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The Sleeping Giant Begins to Stir

22 Apr
The sleeping giant is slowly waking up!

The sleeping giant is slowly waking up!

 

In conclusion I want to address the possible consequences of ignoring majority public opinion. This bill seems to reflect a vocal minority. In so doing it will unify opponents who otherwise have not collaborated. I will venture two predictions. Opponents will challenge the bill at the ballot, in the ceded territories, and in the courts. You have never seen wolf policy challenged in these ways, particularly in state courts. Litigants will invoke the Public Trust Doctrine with its precedents in the U.S. Supreme Court that guarantee wildlife are a public trust resource that cannot be jeopardized. This bill will unify the opposition and this bill does not do justice to the measured and prudent approach to wolf policy the great state of Wisconsin has taken up to this point.

Arian Treves written testimony to the Senate Natural Resources Committee, February 8, 2012

As we all know the testimony of Professor Treves and that of countless other wildlife advocates were ignored that day and the wolf kill bill went on to pass the Wisconsin Legislature with “bi-partisan” support. A couple of major things happened once this abhorrent bill was rubber stamped and passed into law. First, people began to wake up to the institutionalized brutality that the state of Wisconsin openly advocates and actively promotes. Second, the residents of this state slowly came to realize the corrupt and openly biased system in place that shuts out the voices of everyone except a few powerful kill everything lobbyists and the killing cartels that employ them. Undeterred the Legislature and DNR continued to pass and implement anti-wildlife and pro-killing policies like never before. But people are starting to wake up.

While the wolf kill bill and the sadism included in it infuriated wildlife advocates across the country the Legislature, including almost all of the spineless Democrats, voted to allow hunting and trapping in almost every state park for SEVEN months of the year. This outraged not only wildlife advocates but non-consumptive users of the parks, and even some hunters as well. This bill, even more arrogant and audacious than the wolf kill bill, led to a public backlash that seemed to take the DNR and Natural Resources Board by surprise. The outrage was so massive that the Natural Resources Board actually listened to the citizens (unlike with the wolf kill bill) and scaled back the time allotted for killing in state parks to one month. Of course this was unacceptable to the kill everything good ol boys in the so called “Conservation Congress,” so they had to put the issue up for a vote in their yearly sham elections. But something strange happened this year at these elections, that the DNR tries to play off as a “sportsmen hearing.” Bristling from anger over the wolf kill bill and non-stop killing in state parks, attendees in Dane, Milwaukee, and Polk Counties voted to elect four PRO-wildlife candidates. And as you can guess this has the kill everything types like “outdoor” writer Patrick Durkin whining about hunters “losing” and about how these counties determined the outcome of several key votes. From Durkin’s propaganda article:

The wolf and “silent-sports” crowd also helped elect four of their own during the WCC’s annual elections, which lead off the hearings so all attendees can participate:

■ Melissa Smith, Madison, helped lead wolf-hunting opposition in Wisconsin the past year, and also opposed the Legislature’s expansion of hunting and trapping in state parks. She defeated incumbent Matt Rainey, Madison, for one of Dane County’s two-year delegate posts.

■ Barb Eisenberg, Milwaukee, a nonhunter and conservation/environmental activist, defeated incumbent Josh Hennlich, Oak Creek, vice chair of Milwaukee County’s WCC delegation, for a two-year term. Eisenberg also served as a WCC delegate from 2005 to 2008.

■ Brook Waalen, Luck, a member of the Ice Age Trail Alliance, defeated incumbent David Hraychuck, Balsam Lake, vice-chair of Polk County’s WCC delegation, for a two-year term.

■ Paul Kuhlman, St. Croix Falls, also a member of the IATA, was elected to fill a vacancy for a three-year term on Polk County’s WCC delegation.

Unlike some advocacy groups, the wolf-and-parks contingent didn’t just vote on pet questions and leave.

I love the “us vs them” tone of the article. The way Durkin makes it sound is if you are against dogs being used on wolves or against non-stop killing in state parks, you are the enemy. Then comes this little quote from Dane County Conservation Congress Delgate and wife of George Meyer, Jane Meyer:

Jayne Meyer, chairwoman of Dane County’s WCC delegation, said the Congress paid a price for asking the state parks question. “That’s why we lost our guy (Rainey),” she said. “There was no need for it. The Natural Resources Board settled that issue last year.”

Our guy? I thought the WCC was supposed to represent ALL citizens and be a citizen advisory? This quote shows that this sham organization is nothing more than another mouth piece for the killing cartels run by the likes of George Meyer and bear hounder lobbyists like Bob “Connecticut Effect” Welch. They had to give up FOUR spots to pro-wildlife/pro-enviroment candidates and they act as though the world is ending. To show how vastly unfair this “congress” is just look at how each county, no matter the population, gets the same number of delegates. So a county in the north with a tiny population gets the same say as counties with massive populations like Dane and Milwaukee. Is it just me or is something wrong with this picture? The game is rigged from the outset and they still whine that they lost four seats out of 300 plus that the good ol boys still control.

But the sleeping giant is starting to awaken. As Professor Treves foreshadowed in his above testimony people are catching on and getting fed up with the “business as usual” way wildlife is “managed” in this state. The time has come to give ALL citizens a voice in this issue and not just a select few from the good ol boy clubs that attempt to bully and intimidate anyone that doesn’t bow to their every whim. This is just the beginning. It is time to take our voice back from the killing cartels and demand that we be heard.

