LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Assembly Bill 1038 (AB1038) was heard before the California Assembly’s Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee on Tuesday, April 29. It was a full house with several people wanting to give comments on both sides of the bear hounding bill that, if passed, would allow dogs with GPS collars to chase and tree bears for hunters.
AB1038 did not get a majority vote of the committee members, so it has failed to move forward.
The bill had been introduced by Assembly Member Hadwick (R-Alturas), stating that an amendment to the Fish and Game Code would be a way to control the black bear population in California.
Bear and wildlife advocates across the state were against the hounding bill, including the BEAR League of Lake Tahoe.
“AB 1038 was not about science or safety—it was about reviving hound hunting under the guise of non-lethal management,” said Ann Bryant, BEAR League’s executive director. “Today’s decision reaffirms our commitment to compassionate and evidence-based wildlife policy.”
“I am deeply disappointed that the Legislature has failed to act on the urgent and escalating crisis posed by California’s out-of-control black bear population,” said Hadwick. “Communities in rural and mountain regions are already paying the price—property destroyed, pets and livestock killed, and worst of all, a life lost. We had a chance to step in with a safe, non-lethal solution. Instead, we’re leaving families vulnerable and wildlife mismanaged.”
Currently, the State of California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) issues hunting licenses for bears, with a maximum of 1,700 bears allowed to be taken, or harvested. Those with permits must monitor the current CDFW harvest numbers to make sure the limit has not been met. In 2024, 976 bears were killed by hunters and that number is usually nowhere near the maximum allowed annually.
Bryant says experts widely agree that hound pursuit can lead to elevated stress in bears, habituation rather than avoidance, and unintended harm to both bears and non-target species. According to the BEAR League, no credible data demonstrates that such practices meaningfully reduce human-wildlife conflicts. And the science demonstrates otherwise.
The CDFW’s new “Black Bear Conservation and Management Plan” states that past research seems to indicate that management of human-bear conflicts can only come from large-scale security of the anthropogenic attractants that cause human-bear conflict, rather than managing individual bears.
The bill failed in the committee on Tuesday by a vote of 6 ayes and 4 noes (it needed 7 ayes to pass), but it can return in 2027 for reconsideration. Hadwick vowed to continue advocating for practical solutions that protect both Californians and the wildlife that call the state home.
“With AB 1038 now on hold, advocates for humane wildlife management remain vigilant, and should the bill return for consideration, BEAR League will stand in opposition once again,” stated the BEAR League in a press release. “We thank the Assembly members who recognized the bill for what it was: a thinly-veiled attempt to bring back a horrific hunting practice opposed by more than 80 percent of Californians.
“This victory belongs to every person who stood up and said, ‘We can do better for wildlife.’ Let it be a signal: our bears deserve respect, not lethal pursuit for recreational purposes,” added Bryant.
“This fight isn’t over. I’ll keep pushing for smart, science-backed approaches that respect wildlife and keep people safe,” said Hadwick. “The bears aren’t waiting—and neither should we.”