It’s time to outlaw the use of hounds to hunt black bear in Wisconsin, a state lawmaker argued Wednesday.
“It’s the only practice in the state that pits one animal against another,” Rep. Frank Boyle (D-Superior) told the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. “We have stringent laws against cockfighting here in Wisconsin.”
Opponents contended the proposed change would eventually lead to the elimination of all types of sport hunting in the state.
“This bill is the first step toward their end goal of ending hunting,” said Tom Hauge, director of the state Department of Natural Resources’ Bureau of Wildlife Management.
More than 130 people signed up to testify on the bill during its only scheduled hearing at Nicolet College.
Boyle said he wrote the bill because of 10 years of complaints from constituents about cruelty to animals, trespassing and threats made by trespassing hunters.
Dogs often chase bear onto private property, leaving the hunter to trespass in order to retrieve his dog and kill the bear, Boyle said.
The problem is acute because the department allows 60 days of training, beginning in July, to prepare dogs for the season, which opens in September, he said.
A year ago, 41,000 hunters applied for 4,850 permits the department issued to shoot a black bear. Hunters killed 2,325 bears.
How many hunters used hounds is unknown, department bear ecologist Kevin Wallenfang said in a interview from Madison. “The majority are shot over bait.”
The DNR estimates the state has about 14,000 black bears.
