Morality of Hunt Questioned : Hearing: DFG director calls for ban on use of dogs to track bears, says it ‘diminishes all hunting.’

The state Department of Fish and Game director called for a ban on the use of dogs in bear hunts Friday, declaring that the practice raises moral questions and threatens the future of hunting.

Boyd Gibbons’ announcement at a Fish and Game Commission hearing brought immediate protests from lobbyists representing hunters and houndsmen. Vowing to appeal to Gov. Pete Wilson, the lobbyists contend they cannot hunt bears without the use of radio-collared dogs.

However, Gibbons, himself a hunter of big game and birds, told the commission that the use of hounds to track bears for hunters’ pleasure “diminishes all hunting,” and could end up turning the public against the sport.

“Hunting has a future only so long as it shows its soul,” Gibbons said. “This is a time for soul searching.”

Gibbons said his decision was not based on wildlife management requirements. All indications are that the black bear population is increasing in California. Fish and Game biologists place it at 17,000-24,000.

The Fish and Game Commission allows hunters to kill 1,250 black bears per year. Two-thirds are killed with the help of radio-collared dogs.

“I feel compelled to step beyond the familiar boundaries of biology,” Gibbons told the commission, “and ask that you address a larger issue, for the hunting of bears with hounds presents us with a dilemma considerably more profound than a scientific one. This is a moral dilemma.”

Hunters typically track their hounds’ progress in the pursuit of bears by following signals emitted from radio transmitters in the dogs’ collars. When the bear becomes exhausted, it seeks refuge by climbing a tree. Using their radio receivers, hunters can detect that the chase has ended and follow the signal to the animals, then shoot the treed bear at close range.

The practice has generated challenges from anti-hunting groups for years.

The Fish and Game Commission is expected to decide whether or not to concur with Gibbons and impose the ban at its Aug. 6 meeting, at which it will set the guidelines for the 1993 bear hunting season.

Gibbons acknowledged his position is in part defensive. A bill by Sen. Nicholas Petris (D-Oakland) to ban the use of dogs in bear hunts is moving through the Legislature. If the bill dies, animal rights groups have said they will turn directly to voters with an initiative to ban all bear hunting.