Hunters throw eight more hounds into combat with WI wolves

I've been tracking the blood-letting that has become routine in the last few weeks in Wisconsin's north woods as bear hunters let their hounds like this Bluetick - - 
- - run off-leash to their deaths even in areas where wolves are known to live, and can be attracted by bear bait legally left behind.

Why is this animal cruelty allowed by state law? 

Thirty bear hounds had already been killed recently by wolves this year - - and each dead dog makes the hunter eligible for a $2,500, only-in-Wisconsin per-killed hound state reimbursement - - and in the last few days six more hounds were killed by wolves and two more were injured, according to this fresh email from the DNR

Bear Hounds Killed/Injured in Bayfield, Burnett, Sawyer, and Washburn Counties Over the weekend, Wildlife Services confirmed that wolves depredated or injured the following hunting dogs: * A Redbone hound killed on 9/16/16 in Hunter Township, Sawyer County * A Bluetick hound and a Plott/Walker hound killed in the same incident on 9/17/16 in Washburn Township, Bayfield County * A Bluetick hound killed on 9/17/16 in Blaine Township, Burnett County * A Plott hound killed, and two Plott hounds injured, in the same incident on 9/17/16 in Frog Creek Township, Washburn County * A Walker hound killed on 9/18/16 in Hughes Township, Bayfield County  More information and a caution area-map are available on the gray wolf webpage. And here is one sample map from an area where two of the recent hound killings took place, with all represented by red dots. Does it look like the hounders are looking at the DNR data before they let their hounds run off-leash, and into these fatal encounters with the larger predators? 9/17/2016 Bayfield 2 dogs killed (Bluetick, female, 4.5 years; Plott/Walker, female, 8 years) Bayfield depredation location map [PDF] And props to activists trying to get the DNR reimbursement program stopped. Here's one Internet site where these issues are being debated.