Friday, July 11, 2014

Hunters Can Loose Dogs On WI Wolves During Pre-Hunt Training

[Updated, 4:58 p.m. Thursday, 12:55 a.m. Friday] I really think we have turned a corner here in Wisconsin away from our essential civility and heritage appeal - - despite picture-postcard outdoorsy promotions - - because an appeals court has just ruled that hunters may set their hounds loose to chase wolves during pre-hunting training, perhaps year-around.
Wisconsin is killing its wolves

Little surprise, I suppose, as no other state allows dogs in wolf hunting, and public officials in charge of public resource stewardship in Wisconsin further handed wolf-hunt policy-making over to pro-gun and so-called sporting lobbies by booting wolf advocates off the DNR's public wolf advisory committee.

All part of a political strategy in which even wildlife is not safe from manipulation by Gov. Walker to reward certain political friends and voting constituencies

Yet we have statutes on the books to prevent and punish animal cruelty. Why should wolf hounders, like bear hounders, be legally allowed to do just that? By the courts? After the Legislature set all this in motion - - led by a key lawmaker [Sic] so excited about shooting wolves that he looked forward to "marinating" them. 

Note that Michigan media have posted a video of a coyote being killed by hunters' hounds. Graphic, but makes the point.

Such hound training against bears begins by July 1, and runs for two months, already putting wolves at risk as they care for pups and participate in normal pack behavior.

Not to mention terrorizing bears who must run and climb trees to escape baying packs of GPS-equipped hounds set loose by hounders in trucks - - leading up to what the state bear hunting lobby calls "the ultimate family sport."

Who will monitor any new wolf-dog fighting, or illegal wolf killing during this so-called dog training period now approved for wolf hunters - - apparently 365 days a year, according to one published report.

An under-staffed, disinterested DNR, which prefers to call wolf trapping and shooting a "harvest"?

Why suddenly so blood- thirsty, Wisconsin?
And, are mangled dogs, hounded, shot and trapped wolf remains really the best new 'come-to-Wisconsin' state promotion image?
wolf, wolves, leghold, trap










1 comment:

Anonymous said...

These people who use pets to hunt down their prey with GPS devices are not sportsmen . They are the lowest of the low only being in it for the "thrill of the kill!" If they had any humane compassion they would hone their own individual skills and become skilled hunters rather manufactured killers of nature's best.