Alex Smith came into our classroom with a load of interesting information. His fascination with hunting led to the topic of bear hounding- a staggering form of hunting in which bears are chased by hounds until they’re exhausted and forced to climb a tree to be shot dead. Bear hounding has sparked much controversy challenging this inhumane form of hunting as it forces both bears and hounds to go through a lot of stress.
Such practice requires hounds to undergo intense training aside from the risks they run while confronting the bear. Hounds are required to practice on smaller game and sometimes have test trials with more experienced dogs (LiveOutdoors). During this time, the mindsets of dogs are completely changed so that they react in an incredibly aggressive way once they encounter a bear. These extensive hours of training cover a change in howls, behaviour, and attitude. In addition, the conditions and/or weather under which they train can be hot leading to dehydration and other conditions. If a bear decides to fight back, hounds run the risk of “broken bones, punctured lungs, or other serious injuries,” (The Humane Society of the United States).
However, most controversy revolves around the bears. Essentially, bear hounding is argued to be inhumane. Bears are chased until they are exhausted so that they are forced to climb a tree. This means that the last few moments before the bear’s death is spent under an overwhelmingly stressful situation- which can also quickly escalate if the bear decides to fight back. If bears are being hunted under an intense sun, they run the risk of physical stress due to their thick fur and fat layer. If pregnant bears overheat, they run the risk of losing embryos and others can die (The Humane Society of the United States).
Bear Hounding also affects the patterns and populations of bears. “Hounds disrupt feeding regimes for both the bears who are chased and nearby bears who are not. Bears must shift their sleeping patterns and become more nocturnal to avoid being hunted,” (The Humane Society of the United States). This means that not only are the chase bears affected, but all of them since they have to be aware.
Overall, bear hounding is arguably the most effective way to hunt a bear, yet the most inhumane since bears are not allowed to fend for themselves. The question left to answer is if it’s worth considering the condition before the, possible, death of a bear.
Bibliography
“Facts about Bear Hounding.” The Humane Society of the United States, https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/facts-about-bear-hounding.
Fitzpartick, Brad. “All Hail the Hounds of Hunting.” Petersen’s Hunting, Petersen’s Hunting, 12 May 2021, https://www.petersenshunting.com/editorial/all-hail-hounds-hunting/392435.
Staff, LiveOutdoors, and LiveOutdoors Staff. “How to Train a Bear Hunting Dog.” LiveOutdoors, 26 Nov. 2016, https://www.liveoutdoors.com/hunting/239309-bear-hunting-dog/#/slide/1.
Tipster, Hunting. “Hound Hunting Black Bears.” Hunting Tips and Tricks, https://huntingtipsandtricks.com/hound-hunting-black-bears/.