Birddogs running deer

Here's a post I made last year concerning a topic I consider of great importance to birddog owners. I pass these thoughts along to everyone I know, to inform them that it's NOT OK for the "good ole' boy" network to shoot dogs at will anymore. It may take some time to change this culture, but, I'll do everything in my power to do so....


I do my best to break this behavior in my birddogs, and with an e-collar, have little difficulty. But there's always an outside chance.

I don't like putting dogs on the ground during the regular big game season due to archaic laws that allow virtually anyone to kill a dog running deer.
There was a recent case in Pennsylvania in which three hunting dogs (beagles) were shot by a landowner's son who claimed the dogs were running deer. The hunting party was legally hunting the parcel and an adjoining parcel.
For me, this incident was jarring enough to contact the NYS DEC and start pushing to get the laws of New York changed.
I received a letter from Jeremy Hurst at the DEC in Albany. To my surprise, the law had just been changed and signed into law by our governor in August of 2006.
A synopsis of the letter I received............

A recent change to the Environmental Conservation Law should make the
situation you describe from Pennsylvania less likely to occur in New
York.

Bill A10600 passed the Senate and Assembly in June, 2006 and was signed
by Governor Pataki in August, 2006
(http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A10600).
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :
Provides that only an environmental conservation officer, forest
ranger, or member of the state police may kill a dog that is pursuing
or killing a deer.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :
This bill would amend Section 11-0529 of the Environmental
Conservation law under dogs pursuing deer. This bill would enable only
environmental conservation officers, forest rangers or members of the
State Police to kill a dog pursuing a deer.

JUSTIFICATION :
Under the existing law, any person over the age of twenty-one years
possessing a hunting license can kill a dog pursuing a deer. This bill
would protect the hunting dog so that the officers would have sole
discretion of killing a dog in pursuit of a deer.

Sincerely,
Jeremy Hurst


Jeremy Hurst
Wildlife Biologist
NYS DEC, Bureau of Wildlife
625 Broadway, 5th Floor
Albany, NY 12233
Phone: 518-402-8867
Fax: 518-402-8925
jehurst@gw.dec.state.ny.us


Now we need to educate the public of the changes and get the word out.

I still will not put a dog down without a beeper and a "quick spot" vest though. I've come to like the quick spot vest for the protection it provides and visibility. Particularly for a Gordon.........