Wisconsin, unique among the states, will pay up to $2,500 to the owner of a hunting hound running off-leash that is killed when encountering predatory, territory-protecting wolves during bear hunting or hound-training periods.
In the decade ending in 2013, the state paid out nearly $400,000 in such cases, with some payments going to repeat claimants and even to scofflaws, according to one thorough review.
Is this bear hunting, and since 2012, wolf trophy hunting, and the dangerous and deadly training that accompanies the hunts worth the sacrifice of hounds thrown to the wolves?
We like to believe that people love their dogs, but why does state law encourage putting them at such risk, and why do we enable this blood-letting by giving hounding hunters public funds through the DNR to replace dogs they let run to a violent death?
No other state allows dogs in a wolf hunt. Why are we constantly the outlier state when it comes to wolf hunting and dog training policies, plus having a state reimbursement program for dogs their owners sent after bears through wolf activity areas?
I see state-sanction animal cruelty at several levels here: the release of hunting dogs during training that terrorizes both wolves and bears, the permitted use of hound-on-caged-animal training for hunting hounds; and the use of wolf-snaring metal traps.
So here we go again with wolves killing dogs - - the August 9th incident resulted in the 11th such dog loss this year and third in the same county in a month (check the DNR records and maps linked below) - -according to the DNR email notice just sent out:
In the decade ending in 2013, the state paid out nearly $400,000 in such cases, with some payments going to repeat claimants and even to scofflaws, according to one thorough review.
Is this bear hunting, and since 2012, wolf trophy hunting, and the dangerous and deadly training that accompanies the hunts worth the sacrifice of hounds thrown to the wolves?
We like to believe that people love their dogs, but why does state law encourage putting them at such risk, and why do we enable this blood-letting by giving hounding hunters public funds through the DNR to replace dogs they let run to a violent death?
No other state allows dogs in a wolf hunt. Why are we constantly the outlier state when it comes to wolf hunting and dog training policies, plus having a state reimbursement program for dogs their owners sent after bears through wolf activity areas?
I see state-sanction animal cruelty at several levels here: the release of hunting dogs during training that terrorizes both wolves and bears, the permitted use of hound-on-caged-animal training for hunting hounds; and the use of wolf-snaring metal traps.
So here we go again with wolves killing dogs - - the August 9th incident resulted in the 11th such dog loss this year and third in the same county in a month (check the DNR records and maps linked below) - -according to the DNR email notice just sent out:
Hound killed in Iron County
On August 9, Wildlife Services confirmed that wolves killed a 4 year old Walker/Blue Tick hound. The attack occurred in the Town of Mercer, Iron County. More information and a caution area map are available on the gray wolf webpage.
Hunters are reminded to use the caution area maps on the DNR website (dnr.wi.gov, keyword "wolf management") to help reduce conflicts during this year's bear dog training and hunting season.
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