A gray wolf is seen walking through a patch of light in the forest.

Wisconsin pays hunters whose dogs are killed by wolves. There are unintended consequences.

Many states compensate farmers for livestock preyed on by wolves. Only Wisconsin also pays hunters for attacks on their dogs, a 1970s policy that continues today.

When wolves kill hunting dogs in Wisconsin, their owners can receive up to $2,500 as compensation. Animal advocates say the policy is “state-sanctioned dogfighting” and rewards bad hunting practices. 
Photograph by Jim Brandenburg, Minden Pictures

“A guy waits his whole life for such a naturally talented dog,” a Wisconsin hunter wrote to the state’s Department of Natural Resources, mourning the loss of his “irreplaceable” dog, Rusty. Wolves had killed the Bluetick-Walker hound on public land in the state in October 2022. “I would not have sold him for any price. It would be like putting a price on one of my kids.”

If it’s determined that a wolf killed a hunting dog in Wisconsin, the owner may receive up to $2,500 in compensation, and if a wolf injures a dog, money may be awarded to help cover veterinary expenses. Rusty, whose owner got the full $2,500, was one of about 20 hunting dogs the state compensated

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