Tell your Legislators to Vote No on HB2552 dogs; hunting; rules; prohibition. This bill makes hound hunting allowable in statute, eliminating the discretion of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission to limit hunting with hounds during certain seasons or under certain conditions.
HB2552 would sidetrack efforts to limit hound hunting of animals such as mountain lions. There is currently a petition before the Arizona Game and Fish Commission to prohibit recreational hounding – using packs of dogs to chase down and hunt mountain lions, bobcats, black bears, foxes, coyotes, coatis, ringtails, and other mammals. It is not concerned with the use of dogs for flushing, pointing, and retrieving game birds and waterfowl, and would not affect the use of dogs in the tracking and hunting of predators specifically identified for removal under depredation permits.
In addition to the fact this practice is not consistent with the fair chase hunting principle that is part of the North American Model, the dogs used in hounding can encounter nontarget wildlife, leading to the harassment, injury, and death of wildlife, including rare, sensitive and endangered species such as jaguars, ocelots, and wolves. At least 5 of the last 8 jaguars found in the Southwest United States have been pursued, treed, harassed or harmed by dog packs used for recreational hunting.
Tell your legislators to vote NO on HB2552 and to say No to codifying hound hunting in statute.
