Eleven states allow hunters to use dogs in the pursuit of deer.
Deer are allowed to be hunted with the assistance of dogs in 11 states. Two of those states do not have populations of white-tailed deer, but dogs may be used sparingly on other types of deer during deer hunting season. For those states that have a firm policy against the use of dogs for hunting deer, several allow dogs to be used to locate downed or injured deer that have been shot by the hunter.
States That Allow Dogs
As many of the traditions in the South hold dear, one of those still in existence in much of the South is the right of deer hunters to use dogs during the hunt. Dogs are allowed to be used to hunt white-tail deer in the states of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Arkansas; California and Hawaii also allow dogs to be used in hunting.
Of the states that do allow deer hunts with dogs, not every county within each state allows the practice. For example, in the state of Alabama, 35 of the 67 counties have either banned or heavily restricted the use of dogs for hunting deer within the state. For the states of California and Hawaii, considering neither have a population of whitetail, limited hunting is allowed with dogs on other types of deer such as axis, black-tailed and mule deer.
The state of Georgia adopted what is referred to in dog hunting circles as the Georgia model. Rules and regulations were set forth to provide dog hunting permits based on certain criteria. Dogs, property and hunters need to be properly permitted for dog-deer hunting activities to take place. The state of Florida restricts where the dog-deer hunts can take place and registers each deer-hunting dog and property where the sport is allowed to take place. Of registered lands, most belong to private individuals or deer hunting clubs.
States with Exceptions
In some states there are minor exceptions to the use of dogs when overall the state has banned the practice. The state of Maryland provides a good example of this type of exception. In the state of Maryland, dogs can be used to track injured, wounded or dead dear. The regulations offer stiff rules for the handling of these dogs by the hunter, and the Natural Resources Police have to be notified by phone regarding the situation and potential use of the dog prior to setting off the dog on the track of the deer. Of course the hunter must be properly permitted during the season and must have shot the deer while participating in a legal hunt.
States That Just Say No
For many states, banning the practice of using deer dogs was a necessity based on the number of complaints by those that thought the practice barbaric or inhumane. When looking at the pros and cons, Texas is perhaps an interesting case. The state of Texas allowed the practice until 1990 when a ban was enforced to stop it. Since the ban, the state population of whitetail deer has blossomed. Considering that the state of Texas has the highest white-tail population of any individual state or Canadian province, hunters that favor the use of dogs to hunt white-tail did not easily embrace the ban. Of the current 30 million estimated white-tail deer population, 4 million reside in Texas.
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