East Texas tracking wounded deer with dog

[HelmCrusher]

Can or can I not use a deer to help track a wounded deer in the 10 East Texas Counties?

I emailed the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department this question on Oct 2nd. I was always told by locals and coworkers that I could not use a dog or call a tracker to help recover a wounded deer. I was hunting in Angelina, San Augustine and Sabine counties. I have even seen a post just a few days ago on here saying you couldn't use a tracking dog in Jasper County.

Well I recieved an email back today from hunt@tpwd.texas.gov. Their reply is posted below.

"It is illegal to hunt deer with dogs in every county in Texas. You can however, use a dog to track wounded animals in Texas. However, in the 10 counties listed you may not be in possession of a shotgun while tracking a wounded deer during an open deer season with a dog."

So has anyone heard differently this year?

I am going to call the local game warden/s to confirm later today, and will reply back to this thread with their answer.

[kfd82]

Easy, just carry a rifle, pistol or bow while tracking.

[HelmCrusher]

Easy, just carry a rifle, pistol or bow while tracking.

Exactly what I thought.

Then why is everyone and their distant relatives telling me and everyone else we cannot track in these counties.

[ElfEyes]

I don't remember where the list is but PM Sika I think her and her husband helped legalize some east texas counties. I remember at first Jasper and Newton were not legal it may have changed by now.

[ElfEyes]

Found an old thread discussing the same topic, to me looks like the it's still prohibited.

[Hix]

Can or can I not use a deer to help track a wounded deer in the 10 East Texas Counties?

.

You have a deer that tracks other deer?
Can i borrow it, I’m missing a deer as of opening day lol




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[TxDispatcher]

Angelina, Jasper, Sabine, and San Augustine all specifically state “Prohibited: All Dogs” under the whitetail section of the hunting rules and regulations on TPWD website. I looked those up because they were mentioned here. I ain’t looking the other counties up it’s pretty easy to go to your county and scroll down to the whitetail deer segment and look for yourself

[AntlerCollector]

It’s still illegal in Hardin County were I manage a lease also.

[HelmCrusher]

You have a deer that tracks other deer?
Can i borrow it, I’m missing a deer as of opening day lol


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HAHA Got me there.

Cant edit it for some reason.

[Bayouboy]

It was illegal in Angelina County last year. I don't think anything has changed.

Absolutely terrible law not to allow tracking dogs in every county. Even if on a leash I could accept it.

[BTLowry]

Exactly what I thought.

Then why is everyone and their distant relatives telling me and everyone else we cannot track in these counties.

Because the practice of hunting deer with dogs is deeply ingrained in the history and traditions of those counties and there a re still a bunch of people doing it.
Eliminates the excuse of "I was tracking a wounded one" I guess?

I can remember as a kid seeing people hunting timber land with packs of dogs and it was illegal then

[BCBHunter712]

It is still illegal to track a deer with dogs in the 10 East Texas Counties listed. It doesn't matter if you are armed or unarmed, using a dog to track in those counties is still a no go this year.

[BCBHunter712]

Being in possession of buckshot with dogs in those 10 counties is referring to when you are hunting other animals with dogs such as squirrels hogs etc on land you do not personally own during an open deer season....

[HelmCrusher]

It is still illegal to track a deer with dogs in the 10 East Texas Counties listed. It doesn't matter if you are armed or unarmed, using a dog to track in those counties is still a no go this year.

If it is still illegal why is TPWD answering my question say that it is legal to track a wounded deer.

Guess the game warden will have final say.

[slayr]

I’d stop with their reply you’ve already received and carry it with me.