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Here’s how one New Hampshire community is fighting bear hounding

In July, we told you about the struggles Sandwich residents were having with bear hounding season. Many of you took action by immediately contacting Fish and Game with us — thank you!

If you did not know, bear hounders unleash powerful, radio-collared hounds on bears, coyotes, or raccoons. The dog owners can not keep up — they are often miles away watching the chase on a GPS tracker.

At the time we wrote the story, Sandwich residents were at their wits end. To protect their land, they have organized and are taking action. To share their strategies, they made a poster.

Sandwich-Bear-Hounding-Poster-September-2021

DOWNLOAD: Information poster made by Sandwich residents.

Here are the top tips from Sandwich Concerned Citizens Group for taking action during bear hounding season.

KNOW NH FISH AND GAME RULES

  • Dogs being trained shall be accompanied by the permittee. “Accompanied’ for the purpose of this section means the hunter must be able to see or hear the dog, or both, or have reasonable knowledge of where the dog is.
  • No person shall use telemetry equipment to track or locate bear dogs within 300 feet of a building occupied as a person’s principal place of abode.

BEAR DOG HUNTING AND TRAINING

  • The NH Fish and Game allows a hunter up to 6 dogs
  • No limit on the amount of hunters within a town per day
  • Training begins on July 1 and continues until August 31
  • Bear hunting with dogs begins September 1st and ends November 9

ARE LANDOWNERS PROTECTED?

Several Sandwich residents have had to call the police department numerous times this year because the hounds have entered posted property. Some also have filed complaints with NH Fish & Game due to dogs roaming their property unattended. Often the training/hunting begins at dawn, which wakes up entire households as dogs howl after catching a scent. Pets and livestock need to be secured at all times as the unpredictability of an encounter with a pursued bear and a pack of dogs renders landowners with no other course of action.

WHERE TO OBTAIN SIGNS?

For NO TRESPASSING WITH BEAR DOGS signs, contact Anne Glavin: [email protected]

For NO HUNTING/ NO TRESPASSING signs, check out Amazon or Aubuchon Hardware.

HOW TO POST LAND?

The yellow sign must include letters at least 2 inches high, and have the land owner’s name and address. Signs may be no further than 100 yards apart (300 ft) on all sides of the property. This is preferred, however, signs can also be posted at gates, bars and all commonly used entry points.

TRESPASSING VIOLATION?

If someone violates your No Trespassing signs, you can contact your local police department to file a complaint of Criminal Trespass. Please do not approach hunters.

If bear dogs are on your posted land, the dog owner needs to retrieve their animals with your permission. Or you can contact Fish & Game to ask them to accompany the hunter onto your land and retrieve their animals.

NH FISH & GAME

DISTRICT 2 – Region 2
(603) 744-5470

NOISE FROM THE CHASE?

Bear dogs have woken entire households and have been found disturbing the peace at 5:00AM. Sandwich is one town that has a noise ordinance. You can call the local police to file a noise complaint.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Sandwich Conservation Commission
PO Box 110, Center Sandwich 03227