Today marks the beginning of Wisconsin’s bear hound training season and Wolf Patrol is in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, in Forest County, where last year there were 5 reported depredations of bear hunting hounds by federally protected gray wolves.

Wisconsin’s minimally regulated bear baiting practices allow anyone to dump food waste to attract black bears, so hound hunters can release their dogs to follow their scent. That is when the loose hounds trespass gray wolf territory resulting in deadly conflicts.

This is the first, but surely not the last bear bait Wolf Patrol has discovered to be out of compliance with even the state’s most minimal regulations which require that all bear bait be enclosed in a log or other natural device in order to prevent other animals from feeding at the site.

Once again, Wisconsin’s bear hunters are proving to be irresponsible with bear baiting practices which is why Wolf Patrol believes the practice should no longer be allowed on our national forest lands.

If you agree, please email Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest officials and request that feeding black bears so hound hunters can chase them be made illegal on Wisconsin’s national forests!

cnnfadmin@fs.fed.us