Silent Alarm

Michael McFadzen

All Wisconsin residents of any age can vote online April 11th through 14th, 7PM using the following link:  http://dnr.wi.gov/About/WCC/springhearing.html

* Warning: Graphic image follows *

Let’s be clear here as was the case in “State-Sanctioned Disposable Dogs” (Silent Alarm, Silent Sports Magazine, November 2021):

This story is absolutely not anti-hunting — with resolutions written by hunters!

“To anyone with any notion that any of this is anti-hunting, you’re wrong. These acts of extremely inhumane conduct are not sporting. Sportsmanship is supposed to be the foundation of hunting, its history and practice. Instead, these acts are an affront to hunting itself. They do away with all that is dignified and instead practice vicious, one-sided and cruel bloodlust, uncaring of man’s supposed best friend as much as wildlife, or the humans, including hunters, who have used the trails peacefully for decades.” Tina Henriksen, from her Personal Essay, below.

It’s not about using dogs to point or retrieve already hunted game. Hunters tend to love their dogs as much as any of the best dog owners, and do not subject them to risky, bizarre, and distant battles with wildlife, and then expect payment when their dog is injured or killed, to then do it all over again.

This story is about fringe groups who do engage in the above repugnant, non-sporting practices that are an affront to most hunters as they are to silent sports enthusiasts. Now Wisconsin residents, including responsible, sporting hunters can vote!

For Your Voting Consideration

Is using GPS-collared dogs to chase down wolves and bears at great distances from their owners a legitimate sport? Do you want a voice on the trapping of bobcats and coyotes? What about hunting Sandhill Cranes?

The Wisconsin Conservation Congress (WCC) will be holding its annual spring ballot online this year (due to Covid). This non-binding voting guides the WCC by working with the DNR and legislature. Many park/trail users and mainstream hunters are increasingly alienated by bizarre hunting practices. These include hunting wolves and bears with dogs and animal killing contests, practices occurring only in a few places in the world. “Some of these revolting practices are on the ballot this year,” according to Sierra Club Wildlife Team member Amy Mueller. “Most hunters and silent sports enthusiasts don’t like it. Animals get killed and injured, it disrupts wildlife activity, and impacts recreational tourism. The hearings are typically dominated by hunters, but more silent sport types are getting involved. Most people don’t even know these programs exist. Another bizarre practice is compensating hunters whose dogs get killed while chasing wolves.”

Besides ballot questions, more comprehensive resolutions will be part of this process. These two resolutions will appear on the statewide ballot. (1) Ban the Use of Dogs When Hunting Wolves: Wisconsin is the only state that allows dogs to be used when hunting wolves. Unleashed dogs with GPS collars are run through wolf territories, resulting in both dogs and wolves getting injured or killed. In the February 2021 Wisconsin Wolf Harvest, 86 percent of the wolves killed were by hunters using hounds. This resolution was written by Sierra Club Wildlife Team member Amy Mueller. (2) Ban Wildlife Killing Contests: These contests promote en masse, indiscriminate killing of wildlife, including coyote, fox, bobcat, rabbit, and others. Over forty contests have been identified.  Undercover video footage has raised public awareness and support for ending these events. Awards of cash, prizes, and guns are given to individuals and/or teams that kill the most, biggest, and smallest animal in each category. This resolution was written by Project Coyote Member Cynthia Samels.

Dozens of dead coyotes await weigh-in following the annual Moon Dog Madness killing contest. Wisconsin is one of the few states which allow this bizarre practice. This undercover photo was taken by Wolf Patrol. Click on images to enlarge.

Project Coyote is a national organization whose mission is to promote conservation and coexistence between people and wildlife through education, science, and advocacy. Members include hunters, ranchers, scientists, conservationists, educators, and citizen leaders.

All Wisconsin residents of any age can vote online April 11th through 14th, 7 PM using the following link:  http://dnr.wi.gov/About/WCC/springhearing.html.

More Resolutions for Your Vote

The following resolutions will appear in select counties: (1) Stop Payments to Bear Hunters for Dogs Killed by Wolves: Wisconsin is the only state that compensates hunters when wolves kill or injure their dogs. A hunter can be compensated up to $2,500 per dog; even when a hunter violates state rules or releases hounds in areas the state DNR has mapped as dangerous for wolf activity. From 1985 to 2020, a total of $908,435.00 was paid out in compensation for hound injuries or deaths. The compensation serves as an incentive to put dogs at risk. (2) Eliminate Nighttime Hunting of Wolves and Coyotes:  Families, including children and dogs, often visit state lands for a hike or ski when their workdays end.  For their protection year-round, nighttime hunting of coyotes should be restricted. Wisconsin citizens have been endangered, and their dogs killed, by hunters who are unable to identify their target in the dark.

To anyone thinking, incorrectly, that these resolutions are anti-hunting:

Most of them are written by hunters

More recently, wildlife advocates like Mueller and Samels are tenaciously working to make headway on extreme hunting practices. “I’ve testified at many WCC committee meetings,” Samels said. “You have to be prepared to support and defend your resolutions.  I have discussed finding a coyote carcass pile, provided evidence of wildlife killing contests, and submitted photos and video as proof these contests are widespread. Navigating the WCC process is not easy, but we are determined to keep showing up and voicing our frustrations with these unethical practices.”

