As far as wolves in Wisconsin or any other well populated area in this country, "the law" and this thread won't change a thing.
A 22 rim fire in the gut will. I neither endorse or condemn it. I am just acknowledging reality.
....but, by condoning it, you are endorsing it. By not condemning it, you are endorsing it. That too is reality. Would you do the same if your neighbors were spotlighting and shooting deer at night?
Funny how everytime one of these types of threads comes up, the ol' ".22 rimfire in the gut" phase comes out. As if some get some kind of sick satisfaction thinking of the suffering of an animal. Again, how many would do the same for a deer?
Killing the occasional wolf illegally might make some folks feel good, and in specific cases of active predation might make a difference on an individual level, but in the grand scheme of things, folks'd be better off putting their energy towards pushing for responsible management. It works. Poaching, generally speaking, is just going to hinder that effort.
I agree. Responsible management of both prey and predators in reality, is the only real way to make it work within the confines of human cohabitation.
Is anyone comforted by the possibility of being reimbursed $2500 if a wolf kills your dog in Wisconsin?
$2500, while not a comfort, is compensation. Similar to if a tornado or fire totally destroys your home and family heirlooms. It will cover the replacement, but not the memories.
I won’t take him anywhere near wolf country to hunt. Wolves will immediately kill any K9 they encounter within their hunting range. That is not the wolf’s fault, that’s just a wolf doing what wolves do.
Having lived and hunted within the confines of six different packs here in central Wisconsin, there are times if I want to hunt birds, I need to go there. Yet to lose a bird dog. Bird dogs trained to hunt within shotgun range are not really at risk. What are at risk is hounds that run long distances from their owners or dogs allowed to run at large. Both of these are well known risks and are generally more the fault of the owner, than wolves. For many houndsmen, the loss of a dog occasionally is just "the cost of doing business". The risk of them crossing a road and getting hit by a car when in pursuit, is just as large of a risk, and would not be compensated.
...and H&H is correct, wolves do what wolves do. Is how they kill ugly? Of course it is, no different than any other predator killing prey. But, while they do prey on game animals we hunters like to pursue, and receive hate from many, their kills are no uglier than many form legitimate hunters. Deer and elk hunters need to realize that they are not the only entity out there. For every hunter that wants all the wolves killed, there is a wildlife enthusiast that wants to see and hear them in the wild. Go north of HWY 10 here in the state and go into most any sporting goods store. The only thing more numerous that t-shirts and sweatshirts with wolves on them are ones with loons on them. Like the wolves, Loons were once almost eradicated form the state because of the game fish they preyed on. Most northern resort towns have an outfitter that guides for deer hinting, that also guides for wolves. Not only to hunt, so that non-hunters can see and hear them. They are a money maker here, no different that deer and Muskies. That too is reality.
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