SB 1041- Save the Hunting Dogs

Hunting Dogs are being threatened by Sacramento! New Legislation SB 1041 states that a dog bred to locate a deer (part of a lawful take) could be “dispatched” in the field. We all know what “dispatch means.

Hunting dogs have been bred for generations to participate and help hunters in the field. You could literally say it is in their DNA!

Did you know:

-The use of dogs to hunt deer known as “coursing” has already been outlawed in the state of California?

-Since the passage of SB 1221 (Preventing dogs from participating in hunting bear), the Bear population has exceeded carrying capacity and now is altering bear behavior and threatening other species.

-Californians make decisions for conserving wildlife for future generations throgu the use of sound scientific practices based on the most proven methodology used globally- The North American Model for Wildlife Conservation.

-Dogs who hunt deer are NOT used to run down deer- this is illegal already. Dogs DO help the hunter locate the deer quickly and safely.

-The use of GPS collars on dogs is not used in deer hunting, nor to find deer.

-The current threat to fawns is not dogs roaming the land, but to population explosion of coyotes and bears that are not being properly managed. This has resulted in drastic losses in the birth rate and survivability of herds of deer.

-There is no demonstrable evidence that dogs are being used to violate existing laws. There have been no reported cases in CalTips logs nor mention of this issue in public meetings as being a public concern.

Read the language of SB 1041 HERE.

 

California Fish and Game Code already prevents certain activities with hunting dogs.

 

California Code, Fish and Game Code – FGC § 3960
(a) As used in this section:
(1) “Pursue” means pursue, run, or chase.
(2) “Bear” means any black bear (Ursus americanus) found in the wild in this state.
(b) It is unlawful to permit or allow any dog to pursue any big game mammal during the closed season on that mammal, to pursue any fully protected, rare, or endangered mammal at any time, to pursue any bear or bobcat at any time, or to pursue any mammal in a game refuge or ecological reserve if hunting within that refuge or ecological reserve is unlawful.
(c)(1) The department may take any of the following actions:
(A) Capture any dog not under the reasonable control of its owner or handler, when that uncontrolled dog is pursuing, in violation of this section, any big game mammal, any bear or bobcat, or any fully protected, rare, or endangered mammal.
(B) Capture or dispatch any dog inflicting injury or immediately threatening to inflict injury to any big game mammal during the closed season on that mammal, and the department may capture or dispatch any dog inflicting injury or immediately threatening to inflict injury on any bear or bobcat at any time, or any fully protected, rare, or endangered mammal at any time.
(C) Capture or dispatch any dog inflicting injury or immediately threatening to inflict injury to any mammal in a game refuge or ecological reserve if hunting within that refuge or ecological reserve is unlawful.
(2) No criminal or civil liability shall accrue to any department employee as a result of enforcement of this section.
(3) This section does not apply to the use of dogs to pursue bears or bobcats by federal, state, or local law enforcement officers, or their agents or employees, when carrying out official duties as required by law.
(4) Owners of dogs with identification, that have been captured or dispatched, shall be notified within 72 hours after capture or dispatch.

California Code, Fish and Game Code – FGC § 3961
Whenever an employee of the department is not present to carry out the provisions of Section 3960 with respect to any dog inflicting injury or immediately threatening to inflict injury to any deer, elk, or prong-horned antelope during the closed season for these mammals, any property owner, lessee, person holding a permit for the purpose of grazing livestock, or his or her employee, may seize or dispatch the dog if it is found on his or her land or premises without the permission of the person who is in immediate possession of the land.  If the dog has on it any readily visible identification tag or license tag as prescribed by Section 30951 of the Food and Agricultural Code , and the dog is found in the act of immediately threatening to injure deer, elk, or prong-horned antelope, the dog may only be dispatched under this section if the dog has, and the owner has been notified that the dog has, previously threatened any of these species.
No action, civil or criminal, shall be maintained for a dog lawfully seized or dispatched pursuant to this article.
The owner of a dog shall be notified within 72 hours of the seizure or dispatching of that dog under this section if it had the identification tag or license tag which is required pursuant to Section 30951 of the Food and Agricultural Code .