Senator To Offer Legislation To Ban Bear Baying After US Humane Society Releases Video

Updated: August 24, 12:00 p.m.

Columbia, SC - State Senator Joel Lourie announced plans to pre-file legislation to ban the practice of bear baying in South Carolina.

Bear baying involves releasing dogs on chained bears. South Carolina is currently the only state where the practice of bear baying is legal.

"I was appalled by the recent reports in the media detailing this barbaric practice. It needs to be outlawed," said Lourie, who has been recognized by the Humane Society of the United States for his work to combat animal cruelty. "South Carolina cannot have the distinction of being the only state where you can chain up a bear and sick dogs on it for sport."

Lourie says that the period to pre-file legislation for the 2011 legislative session will open in December. He will be working with the Department of Natural Resources and The Humane Society to craft a bill to ban the practice.

Updated:  August 23, 5:30 p.m.

Hunters call it a training exercise.

But another group says it's cruel to bears... And want the practice stopped.

It's referred to as "bear baying" or "bear baiting."

This video from the Humane Society of the United States shows a captive bear, tethered to a stake in an enclosed area, where packs of dogs are released on the bear. 

According to the Humane Society the video was taken by undercover spectators in South Carolina and shows 3 different locations.

South Carolina is the only state in the u-s that does not have a law against "bear baying". 

The Humane Society of the United States is releasing this video today and is hoping to change that.     

It's called bear baying, but the The Humane Society of the United States is calling it something else.

John Goodwin with the Society says, "we have decided to call it bear baiting because 1st, the bear is used as live bait, and second the practice resembles the ancient blood sport of bear baiting."

This video, according United States humane society, is undercover footage taken from 3 different events in South Carolina. 

The department of natural resources says it issued over 2 dozen permits

 The DNR no longer issues licenses for people to hold bears captive but says they can't regulate what people do with the bears that they already have permits for. 

We took the issue to state representative David Hiott who now says he is aware of the bear baying problem in the state and that he is going to take a look at the steps necessary to put this on the radar of lawmakers and get something done.

Sandy Christiansen, the president of the Spartanburg Humane Society says, "People are coming to the Upstate and Spartanburg from West Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, all other border states around South Carolina because they know if they do it in their hometown, they are going to get arrested."

The Humane Society of the United States told us that they asked the DNR to revoke the licenses of the people who they say are responsible for the bear baying.

The DNR says they are going to look into it, but they have not yet revoked anyone's license.  

There have been changes made to hunting laws this year in South Carolina. 

According to the Department of Natural Resources, a two-week black bear season is held only in game zone 1, which consists of the northern sections of Greenville, Oconee and Pickens counties

Still hunt season for bears is October 17th-23^rd.

Party dog season is October 24th-30th.

Also archery hunting for deer will be allowed during the bear season.