Deer Search is a private organization of
volunteers who track wounded deer and bear with leashed tracking dogs. Most of us are
hunters and our goal is to reduce crippling losses during hunting season. The majority of
us live in New York State and are members of one of the two New York chapters of Deer
Search. We also have out of state members who track under licenses and rules issued by
their own state.
Deer Search has a total of about 150 members.
In New York State we have an
apprenticeship program for handlers,
and we offer them
assistance in training their dogs. Our dispatching
systems put hunters who have a problem in touch with dog handlers who can assist them.
Handlers track wounded big game for hunters on a volunteer basis. No personal fees are
charged, but hunters may make contributions to Deer Search Inc., a tax exempt,
non-for-profit corporation.
Deer Search compensates handlers for their
travel expenses when going on deer calls; the organization also carries liability
insurance to protect members on calls or other Deer Search activities.
In its present form Deer Search works primarily
with deer hunters in New York State, but we would like to promote what we do in other
states as well. The example set by Deer Search in New York, and the leadership of Deer
Search members in Wisconsin, Vermont and Illinois helped to bring about the legal introduction of
blood tracking with leashed dogs in these states. In recent years other
states allowed the use of tracking dogs: Maine, Kentucky, Maryland,
Alaska, Ohio. In many other states the use of dogs in any association with deer hunting is still illegal because of the
way that early laws were written to prohibit the use of dogs to drive deer to hunters. As
was the case in New York special legislation would be required to authorize the use of
tracking dogs as they are used in Deer Search. Deer Search is ready to advise and assist
residents of other states in developing their own programs.
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