Conservation groups petition Arizona Game and Fish Commission to ban hound hunting practices

The Center for Biological Diversity, Mountain Lion Federation, Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, and other conservation groups have petitioned the Arizona Game and Fish Commission to ban the use of dog packs to hunt wildlife.

Russ McSpadden with the Center for Biological Diversity said that the practice is hugely disruptive to ecosystems and a real threat to endangered species.

The petition, which seeks a complete ban on “hounding,” exempts cases in which dogs are used to track problem animals that have preyed on livestock or for retrieving birds during hunts.

Advocates say Arizona’s regulations need to be updated to align with other states like Colorado, California, and Washington where similar bans are already in place.

McSpadden also highlighted concerns over hunters using smart devices to locate and kill wildlife – an approach that is already prohibited under Arizona law.

“You put those on your dog, the hunters unleash them usually on public lands..the hunters have a handheld device... You can download an app on your smartphone and you can see a map on the app and you can track depending on how sophisticated the device is, up to 20 dogs or more and where they are up to 10 miles away,” McSpadden said.

This method allows hunters to pinpoint where dogs have cornered or treed an animal, a practice McSpadden describes as undermining the principles of fair chase.

“I do not believe the Arizona Game and Fish has actually looked into this or even considered the fact that GPS tracking devices and the use of smartphones actually run the foul of the law,” McSpadden said.

Mark Hart, spokesperson with Game and Fish says the agency is currently reviewing the lengthy petition.

Hounding also raises risks for endangered species like jaguars, ocelots, and Mexican gray wolves which are protected under the Endangered Species Act.

McSpadden noted that according to Arizona Game and Fish data between 2020 and 2023, 748 mountain lions and 323 bears were reported killed by hunters using packs of dogs.

"Hounding actually represents about 70% of the lions that are hunted in a given year, another 30% are hunted by other methods," McSpadden said.

The petition also points to a 2020 study that estimates Arizona's mountain lion population is between 1,166 and 1,715.

Advocates also argue that releasing unsupervised dogs on public lands can create hazards for humans, endangering hikers and other public land users.

McSpadden noted that there have been reports of pets being attacked by packs of dogs and owners who have been injured while trying to protect them.

The practice can at times also involve starving dogs to make them more aggressive as well as potential abandonment by their owners due to underperformance or injury.

The proposed changes would only restrict the use of hounding large mammals.

Arizona Game and Fish has 60 days to respond to the petition.