Should tracking dogs be under the same regulations as "deer dogs" or otherwise regulated, like with some kind of license, fees, certification or something else?

What say ye and why?

No.

no more damn regulations please...

Goodness no. Dog hunters had to be regulated for a very good reason. Practically every hunter you met in the 90's and early 2000's had a story about a large group of dog hunters continually trespassing on their property, hunting from the roads, and showing no regard for the rights of neighboring landowners to peacefully enjoy their property. I have yet to hear a story of an awful group of dog trackers constantly ruining someone's hunt trying to find a wounded buck. The vast majority of hunters would have no issue with someone tracking a wounded deer on their place as long as you ask. Most would want to help them look. Dog hunters and dog trackers have practically nothing in common besides the use of a dog.

I just think the shooting of the tracked deer should be regulated. Just cause Jim shot a deer in the toe does not mean its a dead deer walking. Jim then calls Carl, Carl's dog trails it 9 miles and Carl shoots the deer at 2 am in a light on an unknown property. Thats the part that bothers me.

If they just do that , they broke laws already on the books.

You can't cross property lines without permission

Okay so say they stay on the property they have permission to be on. All is okay now?

Are we splitting hairs?

Frankly I’m sick of regulations. Why do we keep asking for them. Are we incapable of using good common sense. Leave the politics to the politicians and go hunting.

Sadly, Yes. Too many seem to be incapable of either grasping or adhering to what had been rather liberal regulations.
Two cases in point. Number one is the "daylight hours" fiasco which now requires a day-by-day set time as to what the legal shooting hours are because, apparently, enough folks argued that they can legally hunt at 2am under a full moon because they can still see to shoot and it's part of the 24-hr day cycle.
Second is doe harvest. It used to be a couple of weeks, maybe, with tags right around Christmas, but when the rule became one or two a day, all season long, some took that as a personal challenge to shoot 140 deer a year.

Why would this matter?

Be OK with me ,

Any smart hunter that has to track a deer with the use of a dog will call any property owner to get permission to cross property lines but to say this needs to be regulated......THATS INSANE

As a tracker I will say this. I am not against dog deer hunting, however the bill they are proposing added verbiage to include blood tracking. They have created their own problems within themselves, and majority of the trackers do not wish to be included in their problems. Our dogs are not deer hunting dogs we train specifically to search for one specific deer that has been wounded. And most all trackers heed to landlines because we don't want our dog to be on someone else's property in fear of our dogs safety. I gave contacted 2 representatives and legislatures to get the verbiage of blood tracking removed/amended from their proposal. Unfortunately that's how this will have to work now. One of those representatives was one I tracked and found his 1st bowkill so he knows the difference that we make as trackers and will work towards the removal of the verbiage. I urge anyone who has had a deer tracked for them to contact their representative and voice their concern on this bill. It will likely go before the legislature in February.

Thanks to everyone and if you need a deer tracked this year look up a tracker in your area. Heck call me and I can get you in touch with someone in your area.

Thanks again

Dano

What bill is being proposed, Dano, and who's proposing it? Dog hunters?

The Alabama dog hunters association is proposing a bill titled the Ethical hunters Responsibility Act. It will require anyone who handles a dog to be a registered hunt master through the state. I don't like the fact that they will regulate what counties and all. Heck if I want to drive to Marshall county to track a deer for someone that's my right. They just got bent out of shape cause certain counties don't allow dog hunting. They are wanting to use this as their platform to get back into all counties and all during deer rifle season.

Well, that sounds like a lot of butthurt bovine fecal expulsion right there. Geez.

So this would include beagles for rabbits, curs for squirrels, coon dogs, everything? Or are they just targeting trackers?