For more about our friend and newly elected Dane County delegate, Melissa Smith, please read this:

Hunting critics want a say in Wisconsin’s wildlife management

 

 
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Posted by on April 22, 2013 in Wisconsin Insanity, Wolves, Trapping, Hunting, Hounding

 

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Wisconsin DNR Proposes Allowing Packs of Dogs to “Train” On Wolves During March Denning and Birthing Season

16 Feb
Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

How much more despicable can the DNR be when catering to their bear hounder puppet masters? You are not going to like the answer. The Wisconsin DNR is proposing to allow hounders to pit their dogs against wolves with very few restrictions and even believing that Judge Anderson’s recent ruling gives them full endorsement to do so. If you care anything for wolves or wildlife this document will make you furious:

http://dnr.wi.gov/About/NRB/2013/February/02-13-2B1.pdf

Essentially the DNR document that outlines this disgusting proposal uses hearsay from bear hounders and their propaganda to justify what they will be doing to wolves. They even contradict themselves numerous times while openly admitting that bear hounders broke the law by “accidentally” “trailing” wolves when they were and endangered species. To sum up what the document allows:

  • No breed restrictions will be in place. This means that hounders can choose breeds specifically bred to fight wolves to pit against them. This is perfectly fine according to the DNR because Wisconsin has a “law” that makes it illegal to kill wild animals with dogs. And we know how honest bear hounders are.
  • No leashes will be required. This is because we all know just how difficult it would be for the hounder to have to leave the comfort of their vehicle to actually observe their vicious dog packs terrorizing wildlife. The DNR then talks about how hard it would be for the hounder to “harvest the animal humanely” if they have to keep their dogs on a leash. As we all know they are such humanitarians and care so much about the pain and suffering they inflict on wildlife.
  • DNR will trust hounders to teach other hounders how to go after wolves with no certification required because the DNR has no “expertise” in this area? Really? So how are they expected to “enforce” what they have no knowledge of?
  • No restrictions about where hounders can let their dogs run rampant in wolf habitat. Remember that hounders will be allowed to let their packs of vicious dogs run completely unsupervised through wolf, bear, and other wildlife habitat during times that coincide with bear hibernation. Whose to say that hibernating bears will not be harassed or even killed by these packs of vicious dogs? The DNR obviously doesn’t care.
  • Finally they want to allow hounders to “train” their dogs on wolves with no restrictions right through the breeding, denning, and birthing seasons until the end of March. When pregnant females need to be preparing for the birth of their litters they will be harassed or even attacked by unlimited packs of vicious dogs. The fine print reads that they can “only” use packs of “six” dogs at a time to “train”but that they can switch out to new packs of dogs if the original pack gets tired. So essentially unlimited dogs will be allowed to go after wolves during this very sensitive time. The DNR even has the gall to call this a “reasonable fair-chase restriction.”

And here are the few “restrictions” the DNR will be placing on hounders:

  • Hounders cannot go after wolves at night. How generous of them. 
  • Hounders cannot be reimbursed for dogs killed by wolves while hunting or training against wolves. But of course nothing stops a hounder from claiming that they were “hunting coyotes” so they can get that nice fat $2500 check for their “beloved” dog. In this document the DNR even goes so far as to repeat the bear hounder propaganda about how much they “care” about their dogs.
  • The DNR will trust hounders to “call off” their dogs when they think there are more than “1 or 2″ wolves in the vicinity. Of course how can they “call them off” when they are sitting in their trucks and the dogs are running rampant through the woods?
  • The the DNR brags about how there were “only” 11 dog “depredations” in 2012. They claim that hounders are being more “careful” about where they let their dogs run. That’s funny considering now they are going to now pit those very same dogs that they claim to “care” for up up against wolves in the same areas. Remember one of the reasons Rep. Scott Suder (R-ALEC) and his anti-wolf allies claimed for the the wolf kill bill was that wolves were “decimating” hunting dogs. Now the DNR refutes that. Wow.
  • Finally, hounders can use radio receiving devices to “track” their dogs but can’t use those same devices to seek out radio collared wolves. Of course again we all know how “honest” and “ethical” hounders are.

Then we have the DNR even going so far as to claim that it has been “legal” to “train” dogs against wolves since they were delisted on January 27, 2012. Really? At this time the wolf kill bill had not even passed and wolves were not considered a “game” species yet. So according to the DNR hounders could legally put their dogs up against wolves from the day they were removed from the ESA list? So does this mean hounders can “train” their dogs against any “non-game” species that they want with no restrictions? Then the DNR points out that hounders have let their dogs “unintentionally” chase wolves for years even when they were under federal protection. This is ok? Do these sadists have any rules they are required to follow?

Then we have the quote of all quotes. If you are drinking anything swallow it before reading this:

“We have strived to base our season on science, social desires, and regulations that are reasonable, practical, and acceptable.” 

Reasonable, practical, and acceptable to whom? The only ones who find this abomination to be acceptable and reasonable are the bear hounders, their puppets in the DNR, and legislature. There is nothing “science” based about allowing packs of vicious dogs to go after wolves with almost no restrictions. When even the wolf hating states out west do not allow this that tells you something. Wisconsin is the ONLY state that allows this insanity and has the gall to call it “science.” And this garbage about “social desires” is just that, garbage. These anti-wolf zealots will never be satisfied as long as on free wolf is allowed to live. I have it from well placed sources that many within the DNR do not at all agree with the Stepp/Thiede propaganda and their zeal for allowing doges to go after wolves, but they are afraid to speak out. They need to speak out or this is only going to get more extreme and sadistic if that is even possible.

It is also shameful the the Department of Interior under “Cowboy Ken” Salazar has allowed plans like Wisconsin’s to be implemented unchecked. So much for that “five year monitoring” they claim to have in place. This also falls on President Obama who should be ashamed that this is happening under his watch. So much for being a “Progressive.”

