Wisconsin dog hunters ready to roll
7/21/2006 1:36:36 PM
"Wisconsin Wildlife Federation leads charge for hunter's rights."
Madison, WI – Sportsmen in the Badger State are organizing under the leadership of Corky Meyer and the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation (WWF) to combat the latest rules package, WM-51-04 proposed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). WM-51-04 contains language that is especially troublesome to hound hunters in that it prohibits the use of roll cages, a standard tool for training coonhounds.
Says Meyer in a recent email message to the WDNR, “Roll cages are used across the nation as a training tool. They are designed to protect the animal within and without. They do not allow the dog to make full contact with the target species.”
The WWF under Meyer’s leadership is mounting an email campaign to challenge eight provisions of WM-51-04, dealing with issues ranging from roll cage usage to restrictions on running enclosures for rabbit and coyote hounds.
The AKC Coonhound Events Department supports Meyer’s efforts and urges all visitors to this site to cut and paste the attached letter. Be sure to attach your name and address and email it to the Wisconsin DNR.
We also urge readers to attend the Wisconsin Association of Sporting Dog Club’s Hunter’s Rights Rally at the Wilton club on July 29, 2006. For details:
http://forum.akccoonhounds.org/viewtopic.php?t=2673
The WWF, the Wisconsin Bear Hunter’s Association, and the Wisconsin DNR attended the recent AKC Heartland Classic in Tomah, Wisconsin and presented displays for the benefit of those in attendance. We appreciate their support for the AKC Heartland Classic and it was good to renew old friendships with folks in the Badger State that are on the front lines in our fight to preserve dog ownership and dog owner’s rights.
Photo at top: Steve Fielder, AKC’s AVP of Coonhound Events and Wisconsin Wildlife Federation president Corky Meyer renew a twenty-five year old friendship at the AKC Heartland Classic.
- Corky Meyer mans the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation booth at the AKC Heartland Classic. A coon hunter that favors Blueticks, Meyer has been on the front lines of the fight for houndsmen's rights for many years.
- Leroy Miller, board member for the Wisconsin Bear Hunter’s Association is shown by the trailer holding the Harley Davidson motorcycle, one of several prizes in the association’s annual fund-raising raffle.
– This poster lists the prizes to be awarded in the Wisconsin Bear Hunter's Association annual fund raising raffle to be held in March of 2007 at the annual convention in Stevens Point.
PLEASE cut and paste the following email and send it to the individuals indicated. Please do it now!
Send emails to:
Scott.Hassett@dnr.state.wi.us
amy.arthur@dnr.state.wi.us
hauget@dnr.state.wi.us
Secretary Scott Hassett
Members of the Natural Resources Board
Department of Natural Resources
Box 7921
Madison, WI 53707-7921
Dear Mr. Secretary:
I am writing in opposition to the proposed rules package WM-51-04.
I strongly object to the idea that t e DNR staff puts more weight to a form email sent from around the country than the input from elected delegates, leaders of the conservation hunting community and the representative's of the user groups.
The idea that a public hearing on important issue can be swayed by as few as 57 emails seems hard to believe, and that these 57 emails had no recommendations as to substance change. That these emails can carry more weight than the input from those that took the time and expense to attend a public hearing just does not make sense. That the weight of these 57 can carry more weight than the input from elected delegates of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress and State wide organizations seems to lead one to believe that there is some stacking of the deck. Those of us from the user groups pay to support game management. I feel that millions of dollars put into game management through hunting and fishing license dollars and the millions put into local economy's should carry some weight in decision making over the lack of same from 57 emails.
Yes, I know that this is another "form email" and I willingly sign on to illustrate the point that if this is what it takes, the sportsmen and women will rise to the task. We support our organizations and delegates to make the tasks of law and rule making a more concise job, but I am unwilling to agree with those that discount that effort.
The following is a list of requests for change to the rules package mentioned:
1. Prohibition on the use of Roll cages
Roll cages are used across the nation as a training tool. They are designed to protect the animal within and without. They do not allow the dog to make full contact with the target species. I would request that all mention of a prohibition on the use of roll cages be eliminated from the proposed rule.
3. 16 versus 12 hours of training time every 24 hours-----
There is no need to have hour restrictions on training in large acreage facilities. If there are ample places of refuge for the rabbit, fox or coyote, they control the chase, and will seek the places of refuge when they are needed.
4. More than one species in the enclosure
There are enclosures across the nation that are run without this prohibition and do not have problems.
5. Bobbing the coyote's tail
This is commonly done again across the nation and is done to protect the coyotes. It has been done here in Wisconsin and can be shown by coyotes as old as 12yrs that it is not a problem
6. Needing an 18 year old to be at the site
A youth at age 12 is allowed to hunt and at 14 would be allowed to hunt without any adult supervision. This is a counter productive effort to the recruitment of new hunters.
7. 20 acres within a 1/4 mile
If a person is permitted to have a facility then there should be no need to have this distance requirement at all providing that the operator also has a facility of at least 75 acres. Land may not be available within a 1/4 mile.
8. Fencing requirements in the rule exceed those that are standardly accepted across the nation and have proved to work well over time. These nationally accepted standards should be allowed.
I would further request that you add my name to those petitioning these changes to the rules package WM-51-04. I would also request that after these changes are made that this package again be sent out to the public for hearings. I would also ask you to understand that those that represent us at these hearings are supported by their respective memberships and reflect the opinions of all those members, not just an individual.
Thank you for your consideration
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