Five Things You Didn't Know About Dog The Bounty Hunter

You know Dog the Bounty Hunter. You’ve no doubt seen him and his team doing their thing on Dog the Bounty Hunter: Most Wanted here on Blaze. You know he lives in Hawaii. You know he’s a lean, mean bounty-hunting machine. You know that he really, really likes wearing sunglasses. But there’s plenty you don’t know about Mr. Duane Lee ‘Dog’ Chapman Sr...

Here are 5 of those things:

He can’t carry a gun because of a murder conviction

Is Dog the Bounty Hunter a real bounty hunter? Absolutely. Although he’s one who cannot legally possess or carry a firearm on the job. 

As a younger man, Duane was caught up in gangs, drugs and violence. We're not just talking the odd scrape here and there, though. In 1977, he was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to serve five years in jail. Dog wasn't directly responsible, though. He was in the car when his friend got out and shot Jerry Lee Oliver to death. The state, however, declared him an accomplice. The future bounty hunter served 18 months of his sentence at a Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville before being released.

The conviction has meant that Dog has never been legally allowed to own a firearm, something that’s sometimes referred to in the show. Now you know why.

Dog and his ‘new girlfriend’ have actually known each other 30 years

When Dog’s wife Beth died in 2019, few people expected him to move on quite so quickly. Some fans were surprised when news broke that, just a few months after the funeral, Dog had a new beau who was moving in with him. But it wasn’t as sudden as it may have appearred.

So who is Dog the Bounty Hunter's girlfriend? Well, her name is Moon Angell and she’s been an assistant and friend to Duane for some three decades. It looks as though Moon is well on her way to becoming the sixth wife of The World’s Most Famous Bounty Hunter too. Only Dog proposed to her on Dr. Oz’s show back in January (and she said yes).

His daughter died on the eve of his wedding to Beth

You may have heard that Duane’s experienced plenty of heartache in his time and lost close family members. Which of Dog the Bounty Hunter's daughters died, though? Well, that would be Barbara. She was only 23 years of age when she passed away, the timing of which was especially horrible for her father.

In May of 2006, Barbara Katy Chapman was driving a stolen SUV in her hometown of Fairbanks, Alaska, when she lost control. The car went off road, flipped and smashed into some trees. Both her and her friend in the passenger seat died. It’s thought that alcohol and drugs were involved. The next day was Dog and Beth’s wedding. They heard the news in the morning and decided to tell guests pre-ceremony and dedicate the day to Barbara’s memory.

The Dog is a multimillionaire 

Chapman’s a wealthy guy. To get specific we’d need to answer a question like, ‘how much is Dog the Bounty Hunter worth?’ The answer is, well, quite a few million dollars. A decent estimate is around the $6-7 million mark.

Of course, he has the income from his bounty hunting business. That’s a decent whack. Then there is, of course, the money he earns from A&E for his show. Add to that his endorsements and deals, book royalties, investments and - we’re sure - a few legit side hustles and business interests. Totalled together, it’s a tidy little bounty!

Dog is a New York Times best-selling author

In 2007 Chapman released his very own autobiography called You Can Run But You Can't Hide (it was co-written with Laura Morton). The book made its debut #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Which is no mean feat.

His second book, also co-authored with Morton, Where Mercy Is Shown, Mercy Is Given, came out three years later. It didn’t shift quite as many units but was still a success.

We’re certain there are more than just 5 things y’all don’t know about the man. But it’s not for us to unveil all his secrets. To find out more about the man and how he operates, don’t forget to tune into Dog the Bounty Hunter: Most Wanted on Blaze.