Use of a dog to find a wounded big game animal

After having shot at a big game animal, the hunter may have trouble finding it. In some cases, he may even have to give up looking for it due to the lack of tracks left by the wounded animal. Can a dog trained for this purpose be used to find a big game animal that has been wounded during hunting?

The Act respecting the conservation and development of wildlife defines the action of hunting as: “to pursue, chase, harass, stalk, mutilate, call, follow after, lie in wait of or search for an animal or attempt to do so, while in the possession of an arm, or to shoot, kill or capture an animal or attempt to do so, except by trapping it”.

Moreover, this act prohibits allowing a dog to roam in an area where big game is found. As for the hunting regulation, it only permits the use of a dog to hunt small game. The laws and regulations have nothing to say about using a dog to retrieve a big game animal that has been wounded during hunting.

This search is not a hunting activity provided that the persons who are taking part in the search for a wounded (and probably dead) big game animal using a dog are not in the possession of an arm. Moreover, the dog used cannot be considered as “roaming” as the activity involves a precise goal, i.e. that of retreiving, under the control of its master, a big game animal that was injured and that is probably dead.

By respecting the conditions found under the heading Looking for a wounded big game animal at night, a dog may also be used at night or after the close of the hunting season.

For more information on searching for wounded big game, consult the site of the Association des conducteurs de chiens de sang du Québec at www.accsq.com.