All Wisconsin residents of any age can vote online April 11th through 14th, 7PM using the following link:  http://dnr.wi.gov/About/WCC/springhearing.html

The DNR has not taken a formal position on wildlife killing contests, so this practice continues in Wisconsin. The ballots are tabulated within a few days of the hearings and the WCC is charged to work with the DNR and legislature on items that are approved.

As to non-hunters attending the hearings, “It’s good that more people are getting involved, but it would be better if we divided the hearings into hunting and environmental categories,” said Larry Bonde, past WCC Chairman. “I understand concerns about some of these practices, but we have more in common than apart. We could be a powerful group if we worked together on natural resource issues and developed that kind of legislative caucus. I have never experienced hunting big game with hounds. I understand why it’s controversial.”

Who Can Vote & How?

All Wisconsin residents of any age can vote online April 11th through 14th, 7PM using the following link:  http://dnr.wi.gov/About/WCC/springhearing.html

     For a science-based hunting perspective, visit Protect Science-Based Wildlife Management at Protect Science-based Wildlife Management | Help Wildlife, Protect the Environment, Support Nature Conservation, Save the Planet (sierraclub.org).

Extreme Hunter Nation?

Musician Ted Nugent of Hunter Nation recently met with Wisconsin legislators, pushing passage of the Wisconsin Sporting Freedom Act. He testified in support of 13 different bills, including hunting Sandhill Cranes, starting a non-native bovid hunt, expanding various hunting forms, adding a constitutional amendment to guarantee concealed carry for self-protection. Self-protection from what? A deer, duck, or Sandhill Crane? In an October 13, 2021, AP News report, Nugent calls Sandhill Cranes ribeye in the sky and recommends butter and garlic for cooking up this protected bird species.

 According to outdoors author and hunter Tim Eisele (TimEiseleOutdoors.com), “Hunter Nation is an out-of-state organization that appears to have a constant goal of kill-kill-kill and liberalize every kind of hunting. Just because we can hunt Sandhill Cranes, does that mean that hunting Sandhill Cranes is the right thing to do? Sandhill Cranes are an iconic species that have come back from near extinction and are welcomed by many.  Yet, Hunter Nation … [is] trying to portray these changes under the guise of being pro-hunter, pro-farmer, and being used to recruit new hunters.”

In Your Parks, On Your Trails

In recent years, the Wisconsin legislature has been undermining the DNR’s authority by legislative decrees that allow hunting in state parks and on trails. Many of these actions affect people who recreate outdoors, with scores of reported incidents.

     Most of these bills have passed the legislature. Contact Wisconsin Governor Evers (evers.wi.gov/pages/connect.aspx) and ask him to veto the Sporting Freedom Act.

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Personal Essay: Skiing into a Bloody Coyote Hunt

Tina Henriksen

My husband and I, with dog Thabo, often ski the Northern Kettle Moraine horse trails. We’ve occasionally encountered hunters and have never had a problem. My last experience was unlike any other.

Tina and Brian Henriksen pose with dog Thabo. The Henriksens found themselves in the middle of a hounding coyote hunt while skiing in the Kettle Moraine State Forest. Photo by Michael McFadzen

Our gang was enjoying a beautiful back-country ski when we encountered an organized troupe of coyote hunters and dogs. One hunter here, another there, then we saw a vehicle with another waiting hunter with his many dogs in pens in the bed of a truck.  The dogs were agitated, ready to hunt.

Continuing our ski, we heard several dogs barking and encountered another hunter who was calling them. We quickly realized we were in the middle of a dog-hounding coyote hunt. My stomach turned. The trail we chose to ski that day intersected their hunting area.

We heard barking in the distance and then gunshots. Shortly after, we spotted a hunter with several dogs and a bloodied coyote lying in the snow. It was apparent that the coyote did not simply die due to a gunshot.

It had been mauled. 

I couldn’t stand to look closely. The thought of this vicious kill sickened me. One of the dogs with a shock collar started following me when I skied to get away from this ugly scene. The dog repeatedly crossed my skis.  When I tried to shoo it away, it would scream in pain. I yelled at the hunters to call the dog when I noticed significant blood on its fur, apparently due to its encounter with the coyote. It was sickening. When I finally encountered the hunter, I realized that the traumatic yelping was caused by the dog being shocked by its owner. I told him his dog was bleeding. He was amused and responded, “It must have got in a fight with the coyote”.

I question what happens to dogs that are maimed. Are they euthanized by their owners and simply replaced? Yet another inhumane aspect of this hunting practice.

My husband hunts deer and pheasant.

We can appreciate a clean and humane kill for the sake of population management and sustenance. This hunt was neither. It simply served as bloodlust for these hunters. They had neither regard for the safety of their dogs nor did they have a viable reason to kill a coyote.

To anyone with any notion that any of this is anti-hunting, you’re wrong. These acts of extremely inhumane conduct are not sporting. Sportsmanship is supposed to be the foundation of hunting, its history and practice. Instead, these acts are an affront to hunting itself. They do away with all that is dignified and instead practice vicious, one-sided and cruel bloodlust, uncaring of man’s supposed best friend as much as wildlife, or the humans, including hunters, who have used the trails peacefully for decades.

All Wisconsin residents of any age can vote online April 11th through 14th, 7PM using the following link:  http://dnr.wi.gov/About/WCC/springhearing.html