WI Wolf Hunt Challenged In Court

The Legislature's direction to the DNR that dogs be allowed in the state's sanctioned wolf hunt prompts the court action.

A broad range of Wisconsin citizens oppose the rules established for this season," said Jodi Habush Sinykin, an attorney for HS Law in Milwaukee who is among those representing the plaintiffs. "From hunters to landowners, ecologists to volunteer trackers and community humane societies, there is strong agreement that the season was set up without the restrictions needed to prevent deadly animal fighting."

Plaintiffs include the Wisconsin Federated Humane Societies, Dane County Humane Society, Wisconsin Humane Society, Fox Valley Humane Association, Northwood Alliance, National Wolfwatcher Coalition, Jayne and Michael Belsky and Donna Onstott.

Back a few days ago when the now-close-to-8,000 hunting license applications were rolling in, it didn't take a rocket scientist to see a lawsuit coming:

Close to 5,000 applications have been received in the first few days of eligibility for licenses to hunt wolves in a fast-tracked Wisconsin season beginning this fall during which 201 wolves may be killed, reports The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel...

Because the legislatively-mandated season allows the use of dogs, traps and night-hunting generally avoided in other state's, litigation to block it would not be a surprise.