Earlier this month, the Center for Biological Diversity sent aletterwith over 800 signatures to the U.S. Forest Service calling on them to ban hound hunting in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
They want the Forest Service to act on a legal petition filed by more than 20 wildlife conservation and animal protection organizations.
In 2021, when wolves were briefly federally de-listed, Wisconsin held a wolf hunt.
In that season, hunters and trappers killed 82% above the state-licensed goal, driving the population back into a critical zone.
Conservation groups are concerned about hound hunting’s impact on wolf populations if and when wolf hunting is allowed again.
Collette Adkins is a senior attorney and Carnivore Conservation Director at the Center for Biological Diversity.
“Hounds during the black bear hunting season, they could also end up chasing protected gray wolves that are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. You know, dogs, especially packs of dogs, really get into a frenzy when they're chasing wildlife. And it also can be really dangerous for people that are using the forest,” said Adkins.
She explained that hunters can attach GPS collars to their dogs and track their movements from their truck.
A pack of dogs will hunt their target, like a black bear, until the animal turns and fights.
This leads to an often bloody altercation.
Hound hunters defend the practice.
In February, the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, along with 211 hunting, angling, and sporting conservation clubs, signed a separate letter to the Forest Service.
They argued that representations of hound hunting by critics had been misinformed and that banning the practice could have larger impacts on recreation in the forest.
I tried to reach out to numerous hound hunters and hunting organizations but no one wanted to comment.
The Forest Service sent me this statement in response to the petition to ban hound hunting in the Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest.
It says quote- the method of hunting and fishing is regulated by the State of Wisconsin, Department of Natural Resources- end quote.
The Wisconsin DNR is in the process of creating a new wolf management plan.
It does include a short time period for reporting wolf kills.
The agency hopes this will cut down on the chances of hunters going over quota.
