House File 552 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 552 BY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES (SUCCESSOR TO HF 23) A BILL FOR An Act relating to requirements for using a dog to track a 1 wounded deer. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1190HV (1) 89 js/rn

H.F. 552 Section 1. Section 481A.56A, Code 2021, is amended to read 1 as follows: 2 481A.56A Retrieval of wounded deer by leashed dogs. 3 A person having a valid hunting license and a valid deer 4 hunting license who has wounded a deer while hunting may use 5 a dog to track and retrieve the wounded deer. A dog being 6 used for tracking a wounded deer and a person using a dog for 7 tracking a wounded deer shall both be trained in deer blood 8 tracking. An unarmed dog handler assisting in the recovery 9 of a wounded deer is exempt from the licensing requirements 10 as long as the handler is associated with the licensed hunter 11 who wounded the deer. Any person using a dog for tracking 12 wounded deer must maintain physical control of the dog at all 13 times during the search by means of a maximum fifty-foot lead 14 attached to the dog’s collar or harness. The person licensed 15 hunter who wounded the deer may dispatch the deer using a 16 legal method of take authorized by the person’s deer hunting 17 license consistent with all rules and regulations for that 18 season . A person shall not use that method of take to chase, 19 hunt, wound, or kill any animal other than the deer that the 20 hunter is tracking, except in self-defense. Using a dog to 21 track a wounded deer on private property is permissible at any 22 hour with consent of the property owner. A person using a dog 23 to track a wounded deer outside of legal deer hunting hours 24 shall not be in possession of a firearm or archery device. The 25 commission shall may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to 26 implement this section . 27 EXPLANATION 28 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 29 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 30 This bill relates to requirements for using a dog to track 31 a wounded deer. The bill strikes a provision in current law 32 that requires the dog used for tracking a wounded deer and 33 a person using a dog for tracking a wounded deer to both be 34 trained in deer blood tracking. The bill states that an 35 -1- LSB 1190HV (1) 89 js/rn 1/ 2

H.F. 552 unarmed dog handler assisting in the recovery of a wounded deer 1 is exempt from licensing requirements as long as the handler is 2 associated with the licensed hunter who wounded the deer. The 3 bill specifies that the licensed hunter who wounded the deer 4 may dispatch the deer using a legal method of take authorized 5 by the person’s deer hunting license and consistent with all 6 rules and regulations for that season. The bill authorizes, 7 rather than requires, the department of natural resources to 8 adopt rules to implement Code section 481A.56A. 9 -2- LSB 1190HV (1) 89 js/rn 2/ 2