Fact Sheet on Hound Hunting

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	Hound hunting is good for neither the dogs nor their quarry.

Hound hunting involves using packs of dogs to chase bears, bobcats or cougars to exhaustion so they can be shot while they are helpless to escape. Dogs' collars are fitted with radio transmitters so that the hunter doesn't have to go to the work of finding the prey, or really even of following the animals during the chase.

Sometimes hunters bait animals with piles of doughnuts, rotting meat or garbage. This practice poses significant risks to the public because bears become habituated to human food sources, making them more likely to raid campgrounds and break into cars or cabins. 

The dogs pick up the animal's scent and go chasing after her while the hunters monitor the signal coming from the dogs' collars with a handheld directional antenna and follow along at their leisure.

The hounds relentlessly pursue the animal, mauling and killing cubs if they get in the way. Eventually, the frightened animal climbs a tree to escape the baying dogs. All the hunter must do is walk to the tree and gun the frightened animal down from the branch.

The Life of a Hunting Dog

Hunting dogs, often viewed as something like hunting equipment rather than members of the family, are neglected and abused. They live in pens or are tethered outside. Dogs sometimes receive no exercise or attention when they are not hunting. Hunters sometimes kill their dogs if they start to perform poorly or never learn to hunt properly. 

During the hunt, some adult bears and cougars will turn and fight, maiming and killing the dogs. A bear hunting guide in Maine posted the following in 2004: "I have also seen a cornered bear go through a pack of hounds like a hot knife through butter and either kill or mortally wound all of them in about 10 seconds...." 

In one instance, a hunter casually recounted a six-hour bobcat chase ending when one of the dogs caught the bobcat on an ice-covered river. The dog and bobcat fought until the two animals fell through the ice and both drowned in the freezing water.

Hunting dogs get lost during chases and are sometimes never recovered. They can be left to be killed by predators or hit by cars.

Before the Chase: Teaching Bloodlust

Some hound hunters develop a bloodlust in their dogs by allowing them to tear apart bear cubs or cougar kittens. It is argued that dogs who have been allowed to maul animals will more aggressively pursue their quarry during hunts.

Some hound hunters will shoot treed bears in the paws or face and allow their dogs to attack the wounded and defenseless bear who falls to the ground. This, too, teaches hounds to be aggressive. 

Some training methods include live animals who are restrained or caged. Training seasons can be year-round, killing and orphaning young animals.

Where is Hound Hunting Legal?

Hound hunting of bears is illegal in two thirds of the states. Of the 28 states that allow bear hunting, 17 allow hunting them with hounds:

Hound Hunting and Crime

In the frenzy of the hunt, dogs are difficult to control. When hounds chase bears or cougars, they do not follow an established route. They follow the bears or cougars, who may run as far as 20 miles and cross property lines. Hunting with hounds often leads to hunters trespassing on private property where they do not have permission to hunt. Hounds are also known to chase and harass other wildlife and livestock. 

Hound hunting is also a favorite tool for poachers because it is a highly efficient hunting method. The presence of packs of baying dogs also makes it one of the most obvious forms of hunting. If the practice were illegal it would be more difficult for poachers to operate. 

See the Video

Bear Hounding

Bear Baiting

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