The killing of two mother bears during Nevada’s 2023 bear hunt is fueling calls from animal advocates for an end to the state’s for-sport hunt, or a decrease in the annual quota that allows 50 bears to be killed each year. They’re also asking the state’s Wildlife Commission, which meets Friday, to prohibit hounding, the practice of setting a pack of dogs loose to chase a bear until it climbs a tree out of fear and exhaustion, rendering it an easy target.
A mortality report from the Nevada Department of Wildlife says a bear killed on Nov. 4 was a nursing mother. The hunter reported spotting two cubs in a nearby tree, who were likely orphaned by the killing, experts say.
However, a mortality report from NDOW says an investigation resulted in “no finding that sow was shot while accompanied by cubs.” The agency made no effort to retrieve the cubs, calling the sighting an unrelated incident.
“Currently, it’s legal in Nevada to kill a mother bear of dependent cubs, as long as you don’t see her with the cubs,” says activist Kathryn Bricker of No Bear Hunt NV. ”Mother bears’ behavior is documented to be the same. When they are under the pursuit of dogs, they put their cubs in a tree for safety, and they continue running as decoys.” Read More…