# Wolves killing hunting Dogs



## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

Tonight's TV news issued a warning to bear hunters in a few counties near us in north central Wisconsin.

In the past 2 months 13 bear hunting dogs have been killed by wolves.


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## Muskrat (Sep 4, 2005)

Do you have any links, tallpines? I'd like more info on situation, numbers, etc.


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## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

It was on WEAU TV --- Today's 6 p.m. news.

I can't find Todays news reports ---- still looking fo it but there are a couple other wolf reports from previous dates.


http://www.weau.com/news/headlines/2996506.html

http://www.weau.com/searchresults?searchKeywords=wolves&section=/


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## Bwana (Jul 9, 2006)

I bear hunted with a guy who has several (over a dozen) Plotts and that year ('02) he had one killed by a monster of a bear...too big to tree! It was prior to the season when the guides were running bear to train the dogs. He also had one get pretty banged up by a wolf. That guy is not especially fond of wolves, or the DNR for re-introducing them.

Dave


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## Muskrat (Sep 4, 2005)

:grump: :Bawling: 

The dogs wouldn't have understood what was going on. Unless they had been used on coyotes or wolves before they probably wouldn't have immediately recognized the wolves as quarry, they would have considered the wolves were other dogs, and they're taught not to fight with other dogs. They would probably have sheered clear if given the opportunity. By the time the dogs made the change it would have been too late. The wolves would have heard the dogs on the trail and recognized them as intruders onto their territory. They would have been prepared; the dogs wouldn't have been. A strung out pack, an outnumbered pack, a training pack with young inexperienced dogs--okay, I'm depressed.

I admire wolves and hope there will always be wolves--but nothing messes with my dogs. :flame: I'm going outside with pictures and training films now.


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## marvella (Oct 12, 2003)

this makes sense. at first i was going to say it was hard to believe wolves killed 13 bear dogs. those plotts are some fierce dogs, and i couldn't imagine any wolf getting the better of a pack of plotts. but it does make sense that the dogs don't recognize them.



Muskrat said:


> :grump: :Bawling:
> 
> The dogs wouldn't have understood what was going on. Unless they had been used on coyotes or wolves before they probably wouldn't have immediately recognized the wolves as quarry, they would have considered the wolves were other dogs, and they're taught not to fight with other dogs. They would probably have sheered clear if given the opportunity. By the time the dogs made the change it would have been too late. The wolves would have heard the dogs on the trail and recognized them as intruders onto their territory. They would have been prepared; the dogs wouldn't have been. A strung out pack, an outnumbered pack, a training pack with young inexperienced dogs--okay, I'm depressed.
> 
> I admire wolves and hope there will always be wolves--but nothing messes with my dogs. :flame: I'm going outside with pictures and training films now.


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## Muskrat (Sep 4, 2005)

marvella said:


> this makes sense. at first i was going to say it was hard to believe wolves killed 13 bear dogs. those plotts are some fierce dogs, and i couldn't imagine any wolf getting the better of a pack of plotts. but it does make sense that the dogs don't recognize them.


If I understand the situation correctly, it wasn't a pack of 13 that was killed, it was a dog or two in each incident with the dogs running into wolf packs of ten or so. The dogs commonly run six to a pack; I don't know if Wisconsin allows more, but many more and the dogs get in each other's way on bear.


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

.................The Predator<>Prey relationship has been so screwed UP in favor of the Prey for so long that even in yellowstone where wolves are increasing yearly that Elk are still contracting chronic wasting disease in large numbers . Same thing in Rocky Mountain nat'l Park , the elk are vastly over populated and the park Service doesn't have Gonads big enough to reintroduce wolves back into the equation to allow nature to reassert it's natural balancing mechanism . Wolves are the Best neighbors that most folks could have as they mind their business for the most part . fordy...


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## Muskrat (Sep 4, 2005)

Word is coming down from the bear hunters that once the hunting packs have been bloodied by the wolves, they don't make the same mistake twice. There's still the happenstance of outnumbered dogs or newer dogs, but the dogs know their business.

We were talking about sending my Airedales north so they could run with the strike dogs, but I don't want to take the chance of running them with a strange pack. My dogs have learned from coyotes about wild canines. "Coyotes are food, not friends." I don't think they would make the mistake of thinking the wolves are other dogs, but if they do meet up with the wolves, I want the whole squad there.


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## goodshepherd (Jul 20, 2006)

We've had problems here with coyotes. Friend of ours had 3 beagles killed by coyotes while they were running rabbits.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Wolves will kill hunting dogs.
Bears will kill hunting dogs.
Coyotes will kill hunting dogs.
Hogs will kill hunting dogs.
Mountain lions will kill hunting dogs.

And of course, badgers, ferrets, wolverines, elk, moose, buffalo...

A wood rat almost killed one of my hunting dogs.

The absolute worstest critter that'll kill hunting dogs???

Wanna take a guess???

A Wild Wild Guess????????????????????????????????????????????????

It's a predator that walks sometimes on two feet!!!

When it's knuckles aren't dragging the ground!!!

Give up?

Ok, you probably guessed by now!!!

HUMANS!

More hunting dogs die of shotgun and rifle blasts than any predator on earth... If a dog while hunting officially or otherwise gets close to a "hunter" or "human" that disapproves, the animal is quickly dispatched...

If I lost a hunting dog to a wolf, here in E. Texas, I'd be proud!!!

We have coyotes, and my dogs know what they are... there's a truce between em... of course I monitor the truce, the dogs stay close at night, the coyotes stay far... if the truce is broken, someone pays... in the last 20 years here, truce broken once, and one dead coyote...

If I was in the UP or Yellowstone area, I'd keep my dogs up at night, and if hiking, they'd be under Alpha command control. Both of my dogs know the tone of my voice and will freeze...when told...


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

I live in an area endemic for gray wolves. I see their tracks in winter, and enjoy that they inhabit the wildlands with all other creatures. I have 5 dogs now ranging from terriers to a large white dog and have had over 25 dogs including 2 litters of puppies over the 15 years living here where it's definitel not urban and wildlands, farmlands and plenty of places for wolves to be. I never had a wolf come to my dogs. I had coyote once trying to get 'friendly' with a ***** that was in heat, but that wild dog was dispatched as I didn't want coydogs around. 
Never have I heard of anyone else around here having wolves taking their dogs either. One area along the big lake shore was some havoc with pet cats and small dogs taken which was suspect for a cougar, but not wolves even though wolves are much more prevelant. 

I'd never keep a tied dog, which could leave it vulnerable to any animal attack, including large stray dogs that might 'look' like a wolf. I hear that much more often.


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