In 1996 , animal-rights activists banned bear hunting with bait and hounds by ballot initiative in Washington state . Neighboring sportsmen in Idaho faced a similar fate , but their fellow citizens firmly rejected the antihunting measure .
Today , hounds still course the Idaho backcountry in pursuit of the state ’ s abundant bear population . Watching and listening to a hound do what it was bred to do , demonstrating instinct and determination inherited from generations of its forebears , is something only a dog hunter can truly understand . opposite : Excited hounds , athletes in every sense , keep a bear treed at the end of a long chase . above : Often lost in the conversation about hound hunting , even by hunters , is the ability to evaluate a treed bear .
However , the thrill of the chase , along with the ethical means of evaluating , aging and ensuring a treed bear doesn ’ t have cubs , is still under attack . The Sportsmen ’ s Alliance fights to protect sound wildlife management , the song of the hound regardless of the quarry , and the passions of dog men and women nationwide . We value and defend your hunting heritage .
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