This video documents the activity on just one weekend at one unregistered bear bait in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, where wolves killed bear hounds on July 13th & 21st, 2019. When federally protected wolves depredate a hunting dog, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) establishes Wolf Caution Areas.
However, it is still legal to bait for bear and run hounds in Wolf Caution Areas where hounds have previously been killed. It is also legal to operate as many bear baits as you like on national forest lands, using baits like chocolate that are known to be toxic to bears, wolves and other wildlife.
Bear baits in Wisconsin are not only attracting black bears, they’re attracting wolves and other wildlife as well. The parents of the wolf pups in this video have and will kill any bear hounds that threaten their pups, which they do be simply being loose in the area.
Bear bait available for sale on Craigslist in Wisconsin. (Including chocolate which is toxic to bears and other wildlife.)
The best way to prevent deadly conflicts between bear hunters and federally protected gray wolves is to require registration, a limit, and a cessation to bear baiting in areas where hunting dogs have already been depredated by wolves.
Instead, by doing nothing the U.S. Forest Service & WDNR are allowing another bloody season of legalized dog fights as bear hounds continue to be released to learn how to chase bears across our national forest lands.
Exposed bear bait at 07/21/19 Forest County WDNR Wolf Caution Area.
Wolf Patrol 