Whereas deer hunting is a grand tradition in the State of Alabama; and
Whereas deer hunting with hounds has been a traditional way of hunting for more than a century in our state, bringing together family and friends to enjoy our great outdoors; and
Whereas all landowners should have a right to hunt, or not hunt, on their property as they see fit and within the confines of the laws and regulations of the State of Alabama; and
Whereas ethical hunters in our state respect the property rights of others and are mindful that not all private property owners hunt, or enjoy hunting by similar means; and
Whereas advancements in technology allow hunters to have far better control over their hounds and their abilities to stop hounds that are in pursuit of game; and
Whereas the Alabama Legislature and the Conservation Advisory Board have taken steps to curtail hunting for deer with hounds based upon the actions of some unethical hunters; and
Whereas the closures of counties, or portions of counties, has impacted the ability of ethical hunters to hunt on their own lands due to the actions of others; and
Whereas such ethical hunters have had little or no recourse available to dispute the closures that have negatively impacted their hunting privilege.
Whereas ethical hunters have worked with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to develop proposals that protect the private property rights of all Alabama landowners and the hunting privileges of ethical hunters in the State;
Now, be it Therefore Resolved, this bill shall be known as the Ethical Hunters Responsibility Act

Section 1. Statewide Hunt Master Registration
(a)The purpose and intent of this section is to implement a no-fee registration requirement for the use of dogs to take deer on private and public lands in Alabama. Registration shall be required of hunt masters, defined as those persons who own, have the care of, or that are in command of dogs being used for deer hunting. Registration shall not be required for standers participating in a deer dog hunt. Further, standers can assist in the tracking and capture of dogs during a hunt without being considered a hunt master. However, any person casting dogs shall be registered as a hunt master.
(b) Registration--
1. No person shall use dogs to take, attempt to take, trail, pursue or molest deer in Alabama, unless such person has registered with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources as a hunt master as set forth under this subsection. This requirement shall also include deer blood trackers who track wounded deer using dogs that are not on a lead.
2. Applications for registering as a deer dog hunt master shall be on such form as prescribed by the Department and shall include the current address and phone number of the person applying.
3. In order to assist the Department with identifying the hunting range of hunt masters, applications shall also include a provision requiring hunt masters to list the county, or counties, where the hunt master anticipates hunting deer with dogs. However, this requirement does not preclude a hunt master from hunting deer with dogs in counties not listed on the application.
4. Renewal of a hunt master registration shall occur every year.

(c) Penalties-
1. A person who uses any dog for taking, attempted taking, trailing, pursuing or molesting deer, or blood trailing off a lead, without registering as a hunt master with the Department shall be issued a citation, and if convicted, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of five-hundred dollars ($500).


Section 2. Hunting Dog Collars
(1)All dogs used for taking or attempting to take, trailing, pursuing, or molesting wildlife, or blood tracking off a lead, shall wear a collar or tag which shall legibly display the name, address and phone number of the owner of the dog. No person shall use any dog to take or attempt to take, trail, pursue or molest wildlife unless such dog is wearing a collar or tag displaying the information required above.
(2) All dogs not under physical restraint that are used for pursuing deer, wild hog, fox, or coyote must be equipped and monitored with devices that allow remote tracking and behavior correction, except dogs used to pursue wild hog, fox or coyote during sanctioned field trial events. The device(s) must be attached by a collar or similar means and must be used to deter dog egress from authorized areas or ingress into unauthorized areas. The remote tracking device(s) must include Global Positioning System (GPS) or telemetry tracking. Effective Dates: The remote tracking device and behavior correction device requirements in this paragraph shall take effect July 1, 2023.

(3) Removing, tampering, or otherwise interfering with any collar or tag (including remote tracking and behavior correction devices) of a dog used for hunting without the owner’s permission is prohibited.

(4) Penalties-
(a) For persons violating subsection (1) or (2), a first offense shall result in a warning. A second offense during the same hunting season shall result in a $100 fine. A third offense during the same hunting season shall result in a $250 fine. A fourth offense during the same hunting season shall result in a $1,000 fine, or, the hunter may show proof of purchase of the collars required by subsections (1) and (2).
(b) For persons violating subsection (3), a first offense shall result in a $1,000 fine. Any subsequent offense shall result in a fine of $2,500.