The HSUS better use this document as a focal point of their lawsuit to prove this is nothing more than an eradication/revenge hunt to placate bear hounders and anti-wolf zealots. We must also be fully involved by attending the Spring Election of the “Conservation Congress” in each of our counties on April 8th. There will be several “advisory” questions about the use of dogs against wolves. We must mobilize ethical hunters and living wildlife advocates to attend and vote for proposing a law to ban the use of dogs against wolves, and vote against the various anti-wildlife proposals being offered. The DNR continues to spit in the face of anyone who cares about wolves and wildlife and it is up to us to stop them. No more apathy, the time is now to step up and take our wildlife and wild lands back from the bear hounders/trappers and their sadistic allies. The DNR can no longer use the veil of “science” to justify their pandering to the most sadistic and anti-wildlife groups out there.

 
205 Comments

Posted by on February 16, 2013 in Hunting, Trapping, Wisconsin Insanity, Wolves

 

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And People Wonder Why We View Bear Hounders As Monsters?

07 Jan
Some "traditions" just need to die.

Some “traditions” just need to die.

 

I am barely able to type this post because I am so distraught over the plight of California bear hounders. This sadness comes from the fact that California banned the hounding of bears and bobcats this past September. It seems that the poor California bear hounders who claim to “love” their dogs so much are in a tizzy about how they are going to sell or get rid of their dogs. And then I read about hounder, Donnie Millsap, and my heart just broke over his plight:

As far as Donnie Millsap is concerned, he had the perfect job.

Two years ago, the Farmersville resident and avid hunter started a side business taking fellow hunters to an area south of Badger to track and hunt black bears.

“I bought a four-door truck with four-wheel drive for this business for about $15,000,” along with about $1,500 worth of knives, guns and other supplies, not to mention the cost and time involved in training, feeding and caring for his four hunting hounds.

It wasn’t Millsap’s main job, but it allowed the heavy-equipment mechanic to do what he loved and earn money to support his own bear-hunting hobby.

But all that changed when the new year began, and a California law took effect banning the use of dogs to track or hunt bears or bobcats anywhere in the state.

“It effectively took my business,” Millsap, 53, said of state Senate Bill 1221, which California legislators passed last year. The law was signed in September by Gov. Jerry Brown.

So this sadist cannot make anymore money off of his sick blood sport. My heart just bleeds for him. This is an example of the ignorant and ridiculous argument that these hounders make:

For his part, Millsap said it’s wrong for California to ban a hunting method that has existed for centuries.

“My reaction was when are they going to stop taking stuff away from people? I mean, hunting dogs, that goes back in the history books. I remember reading in school about famous people going out with a dog and going after a raccoon at night,” he said.

That’s funny, when I was in school I also remember reading about how “famous” people used dogs to go after runaway slaves at night. So is that right as well, Millsap? I get so tired of words like “tradition” and “heritage” being used to justify every sick and barbaric activity these sadists do.

Then we have Millsap expressing how much he “loves” his dogs:

“I give these dogs more attention than some people give their children,” he said.

And Millsap said a hound can’t be trained to go after an animal it doesn’t want to go after, including a bear.

“This dog here, he’s 12 years old,” he said of one of his hounds, Ole Buster. “He’s been doing it all of his life. If he smells [a bear], he is going to go after it.”

But there is always a catch with these people. Millsap and another hounder sadist are whining about how they are going to get rid of the dogs that they “love like children.”

Without the extra income from his business, Millsap said he can’t afford to keep his dogs, and Duplessis said he already gave away three of his dogs, because if they can’t hunt, he had no reason to incur the $300 a month it cost him to feed them.

Before SB 1221 was passed, his remaining dogs were worth between $2,500 and $6,000. Since he can’t use them to hunt anymore or breed them for other bear hunters in this state, Duplessis said the dogs are practically worthless.

Millsap, who also is considering selling his dogs or turning them over to an animal shelter if he can’t find a buyer, said selling dogs to hunters in other states isn’t much of an option, because they know that the new California law will allow them to buy the animals cheap from people desperate to sell them.

“You went from a $5,000 dog to — maybe, if you’re lucky — a $1,000 dog.”

Yup, they “love” them so much that they want to sell them for big money or dump them at a shelter. And they wonder why most sane people view hounders as monsters?

The rest of the article goes on to give the same old whining that all hunting is going to be banned by the “antis” and that the ban on hounding is just a start. The typical NRA backed paranoia that these people are famous for. All I can say is that California deserves massive praise for putting an end to the deplorable practice of hounding. While states like Wisconsin continue to expand hounding, California is following the right path. Excuse me, I must get some tissue because I am still so upset over the bear hounders plight. Read more here:

Tulare County hunters aren’t happy about new state law

 

 
11 Comments

Posted by on January 7, 2013 in Bears, National Wildlife Issues, Wildlife

 

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Reliving 2012 and a Call To Action For 2013

01 Jan
Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Welcome to 2013. 2012 was a horrible year for wildlife across the country and especially for wolves in the Great Lakes. 2012 was also the year that we started fighting back against the kill everything extremists and their monopoly over our wildlife and wild lands. This was never more apparent than with the massive public outcry against the insane plan to allow basically unchecked hunting and trapping in our state parks for seven months of the year. Your voice made a difference and forced the normally rubber stamping Natural Resources Board to dramatically scale back this insane plan. We were finally heard loud and clear and a message was sent about the overreach of the DNR and their puppet masters in the legislatures and the extremist hunting groups.

