Blood tracking dogs are now legal in South Dakota

We are happy to report that on March 12, 2013, South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard signed the House Bill #1093 which says that "A dog that is leashed and under the control of a handler may be used to track and retrieve any big game animal that is wounded or presumed dead, if the handler complies with the conditions and restrictions prescribed in this chapter and the rules promulgated pursuant to this chapter."

The history and full text of the bill can be accessed at http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2013/Bill.aspx?Bill=1093

Many thanks and huge congratulations go to Jonathan Eckrich, a United Blood Trackers member from South Dakota, who made it happen!

Jonathan Eckrich with Hanzo, an 11-month old Shiba Inu

that is being trained

for blood tracking.

Amendment to allow the use of leashed dogs to track wounded or presumed dead big game passes in the South Dakota House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

Jonathan Eckrich, a United Blood Trackers member from South Dakota reported today:

 

Today the South Dakota House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee passed (13 yea : 0 nea) an amendment to allow the use of leashed dogs to track wounded or presumed dead big game.

The bill HB1093 can be found at: http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2013/Bill.aspx?Bill=1093 Audio of the hearing can be found at http://sdpb.sd.gov/SDPBPodcast/2013/hag21.mp3.

 

The next step is to get it passed by the full house. This vote should occur today or tomorrow. Then the Senate Ag Committee will review it, and if it passes, send it to the full Senate. Then the governor will have to sign after that. Then the real work of hammering out the details with the GF&P begins.

This is a good start.

 

Congratulations Jonathan! This is a big step forward.