Section 3.
Section 9-11-241

Hunting, trapping, etc., of wild game during day on lands of another without permission.

Any person who hunts, traps, captures, injures, kills, or destroys, or attempts to hunt, trap, capture, injure, kill, or destroy any wild game on the lands of another between the hours of daylight and sunset without the written permission of or accompanied by the landowner or person in possession or control of the lands shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished for the first offense by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000), and at the discretion of the court may have all hunting license privileges revoked for up to one year from the date of conviction. Any person shall be punished for the second and each subsequent offense by a fine of not less than two thousand dollars ($2,000) and the revocation of all hunting license privileges for one year from the date of conviction, and shall be imprisoned in the county jail for a period not less than 10 nor more than 30 days.

No person owning, having the care of, or using any dog for hunting deer shall knowingly or negligently cast a dog onto any privately-owned property without having the written permission of or being accompanied by the landowner or person in possession or control of the lands. Further, no person who is actively hunting during a legal hunting season shall knowingly or negligently allow dogs being used for deer hunting to trail or pursue deer onto any privately-owned property without having the written permission of or being accompanied by the landowner or person in possession or control of the lands. A person violating these provisions shall be issued a warning upon the first offense. A person convicted of a second offense, within the same hunting season, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished for the second offense by a fine of two-hundred fifty dollars ($250). A person convicted of a third offense, within the same hunting season, shall be punished for the third offense by a fine of five-hundred dollars ($500). Any person convicted of more than three offenses during the same hunting season, shall be punished by a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000) and shall have all hunting license privileges revoked for three years from the date of conviction.

This section shall not apply to the members of the family, guests, servants, or agents of the landowner.




Section 4. Subparagraph (f) is added:
Section 9-2-14
Advisory Board of Conservation and Natural Resources - Created; composition; qualifications, appointment, terms of office, and compensation of members; residency requirements; meetings; record of meetings and proceedings; transitional members.
(f) Two weeks prior to the semiannual meetings of the Advisory Board of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Commissioner shall provide a report detailing all citations or warnings issued by Game Wardens for violations of fish and game laws or rules incurred within the state during the proceeding twelve months. The report shall also be provided to the House of Representatives and the Senate, and shall be made available to the public, without charge, at the time it is released to the Advisory Board. The report shall be constructed in such a manner as to ascertain the law or rule that was violated, and the county that the violation occurred in.

Section 4.
Game Wardens of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources shall investigate any reported incident of a dog being intentionally killed or injured while the dog was engaged in lawful hunting activities, to determine if a violation of Section 13A-11-14 occurred.

Section 5.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources shall adopt rules to implement the provisions of this Act. Hunting deer with dogs shall be allowed in all counties of the state, except those counties where hunting deer with dogs was prohibited on January 1, 2020, shall remain closed until such time the Conservation Advisory Board rescinds previously recommended closure orders or the Legislature enacts laws overturning local bills or local referendums. With respect to counties closed or placed under a permit system by prior Conservation Advisory Board recommendation, such closures or permit requirements shall be abolished by January 1, 2024. Further, hunting deer with dogs shall be allowed on all wildlife management areas and national forests, unless rules adopted governing a wildlife management area or national forest provides otherwise. A wildlife management area or national forest shall not be closed to hunting deer with dogs due to a county where a portion or all of the wildlife management area or national forest is located is currently under a permit system implemented by the Department. Finally, the season for hunting deer with dogs shall run concurrently for the entirety of the general gun season for whitetail deer, except that rules adopted governing a wildlife management are or national forest may provide otherwise.
This is a draft document, for discussion purposes, generated by a working group of the Alabama Dog Hunters Association. The content included may, or may not be, presented to the Alabama DCNR and Legislature.

another load of shucks

I'm just hoping given their history that it will not pass. There should be enough large landowners who oppose this. Personally I just don't like that they included tracking into their bill, we don't want to be considered as dog deer hunters. And think that they are comparing apples to oranges because we both use dogs.