While this was a great accomplishment there is so much more that we need to be vigilant about. In 2012 we saw the revolting side of our species manifest itself in response to Wisconsin’s first wolf killing season. The absolutely disgusting “Wisconsin Wolf Hunting” Facebook page finally showed to the rest of the public the sadistic and bloodthirsty mindset that plagues much of rural Wisconsin and the rest of the country. Facebook should be ashamed to have allowed this disgusting page to even exist. Unfortunately while homages to sadism like the “Wisconsin Wolf Hunting” page were allowed to spread and revel in their torture and bloodlust, wildlife advocates were being banned from Facebook for only expressing their opinions. That being said the sadists who participate in the above page and other similar ones are finally showing their true colors to the rest of society. Would most of us have even known how brutal and sadistic these people truly are without them proudly sharing their sick photos and videos? Their arrogance and pride in their brutal acts are waking up more and more people to what is really happening on our wild lands. One thing is for sure, we are paying attention. Because of the vigilance of wildlife advocates we were able to expose the sick and sadistic videos showing James Vee and his buddy laughing and joking after shooting a wolf in a trap. Vee and his buddy laughed while the wounded wolf thrashed in it’s death throes. Our pressure made sure that the DNR investigated this guy and he ended up being charged for not having a “proper” license for trapping the wolf. This same person also videotaped for several minutes while another trapped wolf howled and cried while awaiting it’s execution by another slob who made it a family event in front of a small child. Of course the DNR found nothing wrong with this and apparently their own rules about requiring a trapped animal to be killed “immediately” are null and void when it comes to wolf torturers.

In 2012, 241 wolves were reported to have died by human hands in Wisconsin. 117 from the wolf killing season, 57 from the Wildlife Services assassins, 22 killed by vehicles (all accidents, I am sure), 18 killed by landowners, and nine killed by poachers. The rest by “unknown causes.” Of course the number killed by poachers is very likely to be highly underestimated or underreported. And the wolf killers all did this without the use of dogs. Of course the trapper sadists killed the majority of wolves at 53%. And at no surprise to anyone the anti-wolf zealots are already clamoring for a massively increased quota for next year to push the wolfp opulation closer and closer to that ridiculous “350″ number that they worship. Apparently they are too dense to realize that 350 was the number that they could begin killing wolves and it was not intended to be the maximum population. And like clockwork chief anti-wolf zealot and bear hounder puppet Rep. Scott Suder (R-ALEC) chimed in at the Natural Resources Board hearing that authorized the wolf slaughter. Suder wants to drastically lower the cost for for the wolf killing licenses to match the anti-wolf states of Idaho and Montana, and he was whining that the quota was far too low. Now that Suder and his cronies again have complete and total control of the state government we need to watch every piece of legislation that this guy proposes. He may very well be the most anti-wildlfie politician in the country right now and we need to make sure everyone knows who he really works for.

In 2013 we must also make sure to to keep a close eye on the extremist hunting groups that were behind the wolf kill bill and the unlimited killing in state parks bill. Of course we all know which groups these are and they are led by the deplorable Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association and George Meyer’s deceptively named hunting group, the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation. Last year Meyer’s kill everything group made an insane proposal that slipped under the radar. They want the state to impose a bounty program for the killing of coyotes. Now that they essentially own the legislature do not be surprised to see more insane proposals like this put forth to be rubber stamped by the Republicans and their so-called Democrat allies. When Meyer and his group were not busy dreaming up more killing proposals they were telling everyone that would listen what a great thing that it was that animal cruelty was protected under state law when it comes to wildlife.

The positive is that the above groups flew under the radar for so long that not many knew how much power they really had and how they owned the legislature. But their arrogance could no longer be restrained and they decided that their power was so absolute that they could not restrain their overreach. Now people are paying attention. Now WE are paying attention and we sure don’t like what we are seeing. WE are the new breed of wildlife advocates and WE don’t back down even in the face of bullying and threats. Earlier this year one of our supporters and dedicated ally had a dead and gutted coyote placed on the hood of their vehicle in Madison. Apparently these sadistic thugs thought that it would scare this person into submission. It didn’t. In fact it did the exact opposite and strengthened their resolve even further. These type of bullies may have been able to intimidate wildlife advocates with their gruesome acts and threats in the past, but that is no more. The bullies and sadists in the hunting community need to realize that WE are a whole new breed of wildlife advocate. Some of us are military veterans. We come from all walks of life, and some are even former or current hunters. We don’t back down. The same message goes to the anti-wolf/pro-hounder trolls who post threats on this site toward wildlife advocates and our allies. You will be exposed and your past indiscretions will be made available for all of the world to see thanks to the Wisconsin Circuit Court online records system. I would say something about throwing stones in a glass house, but most of the trolls are too dense to understand the meaning behind that.

We have accomplished quite a bit in 2012 in the face of a relentless attack by those who wish to see all that we hold precious eradicated. For 2013 we must take it up a few notches. The first thing that we must do is continue to EXPOSE the bear hounders, trappers, and other sadists for what they really are. When they post their lies and propaganda, call them on it. When they post their sadistic videos and photos share them far and wide. We must also attend the Natural Resources Board hearings to make our voice heard. The same must be done for the so-called “Conservation” Congress. We must get our delegates voted onto this good old boy “congress.” Remember it is supposed to for the “public” so we have just as much of a right to be a part of this as they do. Any “public” hearing concerning wildlife we must attend to make our voices heard. The DNR always makes sure that the kill everything groups are strongly represented at these meeting and we need to counter that. Finally we must counter the anti-wolf zealots and trolls who post on internet news stories. Counter them with FACTS and when they accuse of of being “emotional” and they get angry turn the tables and point out who is really the “emotional” one. Remember we have the FACTS on our side, not the fluffy lies and propaganda they constantly spew.

Finally the most important thing for us to do is to stop the childish infighting that so often happens among wildlife and animal welfare organizations and individuals. This petty garbage is one of the reasons that we have trouble gaining ground on the kill everything groups that dominate our state. This war on wildlife is not just affecting wolves it is impacting all of our wildlife in one way or another. Look at how bears, coyotes, and other “fur bearing” animals are treated in this state. We are advocates for ALL living wildlife not just wolves as some on our side want it to be. Our state allows and even promotes the most vile and barbaric methods for killing animals and someone needs to keep pointing this out. We cannot do this without coordination or by getting sidetracked trying to save the world from global warming or other issues. While those issues are very important we must focus on our WILDLIFE and try to do what is within our power to force change at the state level. Our real enemies are the hounders, trappers, anti-wildlife legislators, and the kill everything hunting groups that pull their strings. While it is noble to try and change the world we must focus on changing our own backyard FIRST. Before Patricia started her column most people had no clue what was being done to the wildlife in this state and how corrupt our DNR has become. Most bought into the propaganda that all “sportsmen” were “conservationists” and ethical. While some may be we now see the dark underbelly that has been thriving in this state for decades. This is what we must work together to expose. Please stop the petty vegan vs vegetarian vs meat eater arguments. Please stop acting like one species of wildlife is all that matters when all are suffering. If people do not want to work together than they are doing more harm than good as far as I am concerned and we are no better than the extremist sadists that we claim to be fighting against.

