Deer hunters in Louisiana will see a few looser restrictions on tracking mortally wounded deer when the season opens this fall thanks to a new act signed into law by Gov. Jeff Landry.
Act No. 272, formerly House Bill 802, allows hunters in Louisiana to use an off-leash tracking dog to pursue a mortally wounded deer and allows them to shoot and kill a mortally wounded deer discovered after hunting hours.
The law, which was sponsored by state Rep. Jason DeWitt, still requires that tracking dogs going after a mortally wounded deer have a GPS collar if they are not leashed. Only one tracking dog is allowed per hunting party, though a second dog can be used for deer retrieval training.
Previously, only leashed dogs could be used for tracking.
Hunters will now also be allowed to shoot a mortally wounded deer discovered after hunting hours using a handgun. Handguns used must have a barrel no longer than six inches and a caliber no larger than .45 or smaller than .25.
Hunters are allowed to follow mortally wounded deer onto private property if they have explicit permission from the owner.
The law goes into effect on August 1.
The new rules do not include wildlife areas managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Officials at LDWF praised the new law saying, "Act 272 is an act that recognizes the ethical obligations of a hunter to recover game they have taken and provides for a legal method to do so."
Deer season begins in the fall in Louisiana, starting with archery hunting. Deer hunting with firearms, including with a dog, begins in early December. Shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset, according to LDWF.
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