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blood trailing question

flugge

flugge

Well-Known Member
Does anyone know, if you are following a blood trail without a weapon and come up to Leased ground, can you proceed? The only reason I ask is I trailed a deer up to some leased ground, called them and they told me no.. Called the sheriff and he came out and looked at everything, called the game warden, who proceeded to tell us no... I sure feel like I had every right???
 
I don't think it makes a difference if it is leased or not. The unarmed pursuit of wounded game is legal. I think the co got that wrong.
 
LYON said:
I don't think it makes a difference if it is leased or not. The unarmed pursuit of wounded game is legal. I think the co got that wrong.
Click to expand...

Agreed with the statement above. Law doesn't differentiate leased ground from private ownership.
 
Doesn't matter if its leased or not. In Iowa you have the right to trail your deer unarmed. It is no different than it going onto land owner by another hunter.
 
Taken from DNR regulations:​


“Trespass” means entering property without
the express permission of the owner, lessee or person
in lawful possession, with the intent to commit
a public offense; to use, remove therefrom, alter,
damage, harass, or place anything animate or inanimate,or to hunt, fish or trap on the property. The term trespass does not mean entering the right-ofway of a public road or highway. Railroad right-ofways
are considered private property.

This paragraph does not prohibit the unarmed
pursuit of game or furbearing animals lawfully
injured or killed which come to rest on or escape to
the property of another.
 
Bad advice from the CO. With a blood trail, I'm leaving the weapon at the property line and continuing on tracking.
 
I would love to know what CO told you no..
Atleast you contacted the land owner and asked before going. But if I'm ever told no I will be going anyway. I've heard of stories where a co had to be present on the track job but that seems insane to me!
 
This is the way I go about tracking onto adjacent land. If the landowner is someone I know well, I will most likely call them just as a courtesy, especially if they are the type that will let me carry my weapon with me while tracking (this has been the case a couple of times). If its land that I don't know the owner or know that the owner wouldn't be okay with me lawfully tracking onto his land, he won't be getting a call. Not worth making an issue out of nothing.
 
We had a couple landowners that would always say no and then we would tell them well you know we can legally track it without weapons and I will call the DNR and they always said OK. The DNR is wrong, you can go in there without a weapon.
 
Agreed, should be able to without weapon. However, unfortunately, this is not the only case. I've heard several stories where the landowner would say no, and people lost the deer. I'm guessing sometimes it has depended on what they claimed crossed the fence...big buck? No. Doe? Proceed. Luckily, I think we have decent neighbors.
 
Hey 4 buck, you should have posted one more paragraph from the regs, you can definately go after a wounded deer.


Trespass”​
​
means entering property without
the express permission of the owner, lessee or person
in lawful possession, with the intent to commit​

a public offense; to use, remove therefrom, alter,​
damage, harass, or place anything animate or inani​
mate,
or to hunt, fish or trap on the property. The​

term trespass does not mean entering the right-ofway
of a public road or highway. Railroad right-ofways
are considered private property.
This paragraph does not prohibit the unarmed
pursuit of game or furbearing animals lawfully
injured or killed which come to rest on or escape to​
the property of another.
 
In all circumstances you should call/ask first. Have a copy of the regulations. Even if they don't want you in there you should tell them its your legal right and you would be happy to do it at a time that would not ruin a hunt for them. No need to make enemies if you don't have too. As a landowner I'd even offer to help. Lets face it some people do use it as an excuse to drive deer out of an area they cannot go.
 
I don't know for sure but it may have created a grey area when you asked for permission from the land owner. Honestly, I prefer to have permission before I cross a line tracking, even though I don't need it, but if I have any doubt that I will get that permission I'm not asking.
 
Thanks guys, you all have pointed out all the same things I did that day. I just didn't know about the whole "leased" part and if it was any different. I feel like I got a hose job, because now with no technical blood trail, I think I am F+++++... thanks again for your responses guys!
 
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