The Problem with Hounding: Why Arizona Must Lead the Way in Ending This Cruel Practice
In the ongoing struggle to protect wildlife and ensure that wildlife governance reflects ethical, science-based values, hounding remains one of the most controversial and harmful practices. Hounding—where dogs are used to chase down and corner wildlife for hunters to kill—poses significant ethical, ecological, and legal challenges.
Wildlife management should be guided by democratic principles, prioritizing best available science, ethics, and ecosystem health, not catering to special interests. Hounding threatens these principles by focusing on sport hunting at the expense of animal well-being and ecosystem balance. This practice is increasingly being challenged in states across the U.S., with the hope that, over time, hounding will be completely banned. Wildlife belongs to everyone, and decisions about its management should reflect that broad public interest.
Mountain lion yearling (Source: Joshua Tree NPS, no photographer listed)
The Basics of Hounding: A Cruel and Unfair Practice
But what is hounding, really? Hounding uses a pack of (usually GPS-collared) dogs to track and chase wildlife, often for miles, until the exhausted animal either seeks refuge in a tree or becomes too tired to escape.
Animals like mountain lions, bears, and coyotes are frequently targeted by hounding, with hunters often miles away from the action, monitoring the chase through their dogs’ GPS collars. This practice is frequently described as “unfair chase,” where the animal has no real opportunity to escape, making it a fundamentally unethical way to hunt.
Hounding allows hunters to use technology to give themselves an unfair advantage. Unlike traditional methods of hunting, where the hunter and animal have a more equal chance in the pursuit, hounding undermines the core principles of fairness and sportsmanship. The use of GPS-collared dogs removes the need for skill, knowledge, and endurance in hunting, creating an environment where the hunt is tilted squarely in the hunters’ favor.
In Wisconsin’s February 2021 wolf hunt, approximately 1,200 individuals used hounds to pursue wolves, which was part of how the state killed more than 200 wolves in a single weekend. After that slaughter, wolves became federally protected in the state and, for now, cannot be hunted legally. Yet, violent confrontations between hounds and endangered wolves still occur when hunters are targeting other species, such as bears, bobcats, or coyotes.
The brutality of hounding is undeniable. Animals are often chased to exhaustion and cornered by the dogs. When the animal has no other option, it is overwhelmed by the pack. Although it is usually illegal to allow dogs to attack the cornered animal, there is little enforcement and social media posts reveal that animal fighting is likely often how these unfair chases end, to the detriment of both wild animals and the exploited hounds. Even animals like mountain lions or bears, which are capable of climbing trees, may face similar fates, spending hours being chased until they are exhausted and unable to escape, only to be mauled by dogs and then shot at point-blank range.
Hounding not only harms individual animals but also disrupts ecosystems. Hounds often pursue non-target species—including endangered or protected wildlife in some places—leading to illegal take, stress, or injury. According to the Center for Biological Diversity’s records, one Arizonan jaguar even abandoned his territory from stress after being treed five times by hounds.
Large carnivores play essential roles in maintaining healthy ecosystems by controlling prey populations, maintaining social hierarchies within their species, and influencing wider habitat use. Hounding disrupts these dynamics by impacting natural behaviors and movement and removing certain individuals, usually the strongest and most reproductively successful, who are also the most impressive trophies. This can disrupt social structures, leaving behind younger, inexperienced animals more likely to seek food near human settlements or predate on livestock. And since bears and mountain lions both care for their young for years, hounding can lead to more cubs and kittens orphaned, many of whom die from starvation without the care of their mother.
More juvenile animals on the landscape without older, experienced animals to shape their behavior can increase conflicts with humans, pets, and livestock. This, in turn, can increase the likelihood of human-wildlife conflict from animals who don’t have the same avoidance of humans or knowledge of proper prey.
Hounding frequently results in injuries or deaths for the dogs themselves. Dogs are sent into fights with animals like feral hogs, bears, and mountain lions, suffering from bites, goring, or fatal mauling. Poor treatment, abandonment, and euthanasia of hounds that are deemed unfit for hunting are also widespread occurrences.
Further, many states with hounding allow unlimited dog pack sizes, year-round training seasons, and minimal oversight, leading to chronic wildlife harassment, trespassing issues, and conflicts with landowners. In the Wisconsin wolf hunt mentioned above, because there were no limits, when the first packs of dogs were tired, fresh hounds were then let loose to chase wolves. This is not sport, this is sanctioned animal fighting that would be illegal in any other circumstance.
