In northern Forest County, Wisconsin all the pieces are in place for more deadly conflicts on our national forest lands between federally protected gray wolves and hunters baiting black bears and running hounds.
On Saturday July 13, 2019 the first bear hound was killed while running through the Alvin Creek Watershed within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, during Wisconsin’s two-month Summer bear hound training season.
Location of the latest, but surely not the last deadly fight between a bear hound and federally protected gray wolves.
No license or permits are required to dump thousands of gallons of oil, grease and food waste to attract bears in Wisconsin, as long as your intent is to kill them during the Fall hunting season. Nor is any license required for residents AND nonresidents to bring as many dogs as you like into our national forests to learn how to chase bears.
Every year these unethical hunting practices result in the death and injury of many bear hounds as dogs running through wolf territory are attacked by gray wolves protecting their young. Last year, more bear hound/gray wolf depredations occurred in Forest County than anywhere else in the state.
Red dots indicate wolf depredation of hunting hounds 2013-2019 Source: WDNR
This Summer, more bear hounds are sure to die unless U.S. Forest Service officials do something, anything to prevent these deadly conflicts on our forest lands. Already this year, Wolf Patrol has reported multiple non-compliant bear baits in Forest County to Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) for having exposed bait which attracts deer…as well as wolves.
The following video was taken on July 16, 2019 just three days after a bear hound was killed, less than a mile from this bear bait site. The wolves in the video are clearly checking on the bait site for food or prey. Many more wolves have been reported by bear hunters appearing at bait sites in the area.
Two Forest County bear hunters Facebook comments in regards to 07/13/19 wolf depredation of bear hound in their hunting territory…and they wonder why Wolf Patrol is here?
On July 19, 2019 bear hunters will return to their Forest County bait sites to refill them for the weekend running of hounds, despite the knowledge that a bear hound was killed here. Understand, it is impossible to control the area a bear hound will run when the owner is sitting in his pickup truck miles away watching the progress of his dog on a handheld GPS receiver.
It’s time to end the deadly practice of allowing unregistered and unlimited bear baiting in our national forests. If you agree, please email US Forest officials now to let them the responsibility is on them to prevent this tragedy from continuing one more day.
Two young members of the Firekeeper wolf family visiting a bear bait site in 07/13/19 WDNR Wolf Caution Area on July 16, 2019.
Wolf Patrol 