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Fish and Game Proposal Will Help Manage Expanding Bear Population

California Outdoor Heritage Alliance

Sacramento, CA –-(AmmoLand.com)- The California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) is proposing a number of changes to the 2010 black bear hunting regulations in an effort to better manage the state’s burgeoning bear population, which has expanded well beyond its traditional range and has quadrupled in the last 25 years to upwards of 38,000 animals.

The regulatory changes include raising the annual harvest quota, which is currently set at only 1,700 bears, and expanding existing bear hunting zones to include portions of Inyo, San Luis Obispo, Modoc and Lassen Counties. These changes will help reduce private property damage and other human-bear conflicts, which have increased significantly in recent decades, while providing for expanded bear hunting opportunity for the public.

CDFG is also proposing to eliminate a prohibition on the use of Global Position Systems (GPS) to locate hounds used to tree bears. Hounds may become lost in the woods during hunting season, often for days at a time, or may be injured or killed by vehicles. Lifting the prohibition on GPS would help to ensure the safety of the dogs while allowing hunters to keep their dogs away from private property or other restricted areas.

“GPS dog recovery solutions are already legal for pets and dogs used for bird hunting in California, and legal for hounds in dozens of other states, provinces, and countries,” said Josh Brones, Legislative Analyst for California Houndsmen for Conservation. “It’s time that California’s hounds enjoy the same welfare and protection.”

Current sales of bear hunting tags generate about $900,000 in funding for bear-related research and other wildlife conservation activities. While the state’s ongoing budget crisis has limited conservation efforts in some areas, bear tag monies have remained a reliable but critical source of funding to conserve bear populations and protect wildlife habitat.

In 2008, the success rate for bear hunters averaged about 8%, with many hunters spending days or even weeks in the field without actually harvesting a bear. For those lucky enough to harvest one, bear meat is often shared with friends and family during holidays and other special occasions.

“The regulatory package put forward by Fish and Game is based in sound science, and would help to maintain healthy black bear populations over the long-term,” stated Mark Hennelly, Vice President of the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance.

The California Fish and Game Commission accepted public comment on the bear hunting regulations at its February 4th meeting in Sacramento, and will make a final decision on the proposed regulatory package in April.

California Houndsmen for Conservation

The California Houndsmen for Conservation (CHC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of the use of hounds as both a time-honored piece of American culture and a sound means of wildlife management. For more information, visit www.californiahoundsmen.com.

The California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting our hunting heritage and promoting wildlife conservation. For more information, visit www.outdoorheritage.org/

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Legislation Signed to Protect the Use of Hunting Dogs

California Outdoor Heritage Alliance

Sacramento, CA –-(AmmoLand.com)- Two separate state bills were recently signed into law to protect hunters using dogs from anti-hunting activity. The measures, which take effect January 1st, were sponsored by the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) and supported by the California Houndsmen for Conservation (CHC), U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA), California Retriever Training Association (CRTA), and National Open Field Coursing Association (NOFCA).

AB 1423 (Berryhill) will make it a crime to willfully interfere with hunting dog training and related hunt tests and field trials, while AB 1442 (Huffman) will make it unlawful to remove a collar from a hunting dog in the field without written permission from the owner. Both provisions could be punishable as misdemeanors on the first offense, with violators facing a possible six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

“The use of dogs in hunting is not only an important conservation tool, but greatly enriches the overall hunting experience,” stated Mark Hennelly, Vice President of COHA. “In our view, every effort should be made to increase the legal protections for that time-honored practice.”

The measures come in response to recent incidents across the country and in California of members of the public harassing licensed hunters afield with their dogs, particularly hunters who are training their dogs on game birds or mammals prior to hunting season. In most cases, the offending individuals personally disapproved of hunting or training dogs on live animals.

In several incidents, individuals removed tracking collars and left them in the woods in an attempt to keep hunters from recovering their dogs. This action not only disrupted hunting activities, but jeopardized the retrieval and safety of the dogs.

On a related note, two other state measures opposed by COHA, CHC, NOFCA, CRTA and USSA that would have negatively impacted hunting dog breeders were vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. AB 241 (Nava) would have banned large-scale dog breeding operations. AB 1122 (Lieu) would have prohibited the sale of dogs on certain property open to the public.

“We’re extremely pleased with the passage of these two important measures,” said Evan Heusinkveld, director of state services for the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance. “Coupled with the Governor’s veto of AB 241 and AB 1122 and the failure of the spay/neuter bill, it’s been a good few weeks for California sporting dog owners. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of California’s sporting dog community.”

“It is pleasing to see bills signed into affect which protect the working dogs of hunters and others afield,” said California Houndsmen for Conservation President, John W. Kunkle. “The anti-hunting movement has proven to be such a menace to not only the traditional American hunter but to most of the very animals they allegedly wish to protect. The California voting public at large recognizes this and I am proud to see the Governor take measurable positive action. I hope this type of reasonable conduct and genuine concern for true working animals continues from the public as well as our legislatures.”

About:
The California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) is a 501(c) 4 nonprofit political advocacy organization founded by the California Waterfowl Association (CWA) to protect our hunting heritage and promote wildlife conservation. For more information, visit www.outdoorheritage.org/

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