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JULY 1, 2012 |
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Californians
Houndsmen |
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www.CaliforniaHoundsMen.com |
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Today's guest: Josh P. Brones |
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Biographical information:
President for California Houndsmen for Conservation, a non-profit
conservation and hunting organization that has been existence since
1972. CHC has sponsored and testified in support of tougher poaching
measures, crafted anti-poaching language, and established a monetary
reward fund for information leading to the arrest and conviction of
anyone misusing hounds for the commercialization of black bear
parts.
- A volunteer
houndsman and member of the field research team for the research
of mountain lions being conducted by UC Santa Cruz.
- Have hunted with
hounds for twenty-six years. The Wilson Rawls book, Where the
Red Fern Grows, inspired me to pursue this pastime when I was a
young boy.
- Live in Wilton which
is in the rural southeast corner of Sacramento County.
- Currently a grad
student at Sac State, and am enrolled in their Executive MBA
program.
- I have been married
for seven years and have two boys, ages 5 and 3..
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THE CALIFORNIA
HOUNDSMEN NEED YOUR HELP |
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Please contact the Assembly
members below.
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Please ask them to Vote NO on SB 1221 |
The most important help we need
at the moment is to contact the Democrats on the Assembly Water,
Parks, and Wildlife Committee. Their information is as follows:
Assembly Member Jared Huffman, Chair
Phone: (916) 319-2006
Fax: (916) 319-2106
Assembly Member Bob Blumenfield
Phone: (916) 319-2040
Fax: (916) 319-2140
Assembly Member Nora Campos
Phone: (916) 319-2023
Fax: (916) 319-2123
Assembly Member Paul Fong
Phone: (916) 319-2022
Fax: (916) 319-2122
Assembly Member Mike Gatto
Phone: (916) 319-2043
Fax: (916) 319-2143
Assembly Member Roger Hernandez
Phone: (916) 319-2057
Fax: (916) 319-2157
Assembly Member Ben Hueso
Phone: (916) 319-2079
Fax: (916) 319-2179
Assembly Member Ricardo Lara
Phone: (916) 319-2050
Fax: (916) 319-2150
Assembly Member Mariko Yamada
Phone: (916) 319-2008
Fax: (916) 319-2108
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IMPORTANT
TALKING POINTS |
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The Truth About Hound Hunting: |
Hound hunting has been legal since the inception of the California
Department of Fish and Game, and is relied upon to help meet
management goals. The Department’s own environmental impact
documents consistently indicate that the use of dogs and radio
telemetry collars does not threaten the survival or prosperity of
our bear population. In fact, California’s bear population has
nearly quadrupled over the past thirty years...all while the use of
hounds has been permitted.
Hound hunting is the only form of non-consumptive hunting, and is
very similar to catch-and-release fishing. The emphasis is on the
art and science of the methodology, and the ultimate goal of using
hounds is not the harvest of wildlife, but the enjoyment gained in
raising, training, listening to, and interacting with the dogs
during the pursuit. As such, hound hunters often take fewer animals
than prescribed by the Department.
Hound hunting is a highly effective form of wildlife management. The
close proximity of a tree bear allows the animal’s age and sex to be
determined before any attempt to harvest is made. It also allows a
houndsman to determine if a female is pregnant, nursing, or has cubs
so that she can be left unharmed.
If a hunter would like to take the animal for food, the close range
and stationary nature of the treed bear allows the hunter to ensure
that the harvest of the animal is very quick and humane.
Radio telemetry equipment is used to promote the welfare of the
hound and does so primarily when the dog is no longer pursuing the
bear. The equipment does not enhance the hound’s ability to catch up
to the bear, nor does it hinder the bear’s ability to evade the
hound...it simply allows the hunter to find his hound in deep
canyons or mountainous terrain, or prevent the hound from entering
into private property or upon highways. The use of radio telemetry
would only be unfair if the radio telemetry collar was put on the
bear, but clearly, that is not the case.
The use of hounds is a primary means of facilitating wildlife
research. In fact, hounds are used in every one of the mountain lion
studies currently being conducted in California. This is due to the
fact that the use of hounds is an effective, stress-free, and
minimally invasive way of capturing mountain lions.
The use of hounds is the oldest, most fundamental, and most natural
form of hunting. Its essence is the interaction between the
houndsman, the dog, and the animal they are pursuing. The
relationship between bears and hounds can be traced back to the
origins of both species. The bear may decide to climb a tree, but
does so only because the instincts and physiology developed from its
ancestors' interaction with the hound's ancestor motivates it to;
this interaction is not stressful or harmful to the bear, and many
bears fall asleep in the tree while they wait for the houndsman to
come get their dogs so that the bear can go about its business.
The use of hounds for the hunting of bear and bobcat requires
specially bred dogs, a tremendous amount of time and training for
the hound and hunter, and an extensive amount of dedication and
sacrifice on the part of the hunter. It is not a lifestyle to be
entered into without an abundance of deliberation, nor is it an
activity that is easy or without challenge. Any success with hounds
must come as the result of careful breeding of the hound and a
lifetime spent learning about hounds and wildlife on the part of the
hunter.
Our hounds are very much like family. In addition to the culmination
of effort and money that they represent, the time we spend with them
and the memories we share forge a bond that is very difficult to
describe. The relationship between hounds and their hunters is
similar to that of a parent and their child because we are often
there when they are born; we name them, we raise them, we remember
all of their milestones during their growth, we beam with pride when
they have done well, we worry about them if they are lost, and we
cry like babies when they pass on.
The use of hounds allows for the timely and accurate resolution of
incidents involving threats to public safety or livestock by
identifying, locating, and taking only the offending animal |
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California Houndsmen |
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California Houndsmen Mission Statement: |
Founded and supported by the
California hound hunting community, California Houndsmen for
Conservation (CHC) works toward the following goals:
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To cultivate the good
will and unity of fellow sportsmen, and develop relationships
between ranchers, landowners, stockmen, the general public and
houndsmen;
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To develop cooperative
relations with state and local law enforcement, and actively
participate in the game law establishment process;
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To promote the
conservation, propagation and perpetuation of wildlife and
wildlife habitat;
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To promote good
sportsmanship, and;
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To develop materials and
educate the general public with respect to the use of hunting
with hounds.
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Websites and
material mentioned on
today's program: |
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www.CaliforniaHoundsMen.com |
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www.OutdoorHeritage.org |
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