Can’t Blame It On the Hunting Dog!

March 18, 2010

Question: Is it legal for a dog to grab a wounded duck on the way to the blind before shooting time? Last duck season a buddy and I were at Wister and at 4 a.m. we started for the blind and the dog was ahead of us going in and out of the water canals. When my buddy called him back, he showed up with a wounded duck that was still alive. Was it OK to keep that duck? (Bill S)

Answer: A dog is considered a legal method of take by DFG regulations. Dogs may be used to locate, retrieve and may actually “take” game by catching live game. According to DFG Northern California Chief Mike Carion, although it is legal for the dog to take game, you have to remember that any game it takes becomes part of the bag. In the scenario you have described, the dog’s take was done before legal hours and would be a technical violation of the law. In addition, if the hunter were to discard the bird it would be a violation of waste of game laws. In order to avoid issues of illegal take (for instance take before or after season, or before or after legal hours of take), your dog should be on a leash and under control so this scenario does not happen to you!