Former DNR warden under investigation for wolf killing posted online about baiting in his yard

By: Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner

A former Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) warden who served on the agency’s committee to create a new wolf management plan for the state is under investigation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for killing a wolf in his yard in December. He has claimed self-defense, but he posted on Facebook in November that he was baiting the animals with doughnuts and rice crispy cereal.

The warden, Patrick Quaintance, also sits on the Wisconsin Conservation Congress where he holds positions on the body’s fur harvest and bear committees. The conservation congress serves as an important pathway between residents in Wisconsin and environmental policy makers. In the past, conservation groups have complained that the body is controlled by pro-hunting interests.

Quaintance has been vocal about his anti-wolf beliefs. An advocate for the controversial practice of using hounds in hunting, he has regularly spoken at meetings about his belief that there should be fewer wolves in Wisconsin.