Hunting News

Leashed tracking dogs allowed to recover big game

Leashed tracking dogs allowed to recover big game

By Pennsylvania Game Commission

As the statewide deer seasons kick off, hunters will have their first opportunity to recover big game they’ve shot by tracking the animal’s escape trail with a leashed dog.

A new law allows for the use of leashed tracking dogs to recover big game that cannot be recovered by hunters.
The legislation provides another choice for hunters who have shot and inflicted injury on a white-tailed deer, black bear or elk, but lose the trail.

“This law will provide greater recovery of big game shot by hunters,” said Bryan Burhans, Game Commission executive director. “Trailing big game can require specialized tracking skills, especially after nightfall. And if it’s a warmer night, or rain is approaching, every minute matters. Within a few hours, downed big game might spoil.”

Big-game hunters may use tracking dogs to recover big game in the 2018-19 seasons. Dogs cannot be used to locate big game unless an animal has been shot.

The new leashed tracking dog language to the Game and Wildlife Code really doesn’t change how hunters can track wounded big game, said Randy Shoup, Bureau of Wildlife Protection director. The only difference is the tracking dog.

During hunting hours, big game can be tracked with a sporting arm, which can be possessed only by the hunter. After hunting hours close, a sporting arm cannot be used to dispatch downed big game. This includes Sundays and the day after season closes.

Hunters tracking big game after hours or on Sundays are asked to contact the Game Commission region office serving the county where the animal will be tracked, to alert the local state game warden of the recovery effort. It’s possible the game warden might accompany the tracker.

During tracking, the hunter and the tracker (dog owner) must be licensed for the big game being tracked and meet the season’s florescent orange requirements. In addition, the longstanding expectation for hunters, and now trackers, to respect private property boundaries remains in place.

Trackers do not register with and are not certified or licensed by the Game Commission. Trackers might charge for their services, but the Game Commission will not resolve differences between trackers and hunters.

Commercial activity on state game lands is prohibited so tracking dog owners cannot charge for their services there.

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