Arizona: A Crucial State in the Fight Against Hounding
On April 11, Arizona offers a key battleground in the fight to end hounding once and for all. Hounding remains a legal practice of hunting almost all mammals in the state (except ungulates), from mountain lions and black bears to ringtail cats and gray foxes. Arizona’s wildlands and wildlife are home to some of the most iconic and endangered species in the United States, including the jaguar, the ocelot, and the Mexican gray wolf. Yet, despite their federal protections, these species are often subjected to the torture and dangers of hounding, an activity that poses a direct threat to their recovery and ultimate survival.
With partners The Center for Biological Diversity, Wild Earth Guardians, Lobos of the Southwest, the Mountain Lion Foundation, and the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, Wildlife for All petitioned the Arizona Game and Fish Commission to end hound hunting in the state in December, revising the petition to be split into two in February. We will present these rulemaking petitions to the commission on Friday, April 11, at its monthly meeting in Phoenix (item 3 on the agenda).
The solution is clear: the Arizona Game and Fish Commission must listen to the public and end hounding. Hounding is not only cruel but also ecologically damaging. Banning this practice is an essential step in shifting towards a more ethical, science-based wildlife management system that prioritizes the health of entire ecosystems.
Black bear cubs (Source: Courtney Celley/USFWS)
Hounding Laws Across the United States: A Mixed Bag
While hounding remains legal in Arizona, other states have recognized the ethical and ecological issues surrounding this practice and have taken steps to limit or ban it. For instance, several states outlaw hounding of mountain lions and bears such as Oregon, Washington, and California. These states have recognized that hunting with dogs is not only cruel but also undermines fair chase principles and disrupts wildlife populations.
These bans were the result of strong advocacy efforts by conservationists, animal protection groups, and concerned citizens who understand that hounding is a cruel and outdated practice. Yet, despite widespread public opposition, there are ongoing efforts to reinstate hounding in states where it has been outlawed, contradicting the values of the majority of the public in those states.
For example, in Oregon, legislation has been introduced every year since the 1997 ban was voted in by the public, in direct opposition to the will of the voters in that state. Similarly, in California, trophy hunting activists are pushing a bill to bring back hound hunting for black bears. Washington has also faced challenges as a loophole allows illegal bear hunts involving dogs to continue every year, despite the public’s preference for non-lethal, science-based wildlife management.
Why Arizona Must Lead the Way
Arizona is uniquely positioned to lead the fight to end hounding not just for one or two charismatic apex carnivores but for all wildlife on the state’s strong statutory principles of fair chase. Arizona’s diverse wildlife and ecosystems, coupled with a growing movement for wildlife protection, make it an ideal place to champion a shift toward more humane and science-based wildlife management practices.
By banning all hounding of wildlife, Arizona can set an important precedent for other states to follow. It would demonstrate a commitment to wildlife conservation that recognizes the ethical implications of hunting practices and seeks to align them with modern ecosystem science and biodiversity protection.
The Way Forward
Ending hounding in Arizona is not only about protecting individual animals; it is about promoting a more ethical, science-driven approach to wildlife conservation. It is about aligning our conservation efforts with modern ecological principles, ensuring that wildlife is managed in a way that respects their role in the ecosystem and acknowledges their intrinsic value.
A ban on hounding in Arizona will set the stage for similar reforms in other states, helping to build momentum for a nationwide shift in how we view and treat wildlife. Together, we can change the narrative on hounding and ensure a more just and compassionate future for wildlife in Arizona and across the nation.
Help us end hounding in Arizona! If you’re in Arizona, show up on April 11 (and wear red) to support the petition. Depending on the results of that meeting, we may have more actions for you to take in the coming weeks. If you live in another state, visit Wildlife for All’s action hub to learn more about how you can start advocating for wildlife in your state.
Sources
https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Downloads/PublicTestimonyDocument/123054
https://www.hcn.org/issues/issue-92/western-hunters-debate-ethics-tooth-and-claw/
https://commons.vccs.edu/exigence/vol2/iss1/5/
As the Communications Director for Wildlife for All, Mandy Culbertson is an experienced narrative and marketing communications strategist with nearly 20 years of expertise in reframing narratives and leading high-profile communications campaigns. She specializes in shaping stories that challenge norms, inspire action, and bring people together. With a background in nonprofit, government, and private sector work, Mandy has successfully led storytelling, brand building, and media strategy across issues like water quality, hunger, reproductive rights, and care. She has a B.S. in Environmental Science and Journalism from Kansas State University, as well as studies in ecotourism and environmental science from Universidad Veritas in Costa Rica.
