House File 363 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 363 BY THOMPSON , FISHER , HOLT , and SORENSEN A BILL FOR An Act allowing the use of a leashed dog to track and retrieve 1 a wounded deer and providing a penalty. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2414YH (3) 88 js/rn
H.F. 363 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 481A.56A Retrieval of wounded deer 1 by leashed dogs. 2 A person having a valid hunting license and a valid deer 3 hunting license who has wounded a deer while hunting may use a 4 dog to track and retrieve the wounded deer. Any person using a 5 dog for tracking wounded deer must maintain physical control 6 of the dog at all times during the search by means of a maximum 7 fifty-foot lead attached to the dog’s collar or harness. The 8 person may dispatch the deer using a legal method of take 9 authorized by the person’s deer hunting license. A person 10 shall not use that method of take to hunt, wound, or kill 11 any animal other than the deer that the hunter is tracking, 12 except in self-defense. Tracking a wounded deer is permissible 13 at night, but no person tracking a wounded deer shall be in 14 possession of a firearm or archery device outside of legal deer 15 hunting hours. A person shall obtain permission from the owner 16 or tenant of private property before using a dog to track a 17 wounded deer on the private property. The commission shall 18 adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to implement this section. 19 Sec. 2. Section 805.8B, subsection 3, Code 2019, is amended 20 by adding the following new paragraph: 21 NEW PARAGRAPH . r. For violations of section 481A.56A, the 22 scheduled fine is two hundred fifty dollars. 23 EXPLANATION 24 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 25 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 26 This bill creates new Code section 481A.56A to allow a 27 hunter with a valid hunting license and deer hunting license 28 who wounds a deer while hunting to use a dog to track and 29 retrieve the wounded deer. Any person using a dog for tracking 30 a wounded deer must maintain physical control of the dog at 31 all times during the search by means of a maximum 50-foot 32 lead attached to the dog’s collar or harness. The person may 33 dispatch the deer using a legal method of take authorized by 34 the person’s valid deer hunting license. A person must obtain 35 -1- LSB 2414YH (3) 88 js/rn 1/ 2
H.F. 363 permission from the owner or tenant before using a dog to track 1 a wounded deer on private property. The natural resource 2 commission shall adopt rules pursuant to Code chapter 17A to 3 implement this provision. 4 A violation of the new provision is punishable by a scheduled 5 fine of $250. 6 -2- LSB 2414YH (3) 88 js/rn 2/ 2