proposes the following:
A valid PA hunting license shall be required to use a leashed tracking dog.
All leashed tracking dogs shall be required to be licensed under the current PA Dog Law
Leashed tracking dogs can be used to help recover wounded Big Game animals at any time of the day or night, both during legal hunting hours and after legal hunting hours.
Any hunter planning to use a leashed tracking dog for the recovery of a wounded Big Game animal shall notify the local Regional Office by telephone before going out.
A valid PA hunting license shall be required to use a leashed tracking dog.
All leashed tracking dogs shall be required to be licensed under the current PA Dog Law
Leashed tracking dogs can be used to help recover wounded Big Game animals at any time of the day or night, both during legal hunting hours and after legal hunting hours.
Any hunter planning to use a leashed tracking dog for the recovery of a wounded Big Game animal shall notify the local Regional Office by telephone before going out.
#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 2,743
actually here in PA< if you are par taking in the hunt, then you can be fined if you DON"T have a hunting lic.
even says so in the above, that a tracking dog handler MUST have a hunting lic>
having or NOT having a firearm on them is irrelevant
it is possible to be in the woods with your dog on a leash and OK,
but if your helping track a deer, they can IF WANTED be jerks and fine you, they can!
there are what I call many laws that are silly and seldom enforced
but doesn't make it
NOT a law or possible to be fined for doing them.
Like I said, many folks in PA for yrs and yrs collected sheds WHEN they found them, LONG before it became legal to do so, I know NO one that was ever fined, but it too was a law, they changed
Glad they changed the deer tracking deal
as anything that can help recover a wounded animal is a plus to me and to the animal, to not be wasted!
I wonder when that was updated?
as last I checked on it was back in about 2010 and was still not allowed then, , so its a rather new change then!
I quit deer hunting in PA< a few yrs back now, so don't keep track of things as I once did!
even says so in the above, that a tracking dog handler MUST have a hunting lic>
having or NOT having a firearm on them is irrelevant
it is possible to be in the woods with your dog on a leash and OK,
but if your helping track a deer, they can IF WANTED be jerks and fine you, they can!
there are what I call many laws that are silly and seldom enforced
but doesn't make it
NOT a law or possible to be fined for doing them.
Like I said, many folks in PA for yrs and yrs collected sheds WHEN they found them, LONG before it became legal to do so, I know NO one that was ever fined, but it too was a law, they changed
Glad they changed the deer tracking deal
as anything that can help recover a wounded animal is a plus to me and to the animal, to not be wasted!
I wonder when that was updated?
as last I checked on it was back in about 2010 and was still not allowed then, , so its a rather new change then!
I quit deer hunting in PA< a few yrs back now, so don't keep track of things as I once did!
#14
I think the same way mrbb. It's a stupid law and again, one I didn't even have a clue about. But I think in their own misguided way they were thinking that law would be making sure no one could run deer with dogs and just say "no officer, I was tracking a wounded deer not chasing". And I can see their point. I personally don't agree with dog running deer. Rabbit's, yep, hogs, most definitely, deer, nope. I know that sounds kinda 2 faced, hypocritical, whatever, but it's my own personal opinion. But tracking wounded game is a whole other story. Like you, I feel EVERY effort to recover wounded game should be made. Not only just to recover the meat, but out of respect for the animal.