Earlier this year, Wolf Patrol reported on the abusive practice of hound hunting for coyotes in Wisconsin and Michigan. One of the hound hunters whose Facebook videos we published of dogs fighting coyotes, bears and raccoons was Paul Robiadek from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
On September 16, during Michigan’s bear season in Mackinaw County, Robiadek’s bear hounds encountered a pack of wolves that killed two of his dogs. The killings come as more and more bear hounds are fighting with federally protected wolves, as both wolves recolonize former territory and more hound hunters take to the woods during bear season.
Robiadek acknowledging his fighting dogs in 2017.
In addition to the danger of running bear hounds through summer and early fall wolf territory, when wolves are extremely protective of young pups, bear hunters in Michigan and Wisconsin contribute to the deadly conflicts by establishing multiple bear baits in areas that wolves habitate.
Wolf Patrol has spoken to Wisconsin hound hunters who will not run dogs in areas where wolves have begun visiting their bear baits. Once wolves become habituated to a known bear bait site, they will return often and when hounds are released to chase bears having visited the bait sites, they are injured or killed by the territorial wolves.
September 15, 2018 Facebook post on Michigan hunting site.
Although this latest attack occurred in Michigan, bear hunters in Wisconsin have also been reporting an increase in wolves visiting bear baits. And on September 13 & 14th, 2018, two more bear hounds were killed by wolves in Lincoln and Bayfield County, Wisconsin. There have now been 15 separate fights between wolves and bear hounds since bear hound training season began on July 1st in northern Wisconsin.
Red dots indicate 2018 Wisconsin wolf depredations on hunting dogs.
Wolf Patrol wants the killing to end! To Paul Robiadek, we are sorry less for your loss, but more so for your lack of ethics. You clearly enjoy training dogs to attack and maul wildlife, and now your hounds have paid the ultimate price for your cruelty.
Robiadek’s dogs at work.
Do not try to take it on the wolves responsible for teaching your bloodthirsty hounds a lesson, because Wolf Patrol will continue to monitor your and anyone else’s bear hunting activities once you begin making public threats to illegal kill federally protected wildlife harassed by your packs of dogs.
If you agree that hound hunters like Paul Robiachek shouldn’t be allowed to bait bears or run down wildlife with dogs, please send your comments to US Forest officials:
cnnfadmin@fs.fed.us
Shared on Facebook in 2017 by Paul Robiachek
*this is the contact information for the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in Wisconsin
Wolf Patrol 