Senate File 457 - Introduced
SENATE FILE 457
BY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL
RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
(SUCCESSOR TO SF 311)
(COMPANION TO HF 552 BY
COMMITTEE ON NATURAL
RESOURCES)
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to requirements for using a dog to track a
2 wounded deer.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. Section 481A.56A, Code 2021, is amended to read
2 as follows:
3 481A.56A Retrieval of wounded deer by leashed dogs.
4 A person having a valid hunting license and a valid deer
5 hunting license who has wounded a deer while hunting may use
6 a dog to track and retrieve the wounded deer. A dog being
7 used for tracking a wounded deer and a person using a dog for
8 tracking a wounded deer shall both be trained in deer blood
9 tracking. An unarmed dog handler assisting in the recovery
10 of a wounded deer is exempt from the licensing requirements
11 as long as the handler is associated with the licensed hunter
12 who wounded the deer. Any person using a dog for tracking
13 wounded deer must maintain physical control of the dog at all
14 times during the search by means of a maximum fifty-foot lead
15 attached to the dog’s collar or harness. The person licensed
16 hunter who wounded the deer may dispatch the deer using a
17 legal method of take authorized by the person’s deer hunting
18 license consistent with all rules and regulations for that
19 season. A person shall not use that method of take to chase,
20 hunt, wound, or kill any animal other than the deer that the
21 hunter is tracking, except in self-defense. Using a dog to
22 track a wounded deer on private property is permissible at any
23 hour with consent of the property owner. A person using a dog
24 to track a wounded deer outside of legal deer hunting hours
25 shall not be in possession of a firearm or archery device. The
26 commission shall may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to
27 implement this section.
28 EXPLANATION
29 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
30 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
31 This bill relates to requirements for using a dog to track
32 a wounded deer. The bill strikes a provision in current law
33 that requires the dog used for tracking a wounded deer and
34 a person using a dog for tracking a wounded deer to both be
35 trained in deer blood tracking. The bill states that an
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 S.F. 457
1 unarmed dog handler assisting in the recovery of a wounded deer
2 is exempt from licensing requirements as long as the handler is
3 associated with the licensed hunter who wounded the deer. The
4 bill specifies that the licensed hunter who wounded the deer
5 may dispatch the deer using a legal method of take authorized
6 by the person’s deer hunting license and consistent with all
7 rules and regulations for that season. The bill authorizes,
8 rather than requires, the department of natural resources to
9 adopt rules to implement Code section 481A.56A.
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 481A.56A