# Hen Retriever



## Gooseguy10 (Oct 10, 2006)

Just out of curiousity, what do you do with hens that your dog brings back? My dog brings me them at least twice a year. I just leave them in the field.


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## Turner (Oct 7, 2005)

First rule, don't shoot them and they can't retrieve them, just kidding.

When the snow is deep my dog has caught a few, I have been able to just pretend to put them in my vest and when I tell her to hunt I just let it go behind me and it either runs or flys away. At no point in time are you allowed to have a hen in posession.


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## always_outdoors (Dec 17, 2002)

Do exactly what Turner posted. :thumb:


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## nate_dogg (May 16, 2007)

We have been in a situation with a dog catching a hen and in the process the hen dies. We took the hen with us and put it in the truck as part of our limit. We were stopped by a game warden and checked. He checked the bird for bb's and we explained what happened. He understood and let us keep the bird with no fine or penalty. He said that it was better than leaving a dead bird in the field.

I don't know if this is a formal rule or if it was just a judgement call on the warden's part, but that is what happened.

Don't assume that all game warden's will allow this.

If the bird is still alive, definately let it go.


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## Dak (Feb 28, 2005)

Most of the wardens I've run into, particularly of the federal variety, would look at the dead hen as meal for other wildlife.


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## mburgess (Aug 11, 2003)

I talked with a person who works for the US Fish and Wildlife Service and we had talked about a situation where I went sharptail hunting and walked some likely cover. In the process a hen pheasant that must have been shot/mistaken for a sharptail earlier in the day got up and tried to fly and the dog retrieved it. I left it lie. The guy said that is what the Game and Fish would like you to do. Food for another critter.


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## nate_dogg (May 16, 2007)

Probably be best to call the game warden in the area and find out what his thoughts are on it. Apparently it varies by location.


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## kwas (Feb 20, 2007)

I would say leave any hen in the feild unless you hunt with the local game warden :-? . It is just not worth the ticket. You just dont know which game warden you will run into that day.


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## malspeck (Nov 21, 2005)

Dak said:


> Most of the wardens I've run into, particularly of the federal variety, would look at the dead hen as meal for other wildlife.


That's what I would think! Some animal will have an easy meal.


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