Wisconsin's subsidized blood sport yields more dead hounds
[Updated] Wisconsin bear hunters continue to throw their off-leash hounds into the chase and tree bears for easy rifle shot pickings through areas where territorial, larger and wolves by the pack- - perhaps drawn in by bear bait left by one or more of the bear hunters - - tear the the smaller dogs to pieces.
The bear hunters lobby has arranged for the state to reimburse a hounder $2,500 per killed dog, and this year's total will now exceed $100,000, as 40 hounds - - a record for one year though the deaths have occurred between March and October, DNR records show - - have been killed in 2016 and several more have been injured, DNR records show.
Bear hunting ends on October 11, but 'training' runs will continue to put the hounds into harms way where the wolves live and gather.
Call it state-enabled animal cruelty, with the dogs, wolves and bears abused and victimized.
Or dog-fighting - - sometimes legal, sometimes not.
In fact, captive, caged bears on a DNR-approved site can be hoisted in the air for up to 12 hours in a 24-hour period while hounds in training are allowed to confront the cage, according to DNR rules.
Two of the more recently slaughtered hounds were Plotts, like this one picture below.
As the DNR reports today:
The bear hunters lobby has arranged for the state to reimburse a hounder $2,500 per killed dog, and this year's total will now exceed $100,000, as 40 hounds - - a record for one year though the deaths have occurred between March and October, DNR records show - - have been killed in 2016 and several more have been injured, DNR records show.
Bear hunting ends on October 11, but 'training' runs will continue to put the hounds into harms way where the wolves live and gather.
Call it state-enabled animal cruelty, with the dogs, wolves and bears abused and victimized.
Or dog-fighting - - sometimes legal, sometimes not.
In fact, captive, caged bears on a DNR-approved site can be hoisted in the air for up to 12 hours in a 24-hour period while hounds in training are allowed to confront the cage, according to DNR rules.
Two of the more recently slaughtered hounds were Plotts, like this one picture below.
As the DNR reports today:
Hunting Dogs Killed in Iron and Sawyer Counties
Wildlife Services confirmed that wolves depredated the following hunting dogs over the weekend:
* A Plott hound killed on 10/1/16 in the Town of Winter, Sawyer County
* A Plott hound killed in a separate incident on 10/1/16 in the Town of Winter, Sawyer County
* A Redbone hound killed on 10/1/16 in the Town of Knight, 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 seasons.
And, by the way - - note that hunters are clearly ignoring the information which the DNR has posted about where other dogs were killed by wolves. For example:
Iron depredation location map [PDF]
And, by the way - - note that hunters are clearly ignoring the information which the DNR has posted about where other dogs were killed by wolves. For example:
Iron depredation location map [PDF]
1 comment:
Or not ignoring the DNR warnings.... but rather using them to plot a strategy for replacing old weaker dogs.
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