Our friend Rachel Tilseth who heads up WOLVES OF DOUGLAS COUNTY WISCONSIN has found an ally in her fight to end Hounding of Wolves in her State...............Wisconsin Hunter Rick Hanestad has joined Rachel in her fight..........Rick formerly held the opinion that "the only good coyote is dead coyote"..........Since rescuing an orphan Coyote pup which he has raised as a house pet over the past three years, Hanestad has revised his thinking and has come to recognize the value of their being Wolves and Coyotes in our woodlands.........Rachel describes the so-called art of hounding----- "It is not a fair fight.(when dogs go after Wolves)"........... The "hounders" are allowed to place homemade collars on their dogs which are fitted with nails and shards of steel that lacerate the mouths of the wolves as the wolves try to fight back "............."There is no way for the wolf to defend themselves, before the hounds' owners catch up to the pack tearing the wolf apart".

http://incrediblefeatures.net/curling-up-with-a-coyote-one-hunters-prey-became-his-familys-best-friend/

Curling up with a Coyote: One Hunter’s Prey Became His Family’s Best Friend

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  Posted byHarmon Leon
• Posted onDecember 17, 2013

Have you checked out Incredible Features latest story? It's all about one man's new best friend. Not sure what I mean? Go on then, read on:

When hunter enthusiast Rick Hanestad first brought home an orphaned coyote pup he thought it would be a very short-lived experiment in living with a wild animal. For much of his life he had trapped coyotes – a popular sport in his Wisconsin neighborhood as much as anywhere else in the US – but here he was carefully nursing back to health a pup so small he could hold it in one hand.

Over time Hanestad went from living by the hunter code of “the only good coyote is a dead coyote” to frying up venison scraps and eggs every day for his picky new pet – named Wiley after the cartoon character – to enjoy.

Now three years old, Wiley is not only Hanestad’s “best buddy” but also his eight year-old daughter Hailey’s favorite playmate. The two are so close they even howl together each evening as though they were actually pack mates.

Wiley is one of only two known domesticated coyotes, born in the wild, now living as a pet in the US. Just like an average dog Wiley sits by the fire in the winter, goes for leash walks, plays with dog toys, and even has his own personal chair in the house to relax on.

Hanestad and his son discovered a den full of coyote puppies abandoned after a hunter shot and killed their mother on his Uncle’s property. When they heard cries coming from inside a hillside they dug all day with shovels, some 20 feet into the earth, to find just one pup still alive. His eyes were closed and he was severely dehydrated, but with some care Wiley was soon running around the house after their then six year-old daughter.

“At that time, we had no expectation that we would have a full grown coyote living in our house,” explains Hanestad.

In Wisconsin it is illegal to take an animal from the wild. Normally, the Hanestad family agrees with the policy of “keep the wild, wild” but in Wiley’s case they know he would have starved to death had they not saved him

This ex hounder with the pet coyote, Wiley, is my neighbor and friend.  He is helping to expose wolf hounding.  We plan to meet with Senator Risser after the holidays and talk about wolf hounding.  Rick wants to help us band this barbaric practice for coyote's sake like Wiley.  He is very brave and please share this story so we can keep Wiley safe.

Happy Holidays 

Rachel

www.facebook.com/WolvesOfDouglasCountyWisconsin

"We want Wisconsinites to know what will happen when packs of dogs are unleashed on wolves", said Rachel Tilseth, founder of WODCW.  "It is not a fair fight. The "hounders" are allowed to place homemade collars on their dogs, which are fitted with nails and shards of steel, which will lacerate the mouths of the wolves, once wolves try to fight back. There is no way for the wolf to defend themselves, before the hounds' owners catch up to the pack tearing the wolf apart".