Wolf Depredation Compensation Case Study

Wisconsin is among the fourteen states that allow bear hunting with the use of hounds, but Wisconsin is the only state that compensates hunters for hound depredations that occur due to wolves. Wisconsin Statute Chapter 29, Wild Animals and Plants, sets rules regarding wolf depredation compensation, which sets a maximum amount of $2,500 per hound that a hunter can receive. The DNR program that provides compensation is funded mostly from taxpayer dollars, along with small contributions from the optional endangered species check off on tax returns and wolf license plates issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Should taxpayer dollars be used to compensate hunters for hound depredations? Is there an alternative method that can be more efficiently
As stated earlier, the 2004-2005 survey conducted by the Wisconsin DNR showed that 52 percent of Wisconsin citizens do not support compensation for hounds, yet the money from these citizens is still used to provide compensation to the hunter. The same survey discovered that 81 percent of landowners that live near wolf packs would participate in a program in which they are given a monetary incentive to protect wolves, which would offset the risks they face and compensate them for any potential animal losses. This proves that wolves are not the problem; the problem is how the compensation is funded and handled. During the 2012 Wisconsin wolf hunting season, the compensation for dog depredations was provided through wolf application fees instead of taxpayer dollars. Managing the wolf population not only involves hunting, but also dealing with the consequences and side effects of having a wolf population in the state of Wisconsin. The money that was earned from wolf hunting application fees during 2012 was used directly to compensate hunters for wolves that caused them problems, which was a much more beneficial management