Now that I got that off of my chest I want to wish all living wildlife advocates a very happy New Year. Even with all of the sadism and suffering that we saw this past year we are making progress. People are starting to pay attention and the hounders, trappers, and other sadists are finally being exposed. We must not let up. Let’s make 2013 the year that our wildlife finally has a true voice. We must also continue to support those with the courage to challenge in court the insanity of our state. The outstanding legal team challenging the use of of dogs against wolves is a perfect example of this. We thank them for allowing wildlife advocates to finally fight back against the bear hounders and their enablers. But this must only be the beginning. We must fight to bring true democracy into our wildlife and wild land “management” decisions. It is time to stand up to the pro-killing anti-wildlife cartels that are in bed with the state and demand that these decisions are made by the majority, not just extremist special interests. Keep fighting and have a happy New Year.

 
10 Comments

Posted by on January 1, 2013 in Hunting, Trapping, Uncategorized, Wisconsin Insanity, Wolves

 

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At Least One Sadist From Wolf Torture Videos Cited for Not Having “Trapper Education” And More Hounder Insanity

26 Nov

Last week, I posted several videos from the “Vee” family that showed them laughing and posing for the camera before and after killing two trapped wolves. Three of the videos showed a collared wolf howling and crying while languishing in the trap for several minutes. It turns out that the killer of the collared wolf was fined for not having attended a “trapper education” course and the dead wolf was confiscated from him. This is the email that we received from  a DNR official who we are not going to name.:

For your information the man who shot the radio collared wolf will be fined and the wolf was confiscated from him.  He was not legally licensed to trap wolves, in part because he had not taken trapper education classes.  We had tried to require training for anyone planning to trap wolves, but were unable to get special wolf trapping training that into the rules.  But all trappers need to have taken trapper education classes.  A major  part of trapper education programs are teaching people ethics of trapping and attempting to dispatch captured animals as humanely and quickly as possible.  Letting the wolf struggle in the trap while they were videoing it instead of just quickly euthanizing it certainly was not ethical.
 
We did provide voluntary training for wolf trapping and I would guess neither group took that class.  The first pair that commented about shooting the wolf in the face were certainly not ethical.   But a well-placed shot to the head can be an approved method of euthanasia approved by the American Medical Veterinary Association.  But putting it on a video, and making comments as they did certainly was not ethical.  I could not see well enough how well the shot was made to the head. Even with a well-placed shot into the brain, there still may be some residual muscle and nerve action after the animal was shot. 
 
Thanks for bringing these to my attention.  They were not easy to watch.  It looks like at least 1 of these individual will end up getting fined. 
 
Happy Thanksgiving
While we are happy that at least one of these sadists will be getting a fine, we are not happy that the DNR claims in this article that there were no “violations” in the videos:

Randy Stark, the DNR’s chief warden, said, as of late last week, the agency cited five wolf hunters and trappers during the hunt: one for trapping with untagged traps, two citations to hunters who purchased a trapping license without attending a trapper education course, and two citations to a wolf hunter for using illegal bait and having a loaded firearm in a vehicle.

Stark said the agency also investigated several videos posted online that showed wolf hunters videotaping live, trapped wolves and possibly not killing the animals immediately and humanely, as required by law.

But he said wardens concluded that no violations occurred and the animals were shot quickly and humanely.

So videotaping a trapped and suffering wolf for several minutes is perfectly acceptable, and “shot quick” according to the DNR? Really? The same article also points out how the DNR is already looking to increase the slaughter for next year. Then we have the bear hounders whining again about how hounding is their “right” and compares it to biking and swimming.

One of the groups that pushed for the wolf hunt and the use of dogs is the Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association. Carl Schoettel, of Neosho, vice president of the organization, said last week that the case is less about success rates and more about the rights of hunters.

“It surprises me, too, that the success rate has been so good,” Schoettel said.

“But we’ve been very consistent about saying that, regardless, it is our right to use hounds no matter what animal we’re hunting … It’s a hunter rights issue. It’s about hounds. This is a lifestyle. Some people like to bike and some people like to swim. We like to run dogs.

So legalized animal fighting and tormenting wildlife with dogs is the same as biking and swimming? Remember hunters, these sadists are your “voice.” So let me get this straight this:

And this:

Is the same as this:

And we are the “extremists?” We are “ignorant?” We live in “la-la” land? Good job hunters, these are the people  who now represent you in Wisconsin. Keep feeding us this insanity, bear hounders, and we will keep posting it.

 

 

 
10 Comments

Posted by on November 26, 2012 in Hunting, Trapping, Wisconsin Insanity, Wolves

 

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Five Month Wolf Slaughter Begins Monday and Why Are Federal Employees Giving Wolf Killing Lessons?

13 Oct

An article by pro-killing writer, Paul Smith, appeared this evening on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s website talking abut the upcoming wolf kill. Amidst all of the fluff about how “careful” the DNR is not to allow “over-harvest” of wolves there is a section about how a professional wildlife assassin from the despised USDA’s “Wildlife Services” gave a government sanctioned course to would be wolf killers about how to trap wolves. From the article:

Only a handful of people, mostly state and federal employees like Dave Ruid of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s wildlife services, have intentionally and with proper authorization trapped or hunted wolves in Wisconsin.

