MINNESOTA
TRACKING DOGS
The largest network of professional trackers
in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
OFFICIAL TRAKR STATE NETWORK
601
DEER
RECOVERED IN 2025
36
BEAR
RECOVERED IN 2025
400,000 FIREARM DEER HUNTERS
112,000 ARCHERY DEER HUNTERS
27 ACTIVE DEER/BEAR TRACKERS
TRACKING LAWS FOR THE STATE OF MINNESOTA
Know the rules before you track. These Minnesota laws help insure ethical recovery, respect for landowners, and the future of our hunting rights.
A person attempting to locate and retrieve a wounded deer or bear using a dog must have a valid license to take the deer or bear and have the license in possession. If the person is a dog handler that does not have a valid hunting license, the person must be accompanied by a licensed hunter with the license in possession.
The licensed hunter, and any accompanying dog handler, must be on foot and must wear blaze orange or blaze pink during the open season where deer may be taken by firearms. The visible portion of the person's cap and outer clothing above the waist, excluding sleeves and gloves, must blaze orange or blaze pink. Blaze orange or blaze pink includes a camouflage pattern of at least 50 percent blaze orange or blaze pink within each foot square.
A dog used to locate a wounded deer or bear must be accompanied by a licensed hunter and any dog handler until the wounded deer or bear is located. The dog must be leashed and the licensed hunter or dog handler must be in physical control of the leash at all times. The leash must not exceed 30 feet in length. The dog owner's information, including the owner's name and telephone number, must be on the dog while the dog is used to locate a wounded deer or bear.
Tracking deer or bear with a leashed dog may occur during legal shooting hours or outside legal shooting hours of the open season for the location and species. Any activity occurring outside the open season for the location and species must be reported to the local conservation officer before locating or retrieving the wounded deer or bear.
A person on foot may, without permission of the owner, occupant, or lessee, may enter any land that is not posted, to retrieve a wounded animal that was lawfully shot. The hunter must leave the land immediately after retrieving the wounded game.
Drones may not be used for deer and bear recovery in Minnesota.
Last updated June 20, 2026
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MINNESOTA TRACKING DOGS
Minnesota Tracking Dogs has become one of the largest and most visible deer/bear recovery networks in the Midwest. The organization exists to connect hunters with trained tracking dog handlers to recover wounded big game animals that might otherwise be lost. According to the group's website, member teams helped recover 488 deer and 51 bears in 2024 alone. The organization maintains a statewide tracker map with teams covering much of Minnesota and portions of Wisconsin. Many listed handlers have hundreds of recoveries behind their dogs, and some hold certifications through organizations such as the United Blood Trackers.
Minnesota Tracking Dogs also appears to have grown beyond just a Facebook group into a statewide network with its own website, tracker map, training resources, and integration with the TRAKR app. The organization states that TRAKR is now its official request platform, allowing hunters to instantly notify nearby trackers when a recovery is needed.
Size and Impact
Some publicly available Minnesota Tracking Dogs statistics include:
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601 deer recovered in 2025.
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36 bears recovered in 2025.
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1 elk recovered in 2025.
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The Facebook group has reported tracking thousands of animals since its inception.
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A public group post referenced 2,683 animals tracked and 1,193 recovered, though that figure included tracks where recovery verification was difficult.
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Minnesota Tracking Dogs has also received regional media coverage from FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul, highlighting the growing demand for tracking dogs during deer season.
Minnesota Tracking Dog Regulations
Minnesota legalized the use of dogs for recovering wounded deer and bear relatively recently (2019) compared to many eastern states.
The governing statute is §97B.207.
Why Minnesota Requires Leashes
Minnesota historically had strict laws regarding dogs pursuing big game. State law still provides penalties when dogs unlawfully pursue deer, elk, moose, or other big game. Owners can face civil penalties if their dogs pursue, wound, or kill big game outside the legal tracking exception. The leash requirement was one of the compromises that helped legalize blood-trailing dogs while protecting wildlife from uncontrolled pursuit.
Certification and Training
Minnesota does not require a state-issued tracking dog certification. However, many Minnesota Tracking Dogs members voluntarily pursue testing through organizations such as United Blood Trackers. Some dogs on the Minnesota Tracking Dogs map are listed as UBT I, UBT II, or UBT III certified.
Interesting Facts About Minnesota Tracking Dogs
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Minnesota has become one of the most organized blood-tracking communities in the United States.
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The network covers both deer and bear recovery.
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Several handlers report hundreds of recoveries behind individual dogs.
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The organization has expanded into technology through the TRAKR platform, allowing hunters to request help from multiple trackers simultaneously rather than making individual phone calls.