Question for trackers/w//wo/dogs

During bow season or bow only areas. I’ve helped look for/track from a bow shot deer. We’ve carried a pistol just because. If we were to find it down but not dead. Is shooting it legal ? What would the law/game warden say. I would hope to me your doing the right thing retrieving game you have shot with a bow but killed with a gun. Killing it with a gun would be in question.

I would say no as to legality. But that is only my guess.

100% not legal. Would a good game warden have dome discretion under the circumstances? Hopefully.

ya'll keep talking about it on forums and the dept will pass a regulation no one will like....

Yep. Keep asking a question and eventually you’ll get an answer…

This isnt the only place where people talk……I hear what y’all are saying but Facebook still exists with folks posting what they want to on it and there isnt any stopping it……

I post what I do partly in hopes that they’ll at least have something to base opinions on that isnt just assumptions and misconceptions about what is occurring…..In the event we do reach a point one day where they decide to make new rules I want them to at least make them based off of the reality of what we do and not just a bunch of nonsense that uninformed people are blowing out of proportion.

Fact

This x1000 I will say that for any tracker with dogs, I would make the very best effort to contact your local game warden and let them know what you do and why you do it. A good relationship with Mr. Green jeans goes a long way. I've had several instances where I have been contacted by the game warden to dispatch a deer just because they knew me. Also its the ethical recovery of wounded game that they want, running down a toe shot deer for 3 and 4 miles with dogs until it gets tired enough to shoot is not that. By the letter of the law it is unlawful to dispatch a deer at night with aid of light and dog, however this goes back to the relationship you have with the game warden. Many of them know that what we do is necessary. I generally have a rule that if I deem that the animal is healthy enough to get away from my dogs its healthy enough to get away and be seen again. Most game wardens are worried about gross game violations, ie hunting at night, road hunting, etc. Trying to find someones deer that ran off is not on their radar until you commit some acts that you shouldn't be doing in the 1st place like crossing property lines without permission, or just plain running deer with your dogs cause you can catch them.

Loose lips sink ships