VIEW LARGER Mountain lions can be cornered by hounds in crags and at the edge of rocky cliffs. The debate over using dog packs for hunting is growing in Arizona.
Over 60 hunters attended Friday's meeting of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission to oppose a petition filed by conservation groups requesting that the Commission prohibit the use of dog packs for hunting large cats, bears, and other mammals.
The proposal, submitted last month by the Center for Biological Diversity, Mountain Lion Foundation, Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, and other conservation groups urges the Commission to modernize Arizona’s regulations and safeguard wildlife and public safety.
However, hunters like John Koleszar, a Conserve and Protect Arizona board member, argue that the Commission should adhere to the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.
“That has stood fast for the last 100 years is what we consider to be the most dominant thing we should and could do for wildlife,” Koleszar said.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “The North American Model for Wildlife Conservation has seven basic tenets that support the notion that wildlife is a public trust, an American birthright and that wildlife species need to be managed in a way that their population will be sustained forever.”
This approach relies on the best available science for informed decision-making in wildlife management.
Hunter Dustin Clark emphasized that the Commission should evaluate the petition based on science, not emotion.
“As far as their claims with the GPS and everything like that…they are just a tool to help us recover dogs,” Clark said.
The conservation groups’ petition contends that using GPS-tracking collars on dogs violates “Fair Chase” principles.
In response, hunter Ralph Harris argued that hunting with dogs is tradition.
“The partnering and training of a dog is the epitome of Fair Chase,” Messner said.
Cattle and show goat rancher Eva Morin added “They have no grounds for grasping the need for managing these animals to protect our livelihoods and our way of life because they have no experiences.”
Hunter and angler Val Nies noted that dogs used for hunting are highly trained.
“We know that hound hunting is highly regulated, safe, and ethical and has shown to produce less females and young that are harvested,” Nies said.
Nies compared Arizona’s practices to partial bans in states like Oregon and Washington, which she said have led to higher numbers of female and younger animals being taken.
Several speakers echoed Nies’ sentiment, asserting that populations of animals like mountain lions and bears must be actively managed.
The Game and Fish Commission is reviewing the petition and cannot comment on the matter until it becomes an agenda item.
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