Ruid said the techniques for trapping wolves are very similar to those used for coyotes. At the clinic in Tomahawk, Ruid demonstrated a wolf set. It used a foot-hold trap concealed by dirt and leaves. A dog urine scent was used to mark a nearby log.

Trappers are likely to achieve higher rates of success, said Ruid. Of the 1,160 licenses issued in Wisconsin, 238 have some trapping experience or have purchased a trapping license in the past, according to the DNR.

So our tax money is paying for “clinics” that teach sadists how to bait and trap wolves. I expect this garbage from the kill everything types in the DNR, but why are the Feds putting on killing classes? Then we have DNR employee and bear hounder shill, Kurt Thiede, spreading more ridiculous fluffy propaganda:

“We are being as careful as possible,” said Thiede. “It is in everyone’s interest that we effectively manage wolves so we are able to retain management of these majestic creatures.”

Careful as possible? Really? Wanting to allow packs of vicious dogs to run rampant through the woods and fight wolves? Allowing 1600 sadists to target a population of 800 wolves night and day for five months? Allowing those same sadists to bait, use electronic calls, and trap? That sure sounds “careful” to me. By the way this is almost exactly what Rep. Scott Suder (R-ALEC) said during an interview on Wisconsin Public Radio back in February. It sure is funny how the bear hounders, Suder, and their shills like Thiede all use the same talking points. Who do they really work for?

Then there is a very well reasoned article from Ron Seely in the Wisconsin State Journal talking about how the wolf killing season, vehicle deaths, killings by Wildlife Services assassins, and poaching could cause between 46 to 57 percent of the wolf population to be killed over the next few months according to DNR wolf biologist Adrian Wydeven. Now I see why Rep. Scott Suder (R-Alec) and Rep. Roger (Some Girls Rape Easy) Rivard did not allow Mr. Wydeven to testify at their sham of a “public hearing.” From the article:

Wisconsin population studies, Wydeven said, have shown that 9 percent to 19 percent of the state’s wolves are killed illegally each year, 10 percent are killed in depredation control programs, and 3 percent to 4 percent are killed by vehicles. Add those numbers to the 24 percent harvest quotas, Wydeven said, and total, human-caused mortality is likely to be between 46 percent and 57 percent. Research has shown that wolves can tolerate up to about 29 percent to 35 percent human-caused mortality rates before populations decline, Wydeven reported to the Natural Resources Board.

So it is likely that over 50 percent of the wolf population will be killed before the wolf killing season ends in February. Of course that does not include the number of pregnant females that will be killed after the beginning of the year that will further decrease the population. Then we have Mr. Wydeven talking about how beneficial wolves are to the ecosystem in this article:

“Wisconsin’s wolf population has grown since then from a pair of wolves to roughly 850 wolves today,” Wydeven said. “As their numbers have grown, they have had a significant impact that has shown to benefit surrounding ecosystems.”

Wydeven will provide data and anecdotal evidence on how the growing wolf population has contributed to greater diversity of understory plants, as well as improved deer herd and trout stream conditions. In addition, he will touch on the controversy surrounding human interaction with wolves related to depredation and Wisconsin’s first wolf hunt to reduce their numbers.

So we have a respected DNR biologist talking about how over 50 percent of the population may be killed and how beneficial they are to the ecosystem while the DNR is all hot and bothered to kill as many wolves as they can in any way possible. What is wrong with this picture? Wolves in this state face very grave danger in the upcoming months. This threat is not just from the sadists who wish to trap, shoot, and hound wolves, but from ignorant politicians like Scott Suder who will surely push for increased kill numbers next year along with more extreme killing methods.

If Mr. Wydeven is correct and over half of the wolf population is killed we must not stand by and allow the federal government to sit on their hands. If this happens the wolf needs to be returned to the Endangered Species List and we need to make sure this happens. Please be vigilant as to what is happening if you live in wolf country. Do not hesitate to report poachers, trespassers, or hounders breaking the rules. If you do not want to report it directly send us a message and we will report it. The DNR must be held accountable and enforce their so called “rules” that they let trappers, hunters, and hounders so brazenly get away with. If you have video evidence of wrongdoing please share it with us. If you see photographs or videos on the internet of any violations please share the links. We cannot stand by and let these sadists continue to break laws and torture wildlife while the DNR looks the other way. This is not just for wolves. If you see any wildlife violations report it and let us or other wildlife advocacy groups know. The public must be made aware of what is really happening to our wildlife and who is enabling it.

 
14 Comments

Posted by on October 13, 2012 in Hunting, Trapping, Wisconsin Insanity, Wolves

 

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Can Wisconsin Wolf Killing Season Be Challenged as Animal Cruelty?

03 Jun

Wisconsin is the only state in the country that allows wolves to be hunted with packs of vicious dogs. We should be so proud!

 

An interesting article appeared on the pro-hunting Wisconsin Outdoor News Website titled:

Will Wisconsin’s animal cruelty law affect a wolf hunt?

Instead of actually considering that using packs of dogs, night hunting, trapping, baiting for four and a half months is what it sounds like, animal cruelty, the author instead blames the conviction of thugs who tortured deer in 2009 with snowmobiles for bringing this issue to light. Apparently animal cruelty is just fine as long as it is done to wild animals and the bad thing according to this author is the fact that the deer torturers got caught and convicted and shed light on the sadistic acts of some “sportsmen.” From the article:

“Wisconsin may well create a wolf season this year, but if that season does open as planned Oct. 15, state sportsmen can thank the Kuenzi brothers for adding a substantial hurdle that must yet be overcome, based on comments from Midwest Environmental Advocates last week.

The seven-member Natural Resources Board did unanimously approve a “scoping statement” at its May 23 meeting that will allow the process to create a wolf season to continue, but not before Jodi Habush Sinvkin, of Milwaukee, representing Midwest Environmental Advocates, indirectly described how her group could challenge the trapping of wolves with cable restraints and the hunting of wolves with hounds, based on a court ruling from the Kuenzi brothers’ court case.

Remember the Kuenzis? In the winter of 2009, Rory and Robby Kuenzi and Nicholas Hermes ran down deer with snowmobiles in Waupaca County. They also tied deer to trees and tortured them.

Sinvkin told NRB members that a state appellate ruling in the Kuenzi case states that animal cruelty laws extend to wild animals.”

Oh the horror! “Sportsmen” cannot torture wolves and other wild animals without getting into trouble. Do you think that maybe the attention should be paid to the act of cruelty rather than blaming the idiots who got caught?

Then there is the response of the bear hounder representatives trying to gloss over their actions by talking about how much they “love” their dogs:

“Hunters Rights Coalition spokesman Bob Welch said there would be very little hound hunting for wolves the first year because not many hunters will have had a chance to train their hounds to pursue wolves.

Welch countered Sinvkin’s claim that dogs would be injured by wolves, and that wolves bayed up to dogs would be bludgeoned in the head with clubs.

“People who own dogs love their dogs. A lot of people think that if the dog doesn’t sleep on the couch with you, you don’t love your dogs. The dogs will be trained to hunt wolves, or they won’t be out hunting wolves.

When a wolf stops, the dogs stop. They won’t engage,” said Welch.”

Welch is also the paid shill for the Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association, SCI, Whitetails of Wisconsin, and gun group WI Force. So packs of vicious dogs chasing wolves with no restraint are just going to stop and not “engage” a pack of cornered wolves? I guess the hounder dogs are now robots who don’t act like canines actually do. Give me a break. Remember these are the people who wrote the wolf kill bill allowing Wisconsin to be the only state in the country to allow packs of vicious dogs to go after wolves. This is already legal for coyotes. How is this not legalized dog fighting? I want the DNR to answer this. Better yet, I want the courts to answer this.

One encouraging aspect from the Natural Resources Board hearing is that the chair, Dave Clausen, expressed serious concern over the use of dog packs to go after wolves:

Dave Clausen, NRB chair, said the European hunting might be with coursing hounds, or sight-hunting hounds, not trailing hounds as would be the case in Wisconsin.

“You’re looking at a wolf-dog fight. That would have some very negative connotations. I think we should be very careful about allowing (this),” said Clausen.

Here is Clausen’s contact information:
David Clausen, Chair

Veterinarian. Appointed February 19, 2006, Reappointed May 1, 2007. Term expires May 1, 2013.
1265 58th Ave
Amery, WI 54001
(715) 268-8131

Finally this is a reminder of the DNR holding four hearings about the wolf killing season on these dates and at these locations:

June 6, Spooner – Spooner High School Auditorium, 801 County Highway A.
June 8, Black River Falls – Black River Falls Middle School Auditorium, 1202 Pierce St.
June 14, Fond du Lac – UW-Fond du Lac Auditorium, 400 University Drive.
June 15, Rhinelander – James Williams Middle School Auditorium, 915 Acacia Lane.

Of course it is very likely that the DNR already have their minds made up for the impending slaughter as they make it clear that the meetings will be all about the killing methods to be used from this article:

“The four meetings are meant to give state residents a chance to voice their views on the number of permits issued, quotas, hunting zones and specifics regarding trapping equipment. The meetings aren’t intended for a discussion on the pros and cons of a hunt, Thiede said.”

That’s right shut us out again. They sure love to hear the “pros” from the hounders and their shills, but we get no voice. This thing is on the fast track and the courts are going to be the only thing standing in the way of the slaughter of hundreds of wolves so that the anti-wolf groups can get to their mythical number of 350 or less wolves. This is Wisconsin’s shame and I hope that this rush to kill comes back to bite us hard in the future. I would rethink any vacation plans in Wisconsin that you may have, and remember that Wisconsin is not the only state that makes cheese and other dairy products when making purchasing decisions.

 
13 Comments

Posted by on June 3, 2012 in Hunting, Trapping, Wisconsin Insanity, Wolves

 

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DNR Wolf Kill Hearings Announced and Dogs as Weapons

29 May

Remind the DNR that we are watching.

 

**Update** Of all of the animals that Wisconsin allows dos to be used against I forgot one: turkeys. Turkeys! So much for their fantasy of “fair chase.”

The DNR has announced that they will be holding four hearings in Wisconsin to help determine the number of wolf killing permits to be issued and the number of wolves to be killed. Any bets that these “hearings” will be dominated by the anti-wolf factions that wrote the bill and control the wildlife in this state?

DNR sets public meetings for wolf hunting and trapping rules

If you are able to attend one of these hearings please consider doing so. I don’t know how much of it will really make a difference because I am sure their minds are made up. They are hellbent on a wholesale slaughter but we need to make them aware that people are watching. I should try not to be so cynical, but judging how this whole process has played out thus far it is difficult to see the state being rational about this.

Dogs as Weapons

Remember that under Wisconsin law it is illegal for any wild animal to be killed by dogs. This wolf kill bill flies in the face of that and we need to make sure we call them on that. Wisconsin now allows wolves, bears, coyotes, bobcats, and raccoons to be terrorized by packs of free running vicious dogs, yet they claim the dogs don’t kill the animals? Give me a break! By allowing the use of dogs to go after wolves and coyotes Wisconsin has basically legalized dog fighting under the guise of “conservation” and “wildlife management.” Who enforces this? There are videos all over the internet showing wild animals, mostly bears, being attacked by packs of hounds in Wisconsin. What ever happened to the rule of law that these “conservatives” claim is important to them? Instead of being limited or banned as much of the country is doing, Wisconsin has expanded the use of dogs a weapons under the guise of “tradition” and “conservation.”

We need to spread the word about this. Do we really want packs of vicious dogs allowed to run free in our woods to torment wildlife for over half of the year? What about the property owners and their pets or children? They are worried about nonexistent wolf attacks while packs of vicious dogs are allowed to run free across the northern part of the state. What is the real threat? Wisconsin is the only state that plans to allow packs of vicious dogs to go after wolves. Not even the wolf hating states of Idaho and Montana allow this. California is close to banning hounding and we need to follow their lead. If the public really knows what happens to the animals that are tormented by these “men” and dogs then we can force real change. We need to take the blinders off of the public and show them what the state’s idea of “conservation” is really all about.

It is time to reenergize our cause. I ask that all living wildlife advocates spread far and wide what the State of Wisconsin is allowing to happen to our wildlife, and that our beloved dogs are now used as weapons under the guise of “conservation.” I have posted this video several times, but it needs to be spread far and wide:

This deplorable behavior is not enforced in Wisconsin. This happens every day during hounding season. These sadists are so brazen that they post it on the internet for the whole world to see because they know the DNR won’t do a damn thing about it. Please share this far and wide. We need this behavior to be banned and force the DNR to enforce existing law.

 
2 Comments

Posted by on May 29, 2012 in Endangered Species, Hunting, Trapping, Wisconsin Insanity, Wolves

 

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If You Needed Another Reason To Vote Against Walker…..

12 May

Hunters Endorse Walker in Recall Vote

Remember these words as you cast your vote on June 5th:

“The Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association–which is the political action committee for the state’s Safari Club, Wisconsin NRA chapter, Whitetails of Wisconsin, and the national riffle (sp) association–have all endorsed Walker, claiming he is the strongest advocate for hunting, gun rights and conservation.”

“Governor Walker has been incredible for hunters in his first year and a half in office,” said Joe Koback, chairman of SCI’s state political committee. “He got rid of earn a buck, brought in Dr. Kroll to clean up the DNR mess, got rid of outdated gun case regulation, and appointed good pro-hunting people to DNR leadership.”

And from our friends at the Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association:

“WBHA President Al Lobner praised Walker for signed into law the Bear Bill, which former Governor Jim Doyle had vetoed.” 

“His administration has been 100-percent in favor of delisting wolves, and he recently signed Wisconsin’s first modern wolf hunting season bill,” Lobner said. “He also made sure that stewardship land purchases are open to hunting, fishing, and trapping.”

Isn’t it just wonderful that bear hounders can now terrorize all forms of wildlife for almost eight month of the year thanks to Scott Walker. It is also great that our state parks are being turned into free fire zones where hikers will be forced to dodge the land mines known as traps. It is also just fantastic that hounders can also engage in legalized dog fighting when they send their packs of dogs on wolves in addition to bears, and coyotes. Thanks Scott Walker!

With the help of a contributor and friend we are working on getting a clarification from the DNR as to how it can be acceptable for these sadists to set packs of loose dogs onto wildlife when Wisconsin law forbids using dogs to kill wild animals. There are countless videos on YouTube showing bear hounders letting their dogs savagely rip at wounded bears. Wolves and coyotes are not able to climb up a tree to evade the dogs. The wolves especially will fight to the death. Wisconsin should make Michael Vick and honorary citizen because he would be proud of the barbarism that this state brings to our wildlife.

If you live in Wisconsin please contact your legislators and tell them that dogs should not be used as weapons against our wildlife. There is a reason that we are the only one of the 50 states that allows dogs to go after wolves. The citizens of Wisconsin need to demand that the practice of hounding be outlawed. The first step in this is to vote to recall Scott Walker which would also remove his bear hounder loving and wolf hating cronies from their politically appointed positions at the DNR.

 
1 Comment

Posted by on May 12, 2012 in Endangered Species, Hunting, Trapping, Wisconsin Insanity, Wolves

 

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American Kennel Club Supports Bear Hounders

26 Apr

Photo by Jim Martin via, Wikimedia Commons

 

California is far from being a perfect state. But in terms of animal welfare and protection they are light years ahead of the rest of the country. Recently, legislation was introduced in California to finally ban their already limited practice of bear and bobcat hounding. On Tuesday the Los Angeles Times printed an editorial called:

Bear hunting: Leash the hounds

From the op-ed:

“Hunting groups and American Kennel Club officials say this is a sporting, athletic endeavor for hunters and hounds alike. Animal welfare advocates, including the Humane Society of the United States, which sponsored the bill being introduced by state Sen. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance), say this practice is cruel to bears and unsporting.”

“Allowing packs of dogs to chase bears and bobcats for miles until, exhausted, the animals climb trees to flee the canines and end up trapped and clinging to a tree limb, essentially waiting to be shot by a hunter below, is indeed a cruel practice, an animal version of “The Hunger Games.” Those bears and cats that don’t make it up a tree sometimes end up dueling with the dogs on the ground. Once an animal is treed, it’s hardly more sporting to shoot it off a branch than it is to kill it during a captive hunt — in which animals are fenced in for an organized hunt and unable to escape, a practice mostly prohibited in California.”

I did not know that the American Kennel Club (AKC) supported bear hounders. Not only do they oppose regulating the horrific “puppy mill” industry, they are now advocates for those “athletic” bear hounders. If anyone has any affiliation with this group it would be wise to remember this. And of course the repulsive Safari Club International and the National Redneck Rifle Association (NRA) are also in opposition to this bill. 

California deserves our support in their fight to end the brutal practice of hounding. So whenever you see “AKC Certified,” remember that this group is in bed with deplorable groups like SCI and the NRA and wants to continue the use of dogs as a weapon against our wildlife nationwide.

 
4 Comments

Posted by on April 26, 2012 in National Wildlife Issues

 

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