Signed by Governor Jerry Brown, Jr.

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill that prohibits hunters from using dogs to pursue black bears or bobcats at any time.

Highlights:

• Prohibits hunters from using dogs to pursue black bears or bobcats at any time, whereas existing law authorized the use of 1 dog per hunter during the open deer season, and more than 1 dog per hunter during open bear season (Sec. 2).

• Authorizes a hunter to use up to 3 dogs to pursue and take 1 black bear or 1 bobcat if the hunter has been issued a depredation permit by the Department of Fish and Game (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes certain educational institutions, government agencies, and other “qualified individuals” who are conducting scientific research to use dogs to pursue black bears or bobcats, provided that the research project is designed to do all of the following (Sec. 4):
• Contribute to knowledge of natural wildlife ecosystems;
• Minimize disruptions in the lives and movements of bears, bobcats, and other wildlife;
• Support the sustainability of bear or bobcat populations;
• Not include the intentional injury or killing of any bear or bobcat; and
• Not include the intentional relocation of any bear or bobcat.

• Exempts a dog that is guarding livestock or crops on its owner’s property from the provisions of this bill, provided that the dog remains reasonably close to the livestock or crops that it is protecting (Sec. 5).

•  Exempts federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who are carrying out official duties from the provisions of this bill (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits hunters from using dogs to pursue black bears or bobcats at any time.

Highlights:

• Prohibits hunters from using dogs to pursue black bears or bobcats at any time, whereas existing law authorized the use of 1 dog per hunter during the open deer season, and more than 1 dog per hunter during open bear season (Sec. 2).

• Authorizes a hunter to use up to 3 dogs to pursue and take 1 black bear or 1 bobcat if the hunter has been issued a depredation permit by the Department of Fish and Game (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes certain educational institutions, government agencies, and other “qualified individuals” who are conducting scientific research to use dogs to pursue black bears or bobcats, provided that the research project is designed to do all of the following (Sec. 4):
• Contribute to knowledge of natural wildlife ecosystems;
• Minimize disruptions in the lives and movements of bears, bobcats, and other wildlife;
• Support the sustainability of bear or bobcat populations;
• Not include the intentional injury or killing of any bear or bobcat; and
• Not include the intentional relocation of any bear or bobcat.

• Exempts a dog that is guarding livestock or crops on its owner’s property from the provisions of this bill, provided that the dog remains reasonably close to the livestock or crops that it is protecting (Sec. 5).

•  Exempts federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who are carrying out official duties from the provisions of this bill (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits the use of dogs while hunting.

Highlights:

• Prohibits an owner from allowing any of his or her dogs to pursue a bear or bobcat at any time (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the Department of Fish and Game to capture a dog under the following circumstances (Sec. 1):
• The dog is not under the control of its owner or handler;
• The dog is pursuing any big game mammal, bear, bobcat, or fully protected, rare, or endangered mammal;
• The dog is injuring or about to injure any big game mammal, bear, bobcat, or fully protected, rare, or endangered mammal; or
• The dog is injuring or about to injure any mammal in a game refuge or ecological reserve where hunting is prohibited.

• Exempts federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who are carrying out official duties from the provisions of this bill (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text