Wisconsin DNR Partners With HSUS

Paul Smith Outdoors Editor
DNR steps on toes with partnership
Posted: May 12, 2010 (30) Comments

Spring has sprung and the 2010 class of wild ones is appearing on the Wisconsin landscape.
As it has for years, the Department of Natural Resources is reminding state residents not to pick up young wildlife, such as fawns and bunnies.

The animals may appear to be orphaned, but they are most often just fine, with a doe (the word for female deer and rabbits) nearby.

And if uninjured, they always fare better outdoors than when taken in by a human. We tend to provide inadequate or even toxic food, to say nothing of the implications of a wild animal imprinted on humans.

You've likely heard the message before, but you've never heard it like this: To spread the word this year, the DNR has partnered with a frequent opponent on hunting and wildlife management issues - the Humane Society of the United States.

The DNR and the HSUS have teamed to produce and buy air time across the state for a pair of 30-second radio spots.

The spots feature a young female voice which asks the public to respect the wild nature of wildlife. If an animal is truly injured or orphaned, have an adult contact the DNR, she instructs.
But it's the partnership, not the message, that's drawing the most attention.

"My initial reaction was shock and disbelief," said George Meyer, executive director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation and former DNR secretary. "If I hadn't seen it on the DNR's Web site, I would have thought it was a hoax."

Meyer said while there is value in communicating with all groups, partnering with the HSUS is a step too far. Read More

The strategy of the HSUS is simple. They try extremely hard to project a mainstream image and brush off any radical labels thrown their way. Yet at the same time, their actions tell a different story. Wisconsin residents should be extremely worried that they have bought their way into the DNR office. Proper management of wildlife is extremely important and if it was up to the HSUS they would end the most effective measures for management, which is through hunting. One look at the recipe section of their website says all you need to know about this group. There certainly aren’t any wild game recipes to be found.