Email
Print
FeedHound owners may train their dogs on wolves
A lot of things are happening quickly on the wolf season front and there are still a number of items that have to be determined before the season opens Oct. 15 – unless someone sues – but there is one thing we do know for sure at this point – hound hunters may pursue wolves with their dogs right now.
Sort of like a catch-and-release wolf season, except you can’t actually “catch” the wolf.
How so? It’s allowed under the state’s dog training laws in much the same way hound owners are allowed to train their dogs to trail coyotes or bears. The one difference from bear training would be that no license is required to train dogs on wolves – bear hunters must have a bear “B license” to run bears. Hunters may train hounds on wolves all year and there is no six-dog pack limit, like there would be during the actual wolf season.
We’ll have more on rules surrounding this activity in the July 13 issue of the newspaper.
One more wolf-related item – since wolves were removed from the Endangered Species List in late January, 39 wolves have been trapped or shot through June 25 for causing damage. Thirty wolves were trapped by federal trappers, seven were removed by landowners with permits, and two were shot by landowners while in the act of attacking domestic animals (no permit required in that situation). The DNR has issued about 100 permits to landowners in areas where wolves have been attacking livestock.
Using packs of hound dogs to run down a wolf, and have it savaged to death is a blight on the title: "Hunter". It isn't hunting..it is killing. Call it what it is and stop giving real hunters a bad rap !
Grown men standing by trucks with GPS antennas tracking their dogs, while the DOGS run down a wolf or coyote and rip it apart isn't HUNTING. This is also "killing" for killings sake. Wolves and coyotes are canids and they are keystone predators which are vital to the health of the ecosystem they call home. It is only out of ignorance that anybody sets out to kill them for "sport".
Shame on the troubled few who think this is "cool". Thank God you are in the minority. May the general public and ethical hunters stand up and speak out against this abomnialbe practice !
For me , a lifelong Chicago suburbanite, Wisconsin was Northland College ( went in the early 80's ) . The University of Wisconsin ( known as one of the best environmental studies school on the planet ), Door County, Eagle River, The House On the Rock, Wisconsin Dells... This horrible slaughter of wolves planned by this state, has for me trashed how I saw Wisconsin completely. We have replanned weekend trips to another state. Wow, Wisconsin of all places.