Sorry you didn't manage to recover the animal..Its a great pity you guys are no allowed to use tracking dogs in situations like this; a good dog has help me out of the mire more than once..
Rumor has it that CO might be looking at permitting this as long as dogs are on leash.
The dog can't ask permission of the landowner to track the animal. That is the hunters responsibility.
I have brought my cattle dogs on hunts and they track well but would never expect them to trail a single animal from the tracks of an entire herd.
I've raised the dog issue in wildlife regulation meetings and the general rule is with a firearm - No. Without firearm OK if obeying other rules and regs.
In practice I do see guys hunting big game with their dogs. I've asked the opinion of CPW officers about that. The answer I get is that it depends on the dog. Carrying a firearm with herding dogs (like mine) or with tracking dog breeds - that will usually bring added questions. The guy with the Jack Russell however tells me they never even mention it to him.
Even landowners that do not permit hunting will almost never want to be the cause of an animal going to waste. I've consulted field offers on this issue also and the response has been please contact us. They say they can help contact the landowner faster and if necessary they can sometimes gain access in situations where an individual may not.
A small minority of hunters I've spoken to claim that they simply answer to a higher authority and would leave their firearm at the fenceline and do what they feel is morally right. They would rather take their chances in court and keep a clear conscience. Personally, I'm not sure I'd have the courage to put myself in that group.
