NEED a tracking dog ASAP! Lee County

[DOUBLE.A]

That's news to me. So if I'm tracking my dads deer say for instance with my dog and I Jump the deer I can pull my pistol and shoot? That's awesome

[BrokenJ]

Stick it with a knife... That is insane, handler and dog in danger. And as far as some else shooting over my dog not a chance. To even think of someone accidentally shooting my dog gives me nightmares

[bboswell]

Stick it with a knife... That is insane, handler and dog in danger. And as far as some else shooting over my dog not a chance. To even think of someone accidentally shooting my dog gives me nightmares

I'm the only person that will ever be armed behind my dog! But I will be I promise.

[gtsticker]

The buck was facing left so the hole you see is the entry for those wondering

[HotRod Hunter]

Good Luck on recovery even if later

[boweye]

You guys that mentioned killing the deer with a knife need to read about the Bullis Buck. It was killed with a knife and Texas Parks and Wildlife took it back because a knife is not a legal means of killing a deer.

[gtsticker]

I stand corrected on the tracking. Not in the law however but more of a policy. The law has to do with injured deer that have been hit by cars or are sick not due to injury by hunters.

[bboswell]

I'm only offering this because you contacted me about tracking this deer and I feel this info may be useful to somebody in the future...

I'm sorry we weren't available to help you out today. It sounds like the dogs you got did a really good job.

Had I shown up, I would have been carrying a firearm. We use a lever action .357. Based on the description of the shot placement I predicted this buck would need to be bayed and finished off with a follow up shot. I would have been prepared for that situation.

Texans are fortunate - we have pretty lax regulations about using dogs for deer recovery. A lot of other states require leashed dogs, certifications, no firearms (deer has to be finished with spear or knife.) Some states don't even allow deer tracking with dogs.
The humane dispatch rule allows trackers to put down a wounded deer. If you come across one wounded completely out of season you would still be able to put it out of its misery.

That being said, Texas deer trackers and hunters are subject to lease rules. If the landowner has rules about dogs and guns (unfortunate, imo) that needs to be communicated to a dog handler before they show up.
That deer could have easily been put down. I'm sorry for the bad luck and I hope your dad is able to get his hands on this buck one way or another.

Great info Court

[Kurdawg]

So have they found the deer?

[Stuck]

Stick it with a knife... That is insane, handler and dog in danger. And as far as some else shooting over my dog not a chance. To even think of someone accidentally shooting my dog gives me nightmares

Agreed, I one lunged a deer about 8yrs ago and found him the next morning. I noticed he was still breathing as I was walking to him, thinking I would cut his throat and that would be the end. Glad he saw me before I got to him because when he got up he had plenty of strength left to do some serious damage. He only ran about 50yrds and went back down, but I **** sure wasn't going back after him with a knife.

[Sika]

The language:

Sec. 61.060. DEFENSE TO PROSECUTION: HUMANE DISPATCH OF CERTAIN GAME ANIMALS AND BIRDS. (a) In this section:
(1) "Dispatch" means to kill by any humane method.
(2) "Game animal" has the meaning assigned by Section 63.001.
(3) "Game bird" has the meaning assigned by Section 64.001.
(b) It is a defense to prosecution for a violation of this chapter or of a regulation adopted or proclamation issued under the authority of this chapter by the commission that the actor dispatched a game animal or game bird that:
(1) was mortally wounded, not through the actor's conduct; or
(2) behaved in a manner that:
(A) is inconsistent with the manner in which a game animal or game bird that is not diseased typically behaves; and
(B) leads a reasonable person to believe that the game animal or game bird poses a substantial risk of serious harm to itself, a person, or other wildlife.
(c) The commission may adopt rules, including rules concerning the disposition of a game animal or a game bird that has been dispatched under this section, to implement this section.

[gtsticker]

That is for non hunted animals
That is what section 1 means not mortally wounded by the actor. I just talked to the lead at TPWD on wildlife law.
You can dispatch as a tracker under a different authority.

[bboswell]

That is for non hunted animals
That is what section 1 means not mortally wounded by the actor. I just talked to the lead at TPWD on wildlife law.
You can dispatch as a tracker under a different authority.

I have researched this from several angles and have yet to find anything that differentiates hunted animals from any other.

Please support your position for my education.

[cantexduck]

Experience matters when calling in a tracking dog.
Sorry your dad lost the deer.

[Zookeeper]

The language:

Sec. 61.060. DEFENSE TO PROSECUTION: HUMANE DISPATCH OF CERTAIN GAME ANIMALS AND BIRDS. (a) In this section:
(1) "Dispatch" means to kill by any humane method.
(2) "Game animal" has the meaning assigned by Section 63.001.
(3) "Game bird" has the meaning assigned by Section 64.001.
(b) It is a defense to prosecution for a violation of this chapter or of a regulation adopted or proclamation issued under the authority of this chapter by the commission that the actor dispatched a game animal or game bird that:
(1) was mortally wounded, not through the actor's conduct; or
(2) behaved in a manner that:
(A) is inconsistent with the manner in which a game animal or game bird that is not diseased typically behaves; and
(B) leads a reasonable person to believe that the game animal or game bird poses a substantial risk of serious harm to itself, a person, or other wildlife.
(c) The commission may adopt rules, including rules concerning the disposition of a game animal or a game bird that has been dispatched under this section, to implement this section.

This language is pretty clear. If you didn't shoot it you can stone it with a rock if you wanted to.