Research on Hound Hunting Commissioned by The Humane Society of the United States Confirms Harmful Consequences for Many Wildlife Species

Scientific Analysis Supports S.B. 1221, Legislation to Prohibit Bear and Bobcat Hound Hunting

Update 25 December 2012: Calif. ban draws interest in using hounds to hunt



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April 20, 2012

New scientific findings by a leading conservation biologist support a ban on hound hunting of black bears and bobcats. Rick Hopkins, principal and senior conservation biologist for one of California’s foremost ecological consulting firms, shared his findings in a letter to Sen. Ted Lieu, D- Torrance, who recently introduced Senate Bill 1221 to prohibit the practice in California. The Senate Natural Resources Committee will hear testimony and vote on S.B. 1221 next week.

“In all known studies the presence of dogs produced adverse responses in wildlife,” Hopkins wrote in his analysis, which was commissioned by The Humane Society of the United States. “Dogs can have rather pronounced effect on numerous species, including killing of young black bears, bobcats and other species including cougar kittens. Off-leash and off-trail hounds are unpredictable and cause stress and flushing behavior in many wildlife species...

Source: Research on Hound Hunting Commissioned by The Humane Society ...
Author: HSUS

Link: Bear hunting in California: the end of an era