“Keeping Bears Wild” Rally Promotes Bear Hazing Bill

SACRAMENTO — On Tuesday, California 1st Assembly District Representative Heather Hadwick held a “Keeping Bears Wild” press release and rally event at the state capitol in support of AB 1038. The bill, introduced by Hadwick, would allow the California Fish and Game Commission to establish seasons where “a person would be authorized to allow dogs to pursue a bear if the person does not injure or kill the bear or allow the bear to be injured or killed while engaging in the activity.” Speakers at the event included Sierra County Sheriff Mike Fisher, El Dorado County Sheriff Jeff Leikauf, and representatives from several wildlife organizations.

Assemblywoman Hadwick provided context for the legislation and rally, stating, “bears are out of control in California.” She emphasized that AB 1038 aims to utilize a “science-based humane approach to keeping our bears wild,” noting that hounds effectively maintain bears’ natural behavior while addressing human-wildlife conflicts.

Sheriff Fisher shared background on Sierra County’s recent challenges with bear conflicts, culminating in California’s first fatal black bear attack in 2023. He believes current hazing methods fall short, saying, “The management of those bears and the ability to haze them out of the community was pretty much non-existent.” Fisher supports using hounds to deter bears from communities, reducing wildlife conflicts and property damage.

Sheriff Leikauf elaborated on the issue, reporting El Dorado County received 416 bear calls in 2024, including 41 human-bear conflicts where people felt threatened and two incidents requiring self-defense against bears breaking into residences. He agrees hounding offers an effective way to discourage bears from entering populated areas.

Lori Jacobs, President of the California Houndsmen Association, explained the worsening situation, stating, “For over a decade now, the bears in the state have not been able to be pursued by hounds. So they have no fear of humans or dogs anymore.” She believes instilling a healthy fear in bears of dogs and humans can “keep the humans safe and bears from unnecessarily being killed.”

Chris Hall, representing the California Deer Association (CDA), expressed concerns about the growing bear population’s impact on conservation efforts. He noted, “The bears are one of the top three predators on our fawns and fawn retention is one of the biggest things right now in the state that CDA is concerned about.” Hall did not directly link deer population retention to hounding practices, however.

Charles Whitwam, President of Howl for Wildlife, stressed AB 1038 focuses on responsible management, not eradication, saying, “This is not about wiping out all black bears whatsoever... This is about management. It’s about science-based management.” He argued hazing via hounding protects communities, bears, and other wildlife, including deer and mountain lions.

Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher framed AB 1038 as addressing a rural concern overlooked by urban decision-makers, stating, “This is also about listening to rural voices. People in urban areas who don’t know anything about this, who probably have never even seen a bear, are making decisions that are bad for the landscape [and] bad for wildlife.” He tied the legislation to broader state trends, adding, “This is also a theme here in California, right? When you stop penalizing criminals, you get more crime. When you enable homelessness, you get more homelessness. When you stop allowing responsible hazing of bears by hounds, you’re gonna get more bears.”

Opposition to AB 1038 centers on concerns about cruelty and questions of effectiveness, alongside some misrepresentation. The BEAR League in Tahoe called AB 1038 a “hunting bill, pure and simple, barely disguised as a bear management tool,” though the bill explicitly prohibits injuring or killing bears during hounding activities.

AB 1038 received 6 Ayes and 4 Noes in the California Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife but fell short of the required seven votes to pass. The bill was granted reconsideration and awaits a future vote.