Two Vermonters Found Guilty for Deflating Bear Hunters’ Truck Tires During Hound Dispute
Last month, two Vermont residents were found guilty of interfering with three bear hunters, as stated by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. On Oct. 11, Theodore Shumway and two companions were hunting black bears with hounds in Groton State Forest, a 26,000-acre public land in the north-central part of the state. When a bear led Shumway’s hounds onto private property and climbed a tree, the hunters crossed onto the property to retrieve the dogs and left the bear in the tree.
Upon returning to Shumway’s truck with the leashed hounds, the hunters discovered Groton residents Donna Babic and Betty Eastman releasing air from his tires. An argument ensued, where one of the women also released a German shepherd from their own vehicle, which attacked and injured one of the hounds. The injured hound required veterinary treatment.
Vermont State Troopers responded to Shumway’s call and a subsequent investigation confirmed the legality of the bear hunters’ actions. However, Babic and Eastman were charged with interfering with lawful hunting and found guilty on Nov. 22. Each woman was fined $262 and had their hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses suspended for one year. It’s worth noting that neither woman owned the property involved. They both reside on the same road the hunters used to access the private property with the treed bear.
This incident occurred shortly after Vermont hunter and landowner Morgan Gold posted a viral TikTok video advocating against hound hunting and asking for support to ban the practice. The video has garnered 1.7 million likes and nearly 62,000 comments. Gold’s stance reflects the ongoing debate within Vermont’s hunting community regarding regulations on bear hunting with hounds. Disagreements persist on whether hounding should be completely banned or, at the very least, require hounds to be leashed or within sight of their owners at all times.
Editor’s note: This story was updated on Dec. 17 to include information from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department about ownership of the private property in question.
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