It looks like my proposal to clarify Idaho State hunting regulations will see the light of public day next week at the Boise Game Commissioners meeting.

Here is the body of the explanation for and proposal to amend the Game Regulations.

Any Idahoans reading this proposal who have questions about this rule change may feel free to PM me.

Thanks to all who gave input along the way!

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"For Retrieval, Not Pursuit"

It is a sad fact that many big game animals are hit and lost during the hunting season. Indeed, Deputy Director Idaho Fish and Game, Mr. James Unsworth himself has performed research indicating the number of elk wounded and lost by hunters is substantial. Faced with detrimental habitat changes, increasing numbers of wolves competing for the resource and growing populations of people, big game will continue to gain in value. It seems obvious that making every effort to retrieve wounded game is not only a good idea, but is an ethical imperative. Indeed, it just makes sense.

A minor rule change to Idaho Fish and Game Regulations will allow activity that will increase successful retrieval of wounded big game animals and reduce the needless waste of lost, wounded big game animals during the hunting seasons.

My proposal is simple and merely clarifies a somewhat gray area of State Game Regulations. It is as follows:

"Hunters of big game species may use a single, leashed dog for assistance in tracking, locating and retrieving wounded big game. The dog must be kept on a leash held by the hunter during the entire tracking, locating and retrieval process."

Laws barring the use of dogs to pursue deer and elk, etc would remain the same. Pursuit of unwounded elk and deer with dogs would remain illegal and would not be impacted by this rule clarification. Laws regulating the legal use of dogs for hunting birds, bear, cougar, bobcat and raccoon or other legal uses will not be changed in any way.

The use of leashed, blood tracking dogs for retrieval is ancient, well documented and commonly legal in many areas of the world and the United States where more and more states are legalizing this activity. In Norway, for example, the law actually REQUIRES every hunter to have access to a blood tracking dog for wounded game retrieval. It is considered an ethical imperative.

The dogs used for this purpose are called "Blood Tracking Dogs".

Here are some internet links pertaining to the use of such dogs:

www.unitedbloodtrackers.org/

www.born-to-track.com/

www.hillockkennels.com/

Recovery of Record Book animals always grabs a guy's attention, and here is a link that really sums up the benefits of legalizing the use of Blood Tracking Dogs:

www.borntotracknews.blogspot.com/2009/01/how-tracking-dog-helped-to-recover.html

I believe that if you review the benefits of this change you will agree with me; Legalizing the use of Blood Tracking Dogs for locating and retrieving wounded big game is an ethical imperative and one Idaho needs immediately.

Thank you for your consideration.