A Better Way to Track a Dead Deer?

Now, I know this is legal in some states, but there is now a bill in the my home state of Pennsylvania's House of Representatives that would make it legal to use deer to find downed deer. I can think of multiple instances of where this might have helped recover a deer that I or someone I've been hunting with has shot.

I think there are some other, bigger issues to tackle in Pennsylvania when it comes to hunting, but if I can train Boru to find my down deer and spend some more time in the woods with me, I'm all for it!

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:



Hunting dogs could be chasing deer in Pennsylvania, under specific circumstances, if the state legislature passes a bill that's gaining support in Harrisburg.

"Sponsored by Rep. Jeff Pyle (R-Armstrong/Indiana), the bill would amend the state Game and Wildlife Code to legalize the use of blood-tracking dogs to recover lawfully killed or wounded deer. Dogs would have to be leashed before deer are shot. Once a deer has been hit, the dog could be released to help hunters find them. The Pennsylvania Game Commission supports the bill.

"You put an arrow in a deer 20 minutes before dusk, chances are you're going to lose that deer. It's wasteful," said Rep. Pyle, a member of the Game and Fisheries committee. "There's a leash requirement in the bill, so when you take dogs out there you cannot let them quarter a field like a bird dog."