SUN JOURNAL • April 10, 2021
Years ago, in the early spring, game wardens typically patrolled their districts with an eye out for domestic dogs chasing down winter-weakened deer in flight atop the disappearing March snow crust. If you look back in the game warden archives from the 1960s, it is astonishing to see what a big problem we had with family pets dogging vulnerable deer. There is a law that speaks to owning a dog that has been found chasing a deer or moose. This is a civil violation with a fine of up to $500. If the dog kills or wounds a deer or moose, that fine could elevate to $1,000. It’s a good idea, if you live near deer country, to know your dog’s whereabouts, especially this time of the year! ~ V. Paul Reynolds