"Reed said the law lacks training requirements for dogs, and leash restrictions that would keep hunting dogs in "safe proximity to their handlers,"

So now they want the government to tell hunters how to train their dogs when hunting? The individuals who run bear, coyotes, coons, etc. with dogs, are NOT your local-yocal pet park dog owners. They have done this numerous times and understand the risk/rewards involved.

$427,000? Now why on earth would it be the state's responsibility to compensate hunters who's dogs get killed by wild animals?

I for one am not keen on the idea at all of hunting wolves, much less using dogs in the process, and possibly killing wolves that may be pregnant. We are such an archaic society with having to shoot everything as a solution instead of looking at possible alternatives to take care of the problem I will continue to fight against wolf hunting period, in all states along with thousands of others who are a part of hundreds of groups.

The backwardness of this issue is astounding!! The bear hunters who use dogs, bitched up a storm over wolves killing or maming there dogs. The DNR would compensate these hunters for death or injury, as well as farmers when wolves would kill there animials> It wasn't hush money,thats just crazy talk. Now these same hunters want to use these same dogs to hunt wolves!! I understand the need to control the wolf population, but using leg snares is of concern to me as a upland game bird hunter. If my dog gets killed or injuied by a leg snare on public land, compensates me? Get rid of the leg snares, baiting, and night hunting. and shorten the season.

I would love to show any anti wolf hunting person my personal video of 3 wolves tearing apart a mother doe and fawn that I shot while bow hunting two years ago. These are monsters that should be exterminated, I have personally seen coyotes killed as well as deer by wolves merely for sport, they don't always eat what they kill.
Gut shot every last one of them until they are gone.

People used to see wolves as evil, vicious predators when in fact we have invaded their habitat. I think it's important to remember that these naturally private animals are driven back into populated areas because of hunger. Whatever decisions need to be made to keep people safe, it should never be forgotten or respected that wildlife was here first.

I can see having tracking dogs on leashes for finding the wolves --- but letting them loose after them is like taking a knife to a gun fight. The wolves will tear the dogs apart.

Of more concern is trapping -- this is cruel and the animals suffer needlessly. I think I had heard that we would be the only state to allow traps !!

I can understand the issue's and there are no easy answers. There are groups like Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, etc. that try to find non-lethal, coexistence solutions. Some are being monitored, but I don't know the results on ranchers and farmers in WI through a coexistence program. Ranchers/farmers would need to do their part too for deterence. I certainly don't like seeing their livestock being killed either. I don't like to see any animals killed, hurt, maimed, whatever. . Maybe a relocation program down to quota. After all they were infiltrated back in during the 1990's throughout the Rockies. Use tranquilizers and through the Wildlife groups find places for relocation that would be good locations for the wolves to go and for the farmers, ranchers, livestock, dogs, etc. They've done this in the Nortwest. I also would put a ban on any breeders in the state of any Wolf hybrids.

Sorry Northwest.

@David Yes, I go back to archaic in the use of traps and it is cruel. There are many more wildlife, etc., that will be found in those traps.

Well then Heather, I hope you reason and rationalize 'its just a part of nature' if a pack of wolves attacks you or your children...food chain and all.....

Ask Candice Berner what her opinions of wolves are......

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/wolves-killed-alaska-teacher-2010-state-says

The problem is the aggressive and inhumane tactics of trapping and shoot to kill is not a total solution. It's not a permanent solution. This is not the first time where the over quota population of wolves has reached this point all across the US. Take a look at research. And why is that, well it goes back to Bren's statement of our invasion into their territory and that goes for any wildlife. Where do we expect them to go? Native American Indians and wildlife coexisted very well. . It's time for more innovative tactics. As Vocal Local 1 said, Wolves are very smart animals. You may have a dozen or so in a pack. In relocation efforts it's a matter of working with the pack leader and the rest will follow.

@Heather Your Absolutely right! And I watch 'Animal Planet' too. When I was just a tiny tot there was 'Wild Kingdom' on Sunday's.

tosa please tell tell me what you really know about wolves. How many sub-species are there in NA? Which one is present in WI? Coyotes do FAR more killing of fawns because THERE ARE THOUSANDS! The only predator that actually kills them? Wolves. You are an uneducated idiot spouting off about things you have ZERO knowledge about. Shut up or put up. Using dogs to hunt wolves is absurd since they readily kill dogs. Meh you must be a dog bear hunter, not known for their remarkable intelligence.

tosa townie
Wolves KILL then eat. Further, they oftentimes come back to a kill to eat again and if they don't there are other scavengers dependent on the kill. NO! you shouldn't be able to trap or shoot them. Your not eating the kill now are you? AGAIN, there are much more humane methods to control the wolf population. Allow Sportsmen to buy a licence, contribute to the cost, and use tranqualizer guns, sterilize and release.

Mary, there are two sub-species in Wis. the gray and the silver. In Wis. they have inter-bred. that was a reason the de-listing was held up. The silver is still protected. However, it is impossible to tell them apart in the wild without genetic testing. Wolves, by a large travel in packs of 4-6 led by a dominate female, there was a video posted a couple years back of a hunter in Wis. that caught 12 or so on camera. One speculation was that there was a number of females that gave birth and the pups hadn't left the pack yet. I don't think tranqualizing, sterilizing is practical. Hunting them is the only real way to control the population, with quotas as established by the DNR. 2,100 permits being issued with a kill quota of 201. That being said, trapping as allowed, baiting, dogs, and night hunting has a number of troubling aspects. I am a avid hunter, but won't take part in the wolf hunt, I eat what I kill, and won't eat wolf, and I don't want one stuffed!

Brittany...

I'd be very interested in learning more about your credentials. You opine with such authority upon the manipulatiion of wildlife populations by means of sterilization. And you imply expertise about Native American culture.

You quote 'research' yet offer no citations.

I guess I'd like to know more about your pedigree.

There is much more to the 201 quota than numbers. It is much more complex. There is the pack hierarchy to consider, pregnant females, their breeding season etc. Do they even have real wolf biologists on their team? I believe they have gone about this completely wrong for such a small number of animals. Eradicating half of this small population in some rather questionable methods is just over the top. I have zero issue culling problem wolves which is already done by the SSS method. Not to mention poaching. Eleven known kills were made last year during deer season. How many more unknown? DNR is being completely irresponsible. The bear dog hunters should never have been paid for dog loss when they already know the risks but sacrifice their dogs regardless. Do they get paid when a bear maims or kills a dog? Of course not.
Mitt the sub-species are more complex than gray/silver. The sub-species here in WI, MN and MI is the Great Plains Wolf. They once had the largest historical range of any sub-species. The Great Lakes wolves are direct descendents of what was once thought as the extinct Great Plains Wolf. They ARE NOT the same species as the Yellowstone wolves those are Mackenzie Valley wolves, the LARGEST sub-species in N.A. So endeth the lesson.

I am so touched by the comments made here that advocate the wuffies. WDNR should hire Disney (at incredible taxpayer cost of course) to make a documentary about how misunderstood these poor animals are and what they do for us. Just like feral cats and dogs. We just need to understand them. Let's schedule a listening, encounter group with the wolves so we can better assist their assimilation with farmers, ranchers and the feely good earth first types in their southern WI back yards, as wuffie’s extend their unrestrained range. Oh, this could be so special. Better get Fluffy and Poochey in before dark or they will be dinner for that uninvited guest!

adam
The three rules apply to you as well. You are wasting my precious air keeping you alive. If you don't like people, then it is unfortunate that your mothers' didn't abort you or drown you at birth.

Hey Folks, I've watched the comments. I respect the opinions and suggest all call their state assemblymen and state senators monday morning, send them an e or do both putting the pressure on them to act. I favor allowing the sportsmen to shoot with tranqualizer guns or trap and turn them over to the DNR for sterlization and release. The cost of the license can off-set costs and area vets, state, and county vets can be enlisted to assist. It's the most humane measure of population control. CALL MADISON

This is comical. Wolves should be treated as one more welfare recipient per the taxpayer's dime. Now that is really special.

I will contact the Natural Resources board and recommend they allow every landowner aggreived by wolf predation to allow them to shoot them on sight (with lead bullets, not drugs) and make it punishable to interfere with the landowners right to do so. This should make the Mary A. Disney's scream with horror. We do exist. Have for a long time like the native's of this country and those like myself whose ancestors came from old Europe. Oh, the horror! The horror!

(hehehehehe)

Best go get some more Kleenex Mary. Your tears and angry spittle are shorting out your keyboard.

Ern....Yes that would be the way to do it, let property owners cull the problem wolves. I already stated that in an earlier posting. Try reading for comprehension perhaps you lack the "sense" Oooo big surprise there. YOU wanna play? you need to perform a little better than throwing around inane insults.

I live in wolf country and raise livestock, I get them on my game cam, If they caused me problems I'd could practice the 3 S's instead of whining about the "big bad wolf". I know... "the horrors". That's a big difference from hunting the whole population during the denning/heat cycle using dogs. This issue should never have become an absolute. However if you can't/won't use critical thinking and instead prefer acting as a sheeple then I can imagine there are only 2 colors in existence for you.

The 3's! Excellent! Another convert! Love it! Same goes for feral cats and dogs. White tail deer/Canada geese/turkeys/etc./etc. Too many of them is not good. We can all get along within limits. Wolves are a completely different class. These are not feral dogs. These are highly intelligent creatures that will stop at nothing for a meal if allowed to go unabated. Do I appreciate their existence? You betcha. Have come across them on my land in Shawano Co. Beautiful but dangerous if you treat them like a deer or squirrel. They are nothing like coyotes which are cowards in comparison but can also be a big problem. My point is, people need to be informed of the danger wolves represent, especially when they move into urbanized areas, and they will. 40 years ago it was never thought that deer and geese would invade our villages and cities, yet they have. The average person has no hint of the intelligence or predatory skill of a wolf. I respect wolves for what they are but do not want their presence among people to go unchecked. Fair enough for a compromise?

South to Shawano Co? A friend of mine on the northern fringe of Ozaukee Co. has photos and video of them on his land. They howl from time to time (hunting calls). This is less than 25 miles from Milwaukee Co. A wolf can cover that distance in less than a day. Get my drift about the unchecked range? This will get out of hand.

BTW

"Kinda funny we have very few feral cats or dogs in the North woods."

When my family lived in Shawano Co. we made sure of the same thing. Strange how a shotgun or rifle took care of that problem, along with the excess coyotes.

Uh, oh. I just set off the Disney types again. Shame on me!

15 or more years ago on family property in Oak Creek there was a wolf den on the property. I only saw it once. The property is adjacent to the green strip corridor. Two years ago a cougar was sited across the street. When I moved into the house the wolf abondoned the den. I later learned of a party that lost their domestic wolf and suspect that was the occupant of the den. Again, the only humane population control is sterilization and release. The Wisconsin Humane Society has a free feral cat program. They will rent one the trap, sterilize the cat, lop off one ear tip for identification as a feral and allow it's release at the trap site. Controls the problem without slattering unsuspecting animals. Call Madison..

Controls what problem? I do not want your free running or feral cat or dog, sterilized or not, on my property, crapping, digging and making a general nuisance. And I certainly do not want wolves, sterilized or not, preying on whatever it wants on my property. Call the dopes in Madison? For what? Lock and load I say.

Ignorance and intolerance begets more of the same so here it goes: I don't want you or your kids on my property. Stealing, destroying, you as a dog walker allowing your pet to crap in and destroy my flower beds. Lock and Load? You better think again. Yes, I have the Castle Law. Still I will be arrested, Jailed, arraigned, possibly allowed bail if I can afford it and freed if I can obtain good defense. You support killing unsuspecting defenseless life. Go back to europe and take your decendants with you.

Did I hit a nerve or what with you granola?

My kids have been raised with the same respect I was towards others' property - stay off unless invited.

Not sure about the stealing and destroying part unless you apply that to hunting which I love. Venison is delicious.

"you as a dog walker allowing your pet to crap in and destroy my flower beds.
allowing your pet to crap in and destroy my flower beds". True, I have a dog but he stays in our fenced in yard. Never once crapped or peed on someone else's property. And he is "fixed". Do I know you?

"Lock and Load? You better think again. Yes, I have the Castle Law. Still I will be arrested, Jailed, arraigned, possibly allowed bail if I can afford it and freed if I can obtain good defense."
What is that about? The topic is wolves that went to feral/free running pets. Now you are gearing up to shoot people? Way too much info there pal. Get some help.

"You support killing unsuspecting defenseless life."
Guilty as charged. I have unwittingly contributed to the supply of road kill on our highways but have not gone out of my way to make it a reality, So, you got me there. Should I have swerved and taken out the motorist and their occupants in the oncoming lane to avoid the travesty of killing the defenseless critter?

"Go back to Europe and take your descendants with you."
Unless you harken from Asia or Africa, I think your share the same beginnings. Share the ride back?

I wanna pet the nice doggie.

22-250 works wonders as a varmint rifle. A 17 is brilliant but you won't get the distance.

Thank goodness someone with two brain cells quashed the dogs. Gah! I can't believe it was even advocated.

seriously? if a dog is chasing a bear a wolf is not going to randomly jump out and kill your dog. in all likely occasions the bear turned around and killed the hound. a predator will not attack a dog while a bigger and angry predator is in the same area. its just not going 2 happen

Neither the elect or the DNR is listing to the majority on this issue. The hunt will occur.
Your without voice per your voting so live with it or examine who you are voting for. VOTE the deadbeat INCUMBENTS OUT.

I found some stats on wolves attacking humans...it's a rare occurrence.
http://www.aws.vcn.com/wolf_attacks_on_humans.html