HB 1308 was introduced to prohibit the capture, possession, and propagation of hares and rabbits for hunting dog training and field trials. All snowshoe hares or rabbits held in captivity as of the effective date of this section shall be returned to the wild under the direction of the executive director of fish and game.
Any snowshoe hares or rabbits which cannot be released back into the wild shall be surrendered to a wildlife rehabilitation area. As of 2015 snow hares were listed as federally threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Their numbers have greatly decreased and with that pattern comes the habitat quality and the potential distribution of lynx in New Hampshire.
With this legislation, I have the following questions and I welcome yours as well by commenting below in the comment area.
If in 2015 snow hares were federally protected why did it take legislators in NH so long to introduce bill 1308?
- What is the penalty for still capturing, possessing, or propagating snow hares for hunting dog training and field trials?
- Why is this not considered animal cruelty long before the species became endangered?
- Why does this bill not have an add-on for resources to be used to help ensure the safety of snow hares and the creation of safe environments for them to populate?
To follow bill HB1308 go to: https://legiscan.com/NH/bill/HB1308/2022