I was on test earlier. I don't have any War class ships on test and I never got a Bounty Hunter ship after me. I got the message that there was an incoming ship, but it was the regular NPCs schooling towards me. Do the Bounty Hunters only go after War ships?
I cannoned on a War Frigate with full cargo and it was pandemonium! We were set on by three different Hunters at times. One was a lvl 51 War Sloop. The one that was the worst was a War Galleon that had to have had at least 16-18 knots regular sailing. That sucker chased us down in a heartbeat